'It'll give them a lot of extra motivation': Wallabies brace for emotionally charged All Blacks
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WELLINGTON: Like any good wicketkeeper, the job description of a rugby halfback is not restricted to mere athletic excellence.
Any No.9 worth their salt is also expected to act as the drummer in the band: barking out orders to forwards nearly twice their size, reminding referees of the latest updates to the rule book and generally getting on the nerves of opponents.
Australia's best in that department, Nic White, is surplus to requirements on Saturday night (5.05pm kickoff AEST) with Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt returning the starting jersey to Jake Gordon.
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Nic White of the Wallabies confronts TJ Perenara of the All Blacks in 2020. Getty
Gordon will lock horns with chatterbox TJ Perenara on what will be a special night for the 86 Test All Blacks veteran.
The second Bledisloe Cup Test will be the last on home soil for both Perenara and former captain Sam Cane - who will wear the famous black jersey for the 100th time.
Both Perenara and Cane are leaving New Zealand to take up contracts in Japan and leading the haka at Sky Stadium will be particularly poignant for the former - a popular stalwart for Wellington and the Hurricanes.
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TJ Perenara of the New Zealand All Blacks leads the haka. Getty
"You're right - he's energetic on the field and he's yapping, he's into you, but good bloke off the field," Gordon told Wide World of Sports.
"A really good competitor, he's a really abrasive character. If you run at him he'll let you know about it. Really good on ball and can create quite a lot as well around the rucks.
"So I'm sure he's super excited and his family's very proud of his efforts and I'm excited to test it against him. We spend quite a lot of time playing against these guys and, yeah, they're all good men."
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Gordon was then thrown the curly question of whether Perenara or White was a bigger yapper.
"It's a tough one to answer. They both love talking," he confirmed.
"Both competitors, you see that from both of them, when you saw Whitey last week and then TJ off the bench, competing for every play in the game, really emptying the tank.
Australia's Jake Gordon scores a try in La Plata. AP
"There's so many things that go on on a rugby field, you don't hear everything. And until you see the replay and see some of the involvements, you sort of miss a lot of that stuff a lot of the time unless it's maybe directly said to you."
Wallabies captain Harry Wilson told Wide World of Sports that he was expecting an emotionally charged All Blacks performance.
"It's two legends of the game and legends of New Zealand rugby playing their last game here," Wilson said after completing Australia's captain's run on a crisp Friday morning at the ironically named Rugby League Park.
"It'll give them a lot of extra motivation to do them proud. They've been great servants for New Zealand rugby and great servants for the game. They're two absolute competitors and it's awesome to 'verse' them and I guess we feel pretty privileged to 'verse' them in their last Test matches on New Zealand soil."
ALL BLACKS (15-1): Will Jordan, Sevu Reece, Rieko Ioane, Anton Lienert-Brown, Caleb Clarke, Beauden Barrett, TJ Perenara, Ardie Savea, Sam Cane, Wallace Sititi, Tupou Vaa'i, Scott Barrett (c), Tyrel Lomax, Codie Taylor, Ethan de Groot
Reserves: Asafo Aumua, Tamaiti Williams, Pasilio Tosi, Patrick Tuipulotu, Luke Jacobson, Cortez Ratima, Damian McKenzie, David Havili
WALLABIES (15-1): Tom Wright, Andrew Kellaway, Len Ikitau, Hunter Paisami, Dylan Pietsch, Noah Lolesio, Jake Gordon, Harry Wilson (c), Fraser McReight, Rob Valetini, Jeremy Williams, Nick Frost, Taniela Tupou, Matt Faessler, Angus Bell
Reserves: Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Isaac Kailea, Allan Alaalatoa, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Langi Gleeson, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Josh Flook
