Bledisloe Cup 2020: Australia Wallabies vs. New Zealand All Blacks – live! | Sports

In order to! The head-to-head clashes that get your juices flowing?

Filipo Daugunu has shown a lot about himself in a Wallabies shirt so far, but he’s also fired some verbal volleys at Caleb Clarke during the week. So expect fireworks on this wing.

There are absolutely no question marks about Aaron Smith’s pedigree, but for me Nic White is really starting to develop into quality number 9 (an area Australia may have struggled with in recent years) – with darts from the grassroots, one improving kick game and increasingly intelligent decision-making. He’ll be crafty of a tackle he missed that allowed Smith a rare attempt at Wellington. So see if this is mentioned somewhere during this game.

In the back rows – no Ardie Savea welcoming the birth of his third child – what opportunities does that offer the wallabies? I was impressed with the early introduction of tall, lumbering Harry Wilson at age 8. Will he and Hannigan be able to get the measure of Frizzell and Sotutu?

Without further ado – a reminder to the teams:

Wallabies

1. James Slipper; 2. Brandon Paenga-Amos; 3. Allan Alaalatoa; 4. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto; 5. Matt Philip; 6. Ned Hanigan; 7. Michael Hooper (c); 8. Harry Wilson; 9. Nic White; 10. Noah Lolesio; 11. Marika Koroibete; 12. Irae Simone; 13. Jordan Petaia; 14. Philip Daugunu; 15. Dane Haylett-Petty

Bank: 16. Jordan Uelese; 17. Scott Sio; 18. Taniela Tupou; 19. Rob Simmons; 20. Fraser McReight; 21. Tate McDermott; 22. Reece Hodge; 23. Hunter paisami

All Black

1. Karl Tu’inukuafe; 2. Dane Coles; 3. Ofa Tuungafasi; 4. Patrick Tuipulotu; 5. Samuel Whitelock; 6. Shannon Frizell; 7. Sam Cane (c); 8. Hoskins Sotutu; 9. Aaron Smith; 10. Richie Mo’unga; 11. Caleb Clarke; 12. Jack Goodhue; 13. Anton Lienert-Brown; 14. Jordie Barrett; 15. Beauden Barrett

Bank: 16. Codie Taylor; 17. Alex Hodgman; 18. Tyrel Lomax; 19. Scott Barrett; 20. Dalton Papalii; 21. TJ Perenara; 22. Ngani Laumape; 23. Rieko Ioane

Wallabies’ two starting debutants, Lolesio and Simone, with Fraser McReight and Tate McDermott for their first bows off the bench.

For the All Blacks, no first-time visitors, but the looting Caleb Clarke could play a prominent role – either in targeting the Wallabies’ plans or in counter-attacks for the ABs. Sotutu and on the bench Hodgman, Lomax and Papalii are all fresh faces.

A message in a bottle from Sandy Wilson has just arrived:

What ho! Stranded like a flying Dutchman for four days outside Jakarta, but with a reasonably solid Satcom connection, he’ll keep track.

Unfortunately, our internet server is in Australia and doesn’t allow live video through my normal streaming subscription. So much vibrant and passionate descriptive prose please guys!

Nice to hear from you, Sandy. And did someone say hifalutin prose unnecessarily? On a Guardian sports blog ?! Well, verily sir / madam – I will humbly try.

If you missed Bret Harris’s midweek preview, the call from the stands for a brave pick was:

Well, few will argue that with four debutants on the Wallabies roster, Dave Rennie didn’t do exactly that.

Injuries to James O’Connor and Matt Toomua may have forced the former Chiefs-Trainer hand a little, but you still need the prunes to make the calls.

So – it’s wet and slippery at Homebush in Sydney. Will that suit the visitors? Perhaps.

Both sides were unusually sloppy in small moments, ball in hand, over Bledisloe I & II (Rieko didn’t point fingers at performing basic skills). But it was a much neater depiction of the ABs in their fortress in Eden Park.

Lots of young faces and inexperience on both teams – so you can imagine some nerves tonight. It’s largely a rebuilding phase for both teams – the ABs are looking to a future without Kieran Read, Owen Franks and Ben Smith; Australia has a pocock-sized hole in its forward pack, and many of its fabled 2019 U20 World Cup finalists are coming around the XV.

Hey there! Kia Ora! Greetings to you and yours – to everyone watching this from around the world. Hope you are as excited as I am about this one – it turns into a really exciting argument.

As always with the Guardian minute by minute – we’d love to hear from you. Don’t be backwards meddling with pearls of wisdom, insight, niche statistics, or just general sentiment cogs. It’s a train that picks up all passengers.

First – I would like to hear where in the world you are following the coverage: Tierra del Fuego from afar? From outer Baku? From the new Estonian National Rugby Ground in Tiskre, Tallinn – recently crowned with a victory over Finland? Contact us – by email or Tweet.

And secondly? Who wins and why?