All Blacks wary of Eddie ‘tricks’ as Wallabies look to another Izzy for MCG Bledisloe
By Iain Payten
The abrasive power-game of Izzy Perese has the Waratahs centre poised to replace injured Wallabies No.13 Len Ikitau for the opening Bledisloe Cup clash the MCG on Saturday, with co-captain Michael Hooper to be scratched for a second consecutive Test.
The selection picture emerged as the All Blacks said they were wary of new Australia coach Eddie Jones having “tricks up his sleeve” in his return to Bledisloe rugby, and the Wallabies finding motivation from their controversial post-siren loss to New Zealand in Melbourne last year.
“They will talk about that [loss] a lot, and with Eddie Jones at the helm, they’ll have something up their sleeves and I have no doubt they’ll come to the game with plenty of belief,” All Blacks centre Anton Lienert-Brown said.
After two defeats from their opening Rugby Championship games, Jones will make a handful of changes when he names his side to meet the All Blacks on Thursday.
As forecast, sources indicate Hooper will miss the game due to a lingering calf injury, with the Wallabies taking a conservative approach to his return ahead of the World Cup.
Jones cut fullback Tom Wright from his squad altogether after a poor night at CommBank Stadium, and Andrew Kellaway is expected to slot into the No.15 role after returning from a hamstring injury.
Wallabies coach Eddie Jones talks with Izzy Perese at training in Melbourne.Credit: Getty
Jordan Petaia is also returning from a long injury break, having missed 10 weeks due to wrist ligament surgery, and though seen as a potential option at both No.13 and No.15, the 23-year-old is likely to make his return via the bench.
Perese is considered the front-runner to replace Ikitau, after impressing Jones with his aggressive attitude at training and as the only specialist No.13 in the Wallabies squad. It would be Perese’s first start for the Wallabies, after playing three Tests from the bench in 2021 and 2022.
After a dynamic season for NSW in 2022, the 26-year-old ruptured his patellar tendon in the first Test against England last July, and after surgery, Perese took time finding form for the Waratahs this year.
But speaking to media at the weekend, Jones praised Perese’s work in Wallabies camps and pointed towards the selection of the former Brisbane Bronco as Samu Kerevi’s centre partner.
Izaia Perese’s power, which helped him score agianst the Highlanders in April, has impressed Jones.Credit: Getty
“When he came into [the first] camp in June he was probably just making the squad. He’s really elevated himself, he’s got a great attitude to learn and is impressing us all round,” Jones said.
“He wants to go, mate. He’s off the long run, he’s banging it in short and not waiting for anyone to tell him what to do. That’s the sort of player we want.
“It reinforces the point I keep making. Australian rugby is at its best when we’ve got a bit of arrogance, got a bit of aggression, got a bit of boldness and we’re going at the opposition. It always has to come with smartness. That’s the team we want. A team that goes at the opposition.”
Ultra-consistent centre Lalakai Foketi, who started at No.12 for the Wallabies four times last year, can also play outside centre and reads play better when defending, but doesn’t have Perese’s speed and explosiveness.
“We’ve been chopping and changing, you know, our 12s and 13s, and getting different combinations in,” Kerevi said of the mid-field options.
“For myself, ‘La’ Foketi has been training really well at 12 so the competitive nature drives the standard of the team. We’re pushing each other to be better. We trust each other that whoever gets picked will do the job and we will support them.”
A crowd of over 80,000 is expected for the first Bledisloe Cup, and though they’re unbeaten this year, the All Blacks say they’re not taking Australia’s recent losses into account.
“When they play us, they go up another level and I guess with Eddie Jones at the helm now, he will definitely have a few tricks up his sleeve. So after a couple of disappointing weeks for them, it wouldn’t have been sitting comfy in their week off, so we know they’ll bring their A-game,” Lienert- Brown said in Auckland.
The All Blacks beat the Wallabies after the siren in a highly controversial ending at Marvel Stadium last year, where referee Mathieu Raynal penalised Australia for time-wasting with 90 seconds to go, and with the home side leading by three points. New Zealand scored soon after.
Bench halfback Tate McDermott said the Wallabies will be focussing on ball security, and being faster to the breakdown, to be in a position to beat the All Blacks.
“For me, it’s just pressure. The moment you relieve pressure off a team like the All Blacks, you invite guys like Beauden [Barrett], like Richie [Mo’unga], like Damian McKenzie, you invite them straight into the game and that’s exactly what they want,” McDermott said.
“If you reduce that, and it starts at the tackle contest, it starts at the collisions, you get that side of the game right – and you add in parity at set piece – then it goes a long way to putting you into a position to a win.
“It doesn’t guarantee you a win, given the calibre of the team like the All Blacks, but it puts you in a position to get that result.”
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