Hansen expects Wallabies to regroup after 50-point All Blacks demolition in Auckland

Sir Steve Hansen believes the Wallabies will be a different proposition in the second Bledisloe Cup Test in Sydney after New Zealand dismantled them with 50 points in Auckland, but cautioned that the All Blacks must bring the same attitude or risk a swift response.

New Zealand’s 50-point haul was their highest of the season in Test rugby, and Hansen — who guided the All Blacks to the 2015 Rugby World Cup — was struck by how cleanly they neutralised the specific threats Australia had targeted. The high ball contest and maul defence, widely flagged as potential Australian weapons heading into the match, were both shut down almost immediately.

“Australia clearly went into the game with that as a target and a tactic, and straight away that bounced back at them because New Zealand tidied that up — I think they only lost one, so that was good improvement,” Hansen said on the Rugby Unity podcast.

Hansen noted that the lineout remained a work in progress for New Zealand until half-time, with Australia maintaining an edge there throughout, but the All Blacks’ breakdown work and attack more than compensated. “Their attack was good, and their breakdown was very good. They knew that Australia would be very, very strong over the ball. So they made sure they had people there supporting the ball carry.”

The pace of the contest ultimately told against Les Kiss’ side. “I thought both teams played the game at a hell of a speed, and eventually they just ran out of steam, Australia, and it became too easy for the All Blacks to score points,” Hansen added.

Despite the margin, Hansen cautioned against reading too much into a world-ranked second side beating the seventh-ranked team, particularly given the confidence Australia had built from a recent win over South Africa. He expects the Wallabies to arrive in Sydney with a revised approach.

“They’ll be scratching their heads a wee bit and thinking, shit, we’ve got some of the strategies wrong,” Hansen said of the Australian camp. “Let’s see what they come up with this week.”

Hansen also flagged a potential vulnerability for New Zealand, warning that a team that performed so sharply in Auckland could be susceptible to complacency. “They could drop off a little bit if they don’t turn up with the right attitude,” he said, suggesting the second Test carries genuine jeopardy for both sides despite the first-match scoreline.