Rennie dismisses point-to-prove narrative ahead of Bledisloe Cup return against Wallabies

Dave Rennie will coach the All Blacks against the Wallabies at Eden Park on Saturday, two years after Rugby Australia dismissed him as Australian head coach in January 2023 to appoint Eddie Jones in his place.

Seven of the players Les Kiss has named to face New Zealand in Auckland featured in Rennie’s final Wallabies squad, giving the New Zealander an unusually intimate knowledge of the opposition. Speaking to Australian media on Thursday, however, Rennie was quick to deflect any suggestion that the fixture carries personal significance.

“It’s not about me. I’ve got no regrets. I got to work with some really good people, people I have a lot of time for. It’s a part of the game that we’re involved in,” he said. “I enjoyed my time in Japan. I’ve loved coming back here and working with these guys; we’ve got great people, players and staff. We’re highly motivated, but it’s not about me.”

Rennie spent three years leading Australia between 2020 and 2023, and while he acknowledged that familiarity with the Wallabies group could be an asset, he was guarded about how much it would shape New Zealand’s preparations.

“I know a lot about the players; obviously, there’s a big number of them who started in 2020, and they’ve now played 50, 60 or 70 Tests,” he said. “So, what we know is they’re a good side, they’re experienced, and they’ve played a lot of footy together. We’re well aware of the strength of that team, and I think they’ll come here confident; they’ve had a good run recently. As you saw against that South African side, they were pretty dominant for 70 minutes.”

Saturday’s match places Rennie on the opposite side of two records he once tried to break as Wallabies coach: Eden Park’s 53-Test unbeaten run for New Zealand, and the All Blacks’ 24 consecutive years of retaining the Bledisloe Cup. Now it falls to him to defend both.

“I think all sides who come here want to be the one to break the record, so they’ll be highly motivated like the Irish were when we spoke to them post-game,” Rennie said of the Eden Park streak. “We’re well aware of what’s coming.”