Share

All Blacks braced for 'kitchen sink' from Wales

Wellington - New Zealand expect an onslaught as Wales look to restore wounded pride and defy history in this weekend's second Test, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said on Thursday.

Wales blew a first-half lead in the opening Test as the All Blacks stormed home 39-21, before their second-stringers were humiliated 40-7 mid-week by the Chiefs.

Hansen said it meant Wales would be fired up as they seek to end a 63-year losing streak against New Zealand at Wellington's Westpac Stadium on Saturday.

"They're a good team. They're hurting right now and that makes them dangerous... they'll front up in a big way," he told reporters.

Many pundits have written off Wales and expect a whitewash in the three-Test series, believing their best chance was when the world champions were still rusty in the opener at Auckland.

But Hansen insisted he was not underestimating a side which led the All Blacks for 62 minutes in the first Test and is coached by fellow Kiwi Warren Gatland.

"They've worked out that to play us they can't just go for penalties, scrum penalties, kicks to the corner and lineouts," he said. "They'll have a crack at us."

Flyhalf Aaron Cruden succinctly summed up New Zealand's expectations: "They're going to throw the kitchen sink at us, so we need to be prepared for that barrage."

Hansen made only two personnel changes to his run-on side, shuffling the backline to drop struggling wing Julian Savea and recall Israel Dagg, while ditching lock Luke Romano in favour of a fit-again Sam Whitelock.

He admitted aspects of the All Blacks' play looked "clunky" in Auckland but said the team, which is rebuilding after a string of retirements, had looked sharp in training.

Wales are missing one of their main strike weapons in first Test stand-out George North, who is injured and out of the series, but Gatland was keen to emphasise the positives.

He dismissed the Chiefs' debacle as meaningless to his Test players, who he said wanted to repeat the high tempo shown in Auckland without the late slump in intensity.

"They've been excellent and they're desperate to step up and play for a full 80 minutes," he said.

"It will be another huge occasion, in a packed-out stadium in Wellington and we are determined to build on our first Test performance."

However, centre Jamie Roberts - who along with skipper Sam Warburton and Taulupe Faletau is being asked to play three matches in three days - revealed how deeply hurt the players were by the Chiefs' loss.

"The lads who wore the jersey on Tuesday let it down, I think, being part of that squad," he said.

"It wasn't good enough and we owe the jersey and the Welsh supporters a performance."

Gatland has also kept changes to a minimum, relegating lock Bradley Davies to the bench for 66-Test veteran Luke Charteris, and calling up rookie Rhys Patchell at fullback.

Patchell's inclusion allows Liam Williams to switch to the right wing and replace North.

"He's quick, he's got a big boot on him and we believe he'll do a job for us," Gatland said of the 23-year-old Patchell, whose only two previous caps were earned on a tour of Japan in 2013.

Teams:

New Zealand

15 Israel Dagg; 14 Ben Smith, 13 Malakai Fekitoa, 12 Ryan Crotty, 11 Waisake Naholo; 10 Aaron Cruden, 9 Aaron Smith; 8 Kieran Read (captain), 7 Sam Cane, 6 Jerome Kaino; 5 Brodie Retallick, 4 Sam Whitelock; 3 Owen Franks, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Joe Moody

Substitutes: 16 Nathan Harris, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Charlie Faumuina, 19 Patrick Tuipulotu, 20 Ardie Savea, 21 TJ Perenara, 22 Beauden Barrett, 23 Seta Tamanivalu

Wales

15 Rhys Patchell, 14 Liam Williams, 13 Jonathan Davies, 12 Jamie Roberts, 11 Hallam Amos, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Rhys Webb, 8 Taulupe Faletau, 7 Sam Warburton (captain), 6 Ross Moriarty, 5 Alun Wyn Jones, 4 Luke Charteris, 3 Samson Lee, 2 Ken Owens, 1 Gethin Jenkins

Substitutes: 16 Scott Baldwin, 17 Rob Evans, 18 Tomas Francis, 19 Bradley Davies, 20 Ellis Jenkins, 21 Gareth Davies, 22 Rhys Priestland, 23 Scott Williams

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1471 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2250 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE