All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson braced for resurgent Wallabies in Eden Park showdown

The Wallabies, chasing a first Bledisloe Cup triumph since 2002, have shown persistence and resilience in their performances this season, and All Blacks coach Scott Robertson knows what to expect.

“They've got a great squad and are well coached,” Robertson said. “They understand their brand and how they play, and they are in the game for 80 minutes.”

New Zealand will be boosted by the return of several senior players, with halfbacks Cam Roigard and Cortez Ratima, lock Patrick Tuipulotu, and hooker Codie Taylor all fit again.

Robertson admitted the All Blacks were “stung” by their record 43-10 Test defeat to South Africa in Wellington last time out, and insisted lessons have been learned.

“You don't want to be stung or use that fuel to fill your disciplines, and your love for the game, and your performance. But we'll use it.”

Robertson continued: “The ultimate in any sporting teams is to be consistent and that's what you look for. We have played some great rugby in the majority of games, but not enough. We've got to execute those opportunities that we create, and be disciplined for longer. That's what we've discussed and we will be accountable for it.”

Robertson highlighted the importance of regaining dominance at scrum and line-out time. The All Blacks were undone in this area against South Africa and are out to make amends up front when they take on the Wallabies in Auckland.

“It's not a big swing, it's little details you need to get right. A couple of props are a little more match fit now, and scrum fit as well, which is huge for us… We know we've got a good scrum and lineout, it's a combination of the two and getting those right in pressure moments.”

The All Blacks head coach stressed that accountability starts with himself and the wider leadership group. There's no denying how the All Blacks' new record margin of defeat has had an impact upon the squad from Wellington, with Robertson adamant that his side is ready to regain that winning feeling in front of the frenzied New Zealand supporters.

“My job is to lead this team, so I'd probably think more about them than myself. There are a lot of shareholders in our country that we serve. They let us know what they think, and so they should.

“We've talked about that. Our job is to serve our people and that's always been our focus, so now we can do it again on Saturday.

“We know how important the Bledisloe Cup is to both teams and a lot of ex-All Blacks have given us an opportunity through their performances, and now it's our opportunity to show how much it means to us.”

Kick-off at Eden Park is set for 06:05am Saturday morning UK time (5pm NZT).