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Isi Naisarani out to make amends for last Eden Park showing

Isi Naisarani in thethick of the action during his Wallabies debut. (PHILL MAGAKOE/AFP/Getty Images)

Isi Naisarani could be excused for wondering what the fuss is all about with Bledisloe Cup Tests.

After all, he boasts a 100 per cent record and a pretty emphatic one at that after Australia’s 21-point triumph over New Zealand in Perth.

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However, the rookie Test No.8 doesn’t need experience to know that big wins over the All Blacks are an exception rather than the rule and is bracing for a colossal return match on Saturday at Eden Park.

“I think they’re going to come hard at us. They’re going to fight out,” the 24-year-old said.

“They’re going to be physical as well so we’ll need to match them up.”

Many of the Wallabies will look in envy at the one-from-one Bledisloe records of Naisarani and reserve forward Luke Jones, given the years of torment for many.

Captain Michael Hooper arrived at Optus Stadium with a two-from-20 record against New Zealand.

Suva-born Naisarani also doesn’t need lessons on Australia’s hex at Eden Park, where they’ve failed to win in 18 attempts since 1986.

His only game there was a forgettable outing for the Western Force against the Blues in his maiden Super Rugby campaign of 2017. His team lost and he earned a yellow card.

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Naisarani has gone on to be one of the finds of this season, transferring his consistent ball-running form with the Melbourne Rebels onto the Test stage.

Yet his selection has become a topic for conjecture, with world-class flanker David Pocock reported to be training fully in Melbourne this week and on the verge of returning from a long-standing calf problem.

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika hasn’t touched his starting loose forwards and locks in all three Tests this year. But Naisarani said he would understand if former Brumbies teammate Pocock was recalled.

“Dave is a good player and he is fighting his way back to the team. We will see how the selectors think.

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“He has been a world-class player. There are so many good players and everyone is pushing for spots. I just want to do what I can for the team, in whatever roles that the coach wants me to play.”

– AAP

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H
Hellhound 43 minutes ago
South Africa player ratings | 2024 Autumn Nations Series

There is this thing going around against Siya Kolisi where they don't want him to be known as the best national captain ever, so they strike him down in ratings permanently whenever they can. They want McCaw and reckons he is the best captain ever. I disagree.


Just like they refuse to see SA as the best team and some have even said that should the Boks win a third WC in a row, they will still not be the best team ever. Even if they win every game between now and the WC. That is some serious hate coming SA's way.


Everyone forget how the McCaw AB's intimidated refs, was always on the wrong side, played on the ground etc. Things they would never have gotten away with today. They may have a better win ratio, but SA build depth, not caring about rank inbetween WC's until this year.


They weren't as bad inbetween as people claim, because non e of their losses was big ones and they almost never faced the strongest Bok team outside of the WC, allowing countries like France and Ireland to rise to the top unopposed.


Rassie is still at it, building more depth, getting more young stars into the fold. By the time he leaves (I hope never) he will leave a very strong Bok side for the next 15- 20 years. Not everyone will play for 20 years, but each year Rassie acknowledge the young stars and get them involved and ready for international rugby.


Not everyone will make it to the WC, but those 51/52 players will compete for those spots for the WC. They will deliver their best. The future of the Boks is in very safe hands. The only thing that bothers me is Rassie's health. If he can overcome it, rugby looks dark for the rest of the rugby world. He is already the greatest coach in WR history. By the time he retires, he will be the biggest legend any sport has ever seen

4 Go to comments
J
JW 58 minutes ago
'They smelt it': Scott Robertson says Italy sensed All Blacks' vulnerability

No where to be seen OB!


The crosses for me for the year where (from memory);


This was a really hard one to nail down as the first sign of a problem, now that I've asked myself to think about it. I'd say it all started with his decision to not back form and fit players after all the injuries, and/or him picking players for the future, rather ones that could play right now.


First he doesn't replace Perofeta straight away (goes on for months in the team) after injury against England, second he falls back to Beauden Barrett to cover at fullback against Fiji, then he drops Narawa the obvious choice to have started, then he brings in Jordan too soon. That Barret selection (and to a lesser extent Bell's) set the tone for the year.


Then he didn't get the side up for Argentina. They were blown away and didn't look like they expected a fight and were well beaten despite the scoreline in my opinion. Worst performance of the year in the forth game and..


Basically the same problems were persistent, or even exaggerated, after that with the players he did select not given much of an opportunity, with this year having the most number of unused subs I can remember since the amateur days.


What I think I started to realise early on was that he didn't back himself and his team. I think he prepared the players well, don't get me wrong, but I'll credit him with making a conscious choice in tempering his ambition and instead choosing cohesion and to respect (the idea of it being important in himself and his players) experience first and foremost (after two tight games and that 4th game loss). I think he chose wrong in deciding not to be, and back, himself. Hard criticism.


And it played out by preferring Beauden to Dmac on the EOYT (though that may have been a planned move).


I hope I'm right, because going through all the little things of the season and coming up with these bullets, I've got to wonder when I say his last fault is one we have seen at the Crusaders, playing his best players into the ground. What I'm really scared of now is that not wanting a bit of freshness in this last game could be linked with all these other crosses that I want to put down to simple confidence issues. But are they really a sign that he just lacks vision?


Now, that's not to say I haven't seen a lot of positives as well, I just think that for the ABs to go where they want to go he has to fix these crosses. Just have difficult that will be is the question.

24 Go to comments
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