Bledisloe cup -2016

 SAM WORTHINGTONS 

MOST empires would come crumbling down.
It’s not just Richie McCaw and Dan Carter... it’s Conrad Smith, Ma’a Nonu, Keven Mealamu and Tony Woodcock walking out that All Blacks door too.
That’s a whopping 707 Test caps no longer donning black after standing down from the international arena after last year’s Rugby World Cup.
As well as being handy players, the illustrious sextet were also New Zealand’s six most experienced players.
New captain, Kieran Read, is now the wise old head with 87 Tests to his name.
So the question for the Wallabies is if not now, then when?


What better chance will they get than this season to end a brutal run of Bledisloe Cup heartbreak now stretching to 14 years?
To quantify the McCaw and Carter effect, Fox Sports Lab did some digging to see how the All Blacks’ performances were impacted when either or both were missing.

Conrad Smith, Dan Carter, Ma’a Nonu, Keven Mealamu, Richie McCaw and Tony Woodcock with the Bledisloe Cup last year.Source: Getty Images
THE NUMBERS
Games, Won, Drawn, Lost, Win %, Points For, Points Against, Avg For, Avg Against
When Richie McCaw is playing
148, 131, 2, 15, 88.5, 5063, 2233, 34.2, 15.1
When Richie McCaw is missing
40, 32, 1, 7, 80, 1532, 643, 38.3, 16.1
When Dan Carter is playing
112, 99, 1, 12, 88.4, 4017, 1629, 35.9, 14.5
When Dan Carter is missing
61, 53, 1, 7, 86.9, 2089, 1002, 34.2, 16.4
When both McCaw and Carter are playing
96, 86, 1, 9, 89.6, 3439, 1374, 35.8, 14.3
When both McCaw and Carter are missing
19, 16, 0, 3, 84.2, 731, 292, 38.5, 15.4


Richie McCaw and Dan Carter of New Zealand celebrate after retaining the Bledisloe Cup last year.Source: Getty Images
THE UPSHOT?
The All Blacks’ performances dip a bit, but not as much as you’d think.
New Zealand’s enviable depth means that quality operators Sam Cane and Aaron Cruden have kept the famous — and vital — No 7 and 10 jerseys warm in recent seasons.
And Steve Hansen’s options have been further increased by Beauden Barrett’s stellar Super Rugby form and the emergence of Ardie Savea as an openside X-factor.
“You don’t lose players like Carter and McCaw and not be weakened by it,” Hansen admitted in a chat with the press in Sydney on Thursday.
“You throw in Kevvy who’s been one of the great leaders we’ve had and Woodcock and Conrad and Ma’a, they’ve been great All Blacks.
“But we’ve known for some time they’ve been going so we’ve been planning for that and the planning is not just about on field.
“It’s off field and getting the leadership group ready to be able to take over without those guys.
“So far, they’ve done a pretty good job.
“They’ll continue to grow and they’re not the finished article, by any stretch of the imagination.
“There’s still 800 odd caps in that side and that’s a lot of Test caps.
“So it won’t be through lack of experience that we won’t perform.”





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A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY
Not exactly music to the ears of Wallabies fans.
But while New Zealand cruised to a 3-0 series win over Wales in June, Saturday night surely represents a golden opportunity for an Australian side bolstered by the return from Europe of Will Genia, Matt Giteau and Adam Ashley-Cooper — and the acquisition of long-time All Blacks skills coach Mick Byrne.
With all due respect to Nathan Harris, Ryan Crotty, Codie Taylor and Kane Hames, you would have to think the opposition haka won’t be quite so daunting this time around at ANZ Stadium.
Can New Zealand maintain their mental resilience and continue to dig themselves out of second half holes?
Will Read (12 from 12 as All Blacks captain) be able to match McCaw’s ability in enjoying healthy Cam Smith-type relationships with referees?
Genia has only beaten the All Blacks twice in a long career and knows there is no such thing as a weak New Zealand side.






‘YOU EXPECT THE BEST OF THE BEST’
The halfback was in no mood to buy into any sense of opposition vulnerability in what will be his first game of rugby since knee surgery in January.
“Everyone talks about a transition period with them but if you look at the guys that have come in, they’ve already got a lot of caps to their name,” Genia said.
“And even when the guys like Richie and Ma’a and those guys were there, those blokes (generation next) were still playing anyway.
“So I don’t really see it as a transition period for them because it’s just guys stepping in, into the role, guys that have done it for them before.
“You look at someone like Cruden — who’s to say that Carter would have played (at last year’s World Cup) if Cruden didn’t get injured?
“He was the starting 10 leading into that year last year.
“And now Barrett’s in outstanding form, playing well and gets the nod in the 10 jersey.
“As always with them, you expect the best of the best and that’s the way we’re approaching it.”