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All Blacks set for Bledisloe
AAP
By Darren Walton
August 14, 2014, 9:44 am
Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie has finalised his bench for Saturday's Rugby Championship opener, with Western Force loose forward Ben McCalman omitted for the clash with the All Blacks at ANZ Stadium.
McKenzie has opted for a traditional 5-3 split on the bench, with hooker James Hanson, props Ben Alexander and Pek Cowan, lock Will Skelton and back-rower Scott Higginbotham covering the forwards.
The three backline replacements are halfback Nick Phipps, five-eighth Bernard Foley and outside back Tevita Kuridrani.
The all-conquering All Blacks arrive in Sydney on Thursday night to finalise their preparations for the Bledisloe Cup blockbuster.
Unbeaten in 2013, the All Blacks are shooting for a world-record 18th straight Test win.
But the Wallabies are quietly confident of ending the world champions' remarkable streak after chalking up seven consecutive wins of their own.
Veteran centre Adam Ashley-Cooper says the NSW Waratahs' breakthrough Super Rugby final triumph over the Crusaders two weeks ago in Sydney has also fuelled the Wallabies with the belief they can finally break New Zealand's 12-year trans-Tasman domination.
But the 94-Test stalwart knows it won't be easy.
"They've got challenges across the park from one to 15," Ashley-Cooper said.
"Obviously they're good from set piece. They're good from anywhere in the field. They've got a number of key players that are huge threats.
"For us, it's about nailing our own detail, making sure we're all on the same page and that all the knowledge and understanding becomes second nature so we can go out there and just give it our best.
"We have to go out there and work hard for 80 minutes, work harder than we have before."
After a vintage season for the Waratahs, crowned by two-try, man-of-the-match display in the 33-32 final win, Ashley-Cooper is back in his preferred outside centre position after spending the three-Test series against France on the wing.
"When it's all said and done, 13's my favourite position," he said.
"And that's been off the back of the time spent there this year and just how I've enjoyed it, enjoyed just playing my footy, and I've done that in the No.13 jersey.
"So there's something there that tells me that's where I belong."
Wallabies (15-1): Israel Folau, Pat McCabe, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Matt Toomua, Rob Horne, Kurtley Beale, Nic White, Wycliff Palu, Michael Hooper (capt), Scott Fardy, Rob Simmons, Sam Carter, Sekope Kepu, Nathan Charles, James Slipper. Reserves: James Hanson, Pek Cowan, Ben Alexander, Will Skelton, Scott Higginbotham, Nick Phipps, Bernard Foley, Tevita Kuridrani.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sp...for-bledisloe/