Sydney: All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw has brushed off the almost certain loss of centre Conrad Smith for Saturday’s Rugby Championship match against Australia (kick-off 2.05pm UAE), when the world champions could set a record for consecutive victories.
New Zealand’s final preparations for the start of their title defence were hit by a pregnant pause on Friday morning when Smith rushed home to Wellington to be with his wife for the birth of their first child.
Exciting young talent Malakai Fekitoa will come off the bench to replace the 77-test veteran in midfield and Ryan Crotty has been called into the squad, even if coach Steve Hansen has not given up hope Smith might play a part in the match.
“It’s happened enough times in the past,” a phlegmatic McCaw told reporters at the Olympic Stadium.
“Just look at the last test we played when Conrad broke his thumb. Malakai was the last guy to play at centre in the last test so him slotting in will be fine.
“At the end of the day, if you let those things influence what you do in the weekend, you haven’t really got the environment set up right so hopefully everyone’s aware of what’s going on and have prepared as such.”
That sort of sangfroid in the face of disruption typifies the sort of team culture that has helped the All Blacks match the record for most consecutive victories for a top tier nation over the last 14 months.
An 18th successive victory on Saturday would add that record to an already impressive collection of honours the All Blacks have achieved in the last three years, including the World Cup triumph and back-to-back Rugby Championships.
Beat the Wallabies in Sydney and again in Auckland in the return match next week and New Zealand will retain the Bledisloe Cup for an 12th straight season.
McCaw becomes the first player to play 50 matches in the two incarnations of the annual southern hemisphere test championship on Saturday and his approach to feats and honours remains as grounded as ever.
“We addressed it at the start of the week and said there was an opportunity,” he said of the record winning streak.
“If you look at the Bledisloe, that’s on the line as well. We just want to go out and perform well and if we do that we give ourselves a good chance of winning and getting one hand back on the Bledisloe.
“Those by-products would be nice but we’ve got to get the job done first.”
Meanwhile, the Wallabies say they will target rookie centre Malakai Fekitoa as they set out to end 11 years of Bledisloe Cup misery against the All Blacks in Sydney on Saturday.
New Zealand look likely to make a late and crucial change to their team with 77-cap midfielder Conrad Smith returning home Friday to be with his expectant wife.
Smith, 32, ranks alongside skipper Richie McCaw and centre partner Ma’a Nonu as the most experienced All Black playing in the Rugby Championship opener against the Australians and his loss could prove decisive.
Coach Steve Hansen said Smith’s wife, Lee-Ann, had been due to give birth to the couple’s first child in several weeks, but that the pregnancy had advanced.
“It looks like she’s going to come a little bit early ... she started showing signs last night,” Hansen told reporters Friday.
“If it goes really well, he could possibly be back. But we’re not holding our breath on that.”
The world champions have promoted 22-year-old Fekitoa into Smith’s place as a precaution.
The All Blacks are equal with the 17-Test winning runs of the 1965-69 All Blacks and 1997-98 Springboks and are chasing a record-breaking 18th consecutive victory.
Fekitoa made his starting debut against England in June and skipper McCaw is backing the two-Test rookie to again fill the void at outside centre if Smith fails to return.
“It’s happened enough times over the past and just look at the last Test we played where Conrad broke his thumb so ... Malakai was the last guy who played at centre in our last Test so him slotting in will be fine,” McCaw said.
“At the end of the day, if you let those things influence what happens on the weekend, I think you haven’t really got your environment set up right.
“So hopefully everyone’s aware of what’s going on and prepared as such and they’ll be ready to go.”
Test the novice
If Fekitoa does start he will line up opposite Adam Ashley-Cooper just six weeks after the in-form midfielder shone against the talented youngster in the NSW Waratahs’ 44-16 Super Rugby thumping of the Otago Highlanders in Sydney.
Wallabies captain Michael Hooper said while Fekitoa had a “cracking year with the Highlanders”, his team would target the Test novice.
“We understand it’s a new player who will come in — Fekitoa — and you’ve got to try out those areas and see what you do,” Hooper told reporters.
If Smith stays at home, Canterbury Crusaders centre Ryan Crotty will take Fekitoa’s place on the bench after arriving from New Zealand on Friday.
The Wallabies are sensing their time has come after 11 years without the Bledisloe Cup, a symbol of trans-Tasman supremacy.
The Waratahs have given Wallaby supporters optimism with their thrilling 33-32 victory over New Zealand champions Canterbury Crusaders in this month’s Super Rugby final.
The Australians, under coach Ewen McKenzie, have also won their last seven Tests, including sweeping their three-Test series against France in June.
