The Wallabies walked off the ground with a 37 – 20 win over Argentina, but the victory left little time for celebration for Coach Michael Cheika and Captain Michael Hooper, who must now turn their attention to a Brisbane test against the All Blacks.
The Wallabies have ticked off their goal of finishing second in the Rugby Championship and now have two weeks in which to get ready for the third Bledisloe Cup.
After a long plane ride, the team will assemble in the Gold Coast for what could possibly be the last home match of the year.
Cheika was pleased with the effort against the South Americans, obviously, but resting on laurels is a job for codes such as the AFL, not rugby, where the action is continuous. He is out for revenge against the All Blacks, which is often the state of affairs.
“It should be a really good match because we’re going to have to step up to the plate and perform better,” Cheika said. “The dips aren’t as big in our game as they maybe were in the first half in that first game [in Sydney]. Since that first half the championship has been really good. We’ve got to finish more things obviously but good is not enough.”
If awards were given out for coach speak, Cheika would be a front-runner every time.
The All Blacks, on the other hand, had their hands full with the Springboks in South Africa. They had to produce an exceptional effort to beat the Boks by one point, 25 – 24 at Newlands in Cape Town.
The Kiwis had to deal with fatigue, injuries, and a Springboks side that was decidedly frisky in defending their turf.
South Africa was looking for revenge of a different sort. The last time they played in New Zealand, the All Blacks applied a 57 – 0 hurt that is still stinging.