Have the All Blacks lost their aura? The Wallabies say no

The Wallabies are expecting a fired-up All Blacks outfit stinging from their winless tour of South Africa to come at them in Sydney on Saturday.

The Australians might be on the same Rugby Championship win-loss record as New Zealand, but fullback Tom Wright doesn’t feel that means they can take their Kiwi foes lightly.

Both teams have recently suffered three losses from four games, with the Australians splitting results in Argentina and the Kiwis losing both tests against the world champion Springboks.

The Accor Stadium Rugby Championship match doubles as a Bledisloe Cup fixture, the Wallabies last holders of that silverware way back in 2002, with the final test in Wellington on September 28.

Wright said he was expecting a response from the All Blacks, who made last year’s World Cup final.

“They just came up against the guys who won the World Cup, so I don’t know if weakened is a fair assessment of where they’re at,” said Wright, when asked if New Zealand had lost their aura.

“I still look at them the same way, they’re one of the top two nations in the world.

“Any time you lose, you go back-to-back [losses], as we faced a couple of weeks ago [against South Africa]; you certainly have your tail up and you’re keen to rip in.

“They were a whisker away in both games that they lost ... we’re expecting them to be up for it for sure.”

Wright was sidelined with an ankle injury for Australia’s second-half horror show against the Pumas that resulted in a record 67-27 scoreline.

He said the Wallabies also wanted to make amends after their capitulation in Sante Fe.

“No one hurts more than the playing group and the staff ... we know that the 40 minutes [second half against the Pumas] was really disappointing and we’re focused on making amends,” said the Brumbies custodian.

The Wallabies also have star flanker Fraser McReight available after he underwent successful hand surgery, revealing he played three tests with a fractured hand.

“I thought it was hopefully ligament [damage] and then went for scans that showed it was broken, saw a specialist and then got the advice to get [the surgery] done,” McReight said.

The Reds ace said there was still a lot to like about the Wallabies in Argentina, where they won their first test 20-19.

“We played three great halves of footy and had that one slip-up, so you can’t really focus on that,” the 25-year-old said.

“I’m sure there’s lessons to be learnt, but Argentina’s a tough place, so we’ve had a week off with family and friends and we’re rejuvenated.

“There’s that buzz of playing the All Blacks, so there’s not going to be a worry about the team not getting up for it.”

McReight rated the New Zealand back row one of the best in the world and was eager to test himself.

“They’ve got a fair few players there that have been around a while like Sam Cane, closing in on 100 tests as well as Ardie [Savea] and others. They’re very dynamic and powerful.

“They’re a great back row, so I’m sure it’s going to be a great challenge in the next two games.”

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission