THEY came off second best a week ago but come today the All Blacks and the Pumas are determined to do much better at home against the same opponents.
Some mistakes by South African referee Jaco Peyper, which All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said the former admitted to in a chat after the match in Sydney, didn’t help the reigning world champions who made many errors and came under much pressure especially in the second half.
The positives were that they again showed a strong defence and even when the hooter was sounded after 80 minutes, opted to try and run the ball when a dead ball to end the match would have been an easier option due to the circumstances.
Crusaders centre Ryan Crotty will make his first start in eight Tests in place of the injured Ma’a Nonu while Liam Messam comes in as another injury replacement, at No. 6 for Jerome Kaino.
Conrad Smith returns to start in a new midfield pairing with Crotty after missing the opening match to be with his pregnant wife but these changes aside, what continues to be rather puzzling is why Hansen doesn’t appear to be unduly worried about the backups for inside centre and No 8 just over a year before the World Cup in September next year.
Of concern to some All Blacks supporters is the number of players who are past 30. Of those who regularly make the matchday 23, 11 are in that age group, of whom six will be past 33 when RWC 2015 starts.
The most glaring vacuum is at No 8, where Kieran Read has been the only specialist since Hansen took over as coach after RWC 2011.
No doubt Messam and Kaino have had game time in that position but both are specialist blindside flankers, not a No 8.
The weather is expected to be better in Auckland than it was in Sydney and if it stays dry, an open, running game should be on the cards.
But fail to put up a better performance at a venue where they have not lost in 32 straight Tests since 1994 and where the Wallabies have not won for 28 years, the calls for a bit of a shake-up may grow.
The Wallabies named an unchanged side early — on Tuesday — which indicates their confidence and optimism after halting the All Blacks’ 17-Test winning run by holding them 12-12.
Apart from the Rugby Championship, the rivalry between these trans-Tasman rivals is for the Bledisloe Cup, which the Wallabies have not held for 12 years.
Going the All Blacks’ way in terms of relying on ageing players are the Springboks but in their case is in the recall of three senior players who had earlier called time on their international career.
In place of the 37-year-old Victor Matfield, who returned to the team after quitting two years earlier, is another old hand Juan Smith.
The 33-year-old who now plays for Toulon last played for the Springboks in 2010. He quit all rugby for two seasons due to Achilles tendon problem which needed four operations but was persuaded out of retirement to join the French club last year.
Another former retiree who is back with the team is lock Bakkies Botha, 34. Botha, who also plays for Toulon, returned for the Springboks last November against Scotland after a break of two years.
The Pumas host the Boks in Salta, with the forecast saying that it will be dry during the match.
They did well to limit the South Africans to a 13-6 scoreline in treacherous conditions in Pretoria, especially in the first half.
True to their reputation, the scrimmaging of the Pumas was excellent, but their backline is still not at par with the three higher ranked teams in the competition.
But although winless since joining the big three three seasons ago, the only draw for the Pumas in the competition was in Mendoza against the Springboks, against who they also came close to winning a year later. These could inspire hopes for a first win.