Allan Alaalatoa explains Wallabies’ ‘main focus’ before Bledisloe Cup opener

The Wallabies are under no illusions about the challenge that awaits at the All Blacks’ Eden Park fortress this weekend, but Allan Alaalatoa believes the visitors can take confidence and belief from their preparation into the fixture.

Alaalatoa made his 39^th appearance in the gold jersey when the Wallabies last defeated the All Blacks on November 7, 2020. The now 94-Test prop remains a regular starter for the Wallabies, who come into the Bledisloe Cup series on a six-game unbeaten run.

Les Kiss has coached the Wallabies to five of those results, including a 28-all draw away to Los Pumas and a 42-38 win against the Springboks. But the Aussies have assembled in New Zealand ahead of the Bledisloe Cup series, which will be contested over the next two weekends.

The All Blacks have spent some time back home after the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, which was won 3-1 by the Springboks. More than 68,000 fans watched the fourth Test in Baltimore, the USA, at M&T Bank Stadium last month.

It’s been more than 30 years since the All Blacks last lost at Eden Park, with the New Zealanders extending their streak to 53 Tests earlier this year. But as Alaalatoa explained on Monday, the Wallabies are focused on themselves.

“We haven’t really spoke about that outcome,” Alaalatoa told reporters.

“Our main focus is just on us demanding more from each other every day, asking more from ourselves first and foremost, and then holding each other accountable to what we set our standards at the beginning of the week.

“Then on Saturday… it’s just having that belief to go out there and to express yourself. TO have that confidence comes off the back of what you do, not only this week… [but] in the weeks building to that.

“We want to make sure we get to a point where we’re lining up to run out to Eden Park and you’ve got 23 blokes that are confident to go out there and put their best foot forward.”

The Wallabies started their new era under coach Kiss with consecutive victories over Japan’s Brave Blossoms, before securing a historic series win in Argentina. Three weeks later, the Aussies claimed a dramatic result against the Springboks in Perth.

Josh Canham and Ryan Lonergan had both never started a Wallabies Test before this season, but the pair are among those regularly featuring in the First XV now. Lachlan Shaw, Miles Amatosero, Declan Meredith, Isaac Henry and Massimo De Lutiis have all made their debuts in 2026.

There’s a blend of experience and youth in the Wallabies, with the 34-man squad for the Bledisloe Cup series boasting more than 910 Test caps between them. But that doesn’t include 38-Test lock Nick Frost, who has been selected as injury cover.

“This challenge is always tough. This rivalry between the Wallabies and the All Blacks, it’s always been a big one in the history of rugby union,” Alaalatoa explained.

“We’re just at a stage where we’re focused more so on ourselves and how we continue to get better every day – there’s things that we’ve changed… we’re still trying to find out a lot more about ourselves and working in sync with the coaches.

“We’re probably still at that stage where we want to continue to demand more from each other and get the best out of each other every day to then go out on the weekend and just play off our instincts and give ourselves confidence to go out there and use our skill sets to go out there and perform.

“That confidence and belief comes on the back of what we do every week.

“We always talk about the contribution of the whole squad and everyone’s been great in terms of our connection and the way that everyone’s buying in.”