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Allan Alaalatoa’s message for Wallabies fans before Bledisloe Cup series

James Slipper of the Wallabies (centre) and Wallabies team look on during the All Black's Haka during The Rugby Championship & Bledisloe Cup match between the Australia Wallabies and the New Zealand All Blacks at Marvel Stadium on September 15, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)

There’s something different about a Bledisloe Cup week. If you’re from Australia or New Zealand and consider yourself a rugby union fan, then you understand how deep this rivalry runs and why both teams will be desperate to get the job done on Saturday.

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From the Wallabies’ point of view, there’s that same narrative that has come up annually for the last 22 years: can they end their long-lasting Bledisloe Cup drought? The Wallabies are firm underdogs to do just that, but take confidence from the fact this team is building.

The Wallabies haven’t beaten the All Blacks since November 2020, with a young Noah Lolesio coming off the bench in that Test to help deliver a two-point win in Brisbane. But the rival teams have gone toe-to-toe seven times since, with the Kiwis winning all of them.

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It’s true that this is a new era for the Wallabies, and they’re continuing to find their way under coach Joe Schmidt. They performed well in the July series, fell in two Tests to the world champion Springboks, and beat Argentina before it all went wrong in Santa Fe.

But this week is about the All Blacks. At a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, prop Allan Alaalatoa was asked to say something to Wallabies fans to give them a reason to believe this team can challenge in the Bledisloe Cup.

“We’ve had some tough learnings and the boys are working hard,” Alaalatoa told reporters.

“Today was probably one of our toughest Tuesdays, not driven by coaches but from players. The effort is there and (we’re) putting in the work behind the scenes to not only rectify that performance but to be consistent.

“We’re slowly chipping away and building and understanding that if we put in a good week of prep then the boys are ready to go in front of what we believe is going to be a good crowd over here at Accor Stadium.”

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The Wallabies’ last Test was a record 67-27 loss to Los Pumas in Argentina. The hosts scored 38 unanswered points in less than 35 minutes of rugby as they ran away to a commanding lead, and they scored another four tries after that period as well.

Head-to-Head

Last 5 Meetings

Wins
0
Draws
0
Wins
5
Average Points scored
16
33
First try wins
60%
Home team wins
60%

That’s the most points they’ve conceded in a Test ever, with that feat eclipsing the 61 points put on them by the Springboks in 1997. With that, the Wallabies are hurting, and they’ll be itching for a shot at redemption this weekend against their great foe.

As for the All Blacks, they’re coming off back-to-back defeats to the Springboks themselves. They were also beaten by Los Pumas in New Zealand earlier in The Rugby Championship, meaning they’ve now lost three of their last four.

These results have set the scene for an intriguing Bledisloe Cup clash in Sydney.

The stage is set.

“The All Blacks are a tough outfit, as we all know, but a lot of our players played a lot of the individuals in Super Rugby which I think is good for us,” Alaalatoa said.

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“Again, our focus is on ourselves. We understand the threats that they’re going to bring but we want to pour all of our attention into us delivering our system over and over again as much as we can.

“Delivering that for 40 (minutes) isn’t good enough, you’ve got to be doing it for 80, and those are the places where we’re going to be pouring in our energy throughout this whole week to then again give us that belief and confidence to go out there on Saturday and just play.”

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Comments

3 Comments
F
FC 198 days ago

Allan Alaalatoa's words deciphered:

"Dont get your hopes up and waste time watching the game, we're going to get creamed, and we know it..."

J
JWH 199 days ago

Good to hear that the players are trying, just gotta put the effort in on the field now mate.


Exciting game coming up, hope the Aussies put up a fight.

T
Teddy 199 days ago

It's a moral victory if they keep it under 40 PTS and manage to put a few of their own scores on the board.

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Comments on RugbyPass

I
IkeaBoy 4 hours ago
Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

“Why are you so insistent on being wrong? Man United won in 2008 (beating Chelsea in the final). In 2009 Barcelona won, beating United.”

Good lad, just checking. So you’re not a bot! Chelsea bombed the 2008 final more than United won it. John Terry… couldn’t happen to a nicer fella.


“The gap between wins ignores the finals contested. 2 in 2 years with his City Triumph. The most recent put him in the elite company of managers to have won it with multiple clubs. Yet more late career success and history.”

Again - you’re not correct. City won the CL in 2023, and made the final in 2021. Those are the only two CL finals they have made.”

