“I have to make a decision when I get home”. “We’ve had a few good challenges over the years. We’ve had the luxury of building game by game throughout the whole tournament, while Australia have had to be at their very best right from day one”. Veteran inside centre Matt Giteau, who hurt his groin in the same match, is also able to start.
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Gregan was an almighty All Blacks tormentor during his 14-year worldwide career, and is equally as famous for his “four more years” sledge at New Zealand No. 9 Justin Marshall during their 2003 semi-final boilover as for his incredible try-saving and Bledisloe Cup-saving tackle in 1994 on Jeff Wilson.
Come Sunday, New Zealand will have lost the core of arguably its greatest team in one mighty swoop. It’s something down the track, I just want to play on Saturday the best I can.
“I’ve purposely not got into that because I didn’t want to get all hung up on what could be or might be”.
“We don’t want to be proud just to make the final”.
While the All Blacks aim to adhere to a winning formula, Australia’s head coach Michael Cheika said his team had yet to hit their best form.
Cheika said his side has a strong focus in improving certain areas in their game despite taking a light practice session to keep the Wallabies fresh in their bid for a third Webb Ellis Cup.
TWO months ago, a Wallabies injury bulletin on the stellar full-back Israel Folau and his fragile ankle would have generated just a little more interest than an update on the loose-head prop Scott Sio and his dodgy elbow – not just among Australians at large, but in Sio’s own front room.
“We still have lots of scope to improve and we’ll work on that before this next match against New Zealand”.
New Zealand have taken over England’s usual training base at Pennyhill Park in Surrey and went through their paces on a soggy morning on Thursday.
Australia snapped a 10-match winless run against the All Blacks with a 27-19 victory in Sydney before the All Blacks exacted swift revenge, demolishing the Wallabies 41-13 at Eden Park the following week.
“Once again, we’d like to thank them for all their good wishes and support, and we’ll be looking to put in a performance all of us can be proud of”.
New Zealand coach Steve Hansen is banking on the experience of McCaw, fly-half great Dan Carter and their fellow Test centurion Ma’a Nonu.
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The Twickenham final has been billed as the battle of the breakdown, McCaw leading the All Black marauders against Australia’s jackals David Pocock and Michael Hooper. Substitutes: T Polota-Nau, J Slipper, G Holmes, D Mumm, B McCalman, N Phipps, M Toomua, K Beale. Replacements: Mealamu, Franks, Faumuina, Vito, Cane, Kerr-Barlow, Barrett, Williams.