So the difference between 2021 and 2023 would of course be TWO YEARS. 24 months would account for 3 different seasons. They contested ECL finals twice in two years. The first in 2021 - which they lost - was still the first elite European final in the clubs then 141 year history. Explain clearly how that’s not an achievement? Guess what age he was then…


“I think your take on Gatland is pretty silly. Gatland was without Edwards in the 2013 and 2017 Lions tours and managed to do alright.”

I thought you don’t care what certain managers did 10 years ago…

Why would I address Eddie Jones? Why would he be deserving of a single sentence?


“I am aware Les Kiss has achieved great things in his career, but I don’t care what he did over ten years ago. Rugby was a different sport back then.”

So you haven’t watched even a minute of Super Rugby this year?


“lol u really need to chill out”

Simply frightful! If you’re not a bot you’re at least Gen-Z?

171 Go to comments
f
fl 5 hours ago
Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

“Pep didn’t win the ECL in 2009. It was 2008 with Barca”

Why are you so insistent on being wrong? Man United won in 2008 (beating Chelsea in the final). In 2009 Barcelona won, beating United.


“The gap between wins ignores the finals contested. 2 in 2 years with his City Triumph. The most recent put him in the elite company of managers to have won it with multiple clubs. Yet more late career success and history.”

Again - you’re not correct. City won the CL in 2023, and made the final in 2021. Those are the only two CL finals they have made. With Barcelona, Pep made the semi final four consecutive times - with City he’s managed only 3 in 8 years. This year they didn’t even make the round of 16.


To re-cap, you wrote that Pep “has gotten better with age. By every measure.” There are some measures that support what you’re saying, but the vast majority of the measures that you have highlighted actually show the opposite.


I am aware Les Kiss has achieved great things in his career, but I don’t care what he did over ten years ago. Rugby was a different sport back then.


I think your take on Gatland is pretty silly. Gatland was without Edwards in the 2013 and 2017 Lions tours and managed to do alright. You’ve also not addressed Eddie Jones.


I agree wrt Schmidt. He would ideally be retained, but it wouldn’t work to have a remote head coach. He should definitely be hired as a consultant/analyst/selector though.


“Look at the talent that would be discarded in Schmidt and Kiss if your age Nazism was applied.”

lol u really need to chill out lad. Kiss and Schmidt would both be great members of the coaching set up in 2025, but it would be ridiculous to bank on either to retain the head coach role until 2031.

171 Go to comments
I
IkeaBoy 6 hours ago
Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

Pep didn’t win the ECL in 2009. It was 2008 with Barca. The gap between wins ignores the finals contested. 2 in 2 years with his City Triumph. The most recent put him in the elite company of managers to have won it with multiple clubs. Yet more late career success and history.


His time with City - a lower win ratio compared to Bayern Munich as you say - includes a 100 PT season. A feat that will likely never be surpassed. I appreciate you don’t follow soccer too closely but even casual fans refer to the sport in ‘pre and post Pep’ terms and all because of what he has achieved and is continuing to achieve, late career. There is a reason that even U10’s play out from the back now at every level of the game. That’s also a fairly recent development.


How refreshing to return to rugby on a rugby forum.


Ireland won a long over due slam in 2009. The last embers of a golden generation was kicked on by a handful of young new players and a new senior coach. Kiss was brought in as defence coach and was the reason they won it. They’d the best defence in the game at the time. He all but invented the choke tackle. Fittingly they backed it up in the next world cup in their 2011 pool match against… Australia. The instantly iconic image of Will Genia getting rag-dolled by Stephen Ferris.


His career since has even included director of rugby positions. He would have an extremely good idea of where the game is at and where it is going in addition to governance experience and dealings. Not least in Oz were many of the players will have come via or across Rugby League pathways.


Gatland isn’t a valid coach to compare too. He only ever over-achieved and was barely schools level without Shaun Edwards at club or test level. His return to Wales simply exposed his limitations and a chaotic union. It wasn’t age.


Schmidt is open to staying involved in a remote capacity which I think deserves more attention. It would be a brain drain to lose him. He stepped in to coach the ABs in the first 2022 test against Ireland when Foster was laid out with Covid. They mullered Ireland 42-19. He was still heavily involved in the RWC 2023 quarter final. Same story.


Look at the talent that would be discarded in Schmidt and Kiss if your age Nazism was applied.

171 Go to comments
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