Why the first play of the Bledisloe Cup could tell us all we need to know

If the Wallabies kick off against the All Blacks at Eden Park, it would not be a surprise if they take a leaf out of the Springboks’ playbook.

In Wellington two weeks ago, South Africa went high and straight down the middle from the kickoff, inviting their fullback Aphelele Fassi to try and regain possession, which he promptly did.

It was a statement of intent from the Springboks, and the Wallabies look set up to play with the same level of ambition.

Some of coach Joe Schmidt’s selections were borne out of necessity, with Andrew Kellaway suffering a calf injury and Jake Gordon presumably not quite at his sharpest after a hamstring injury, but the net effect is a Wallabies team that is packed with both risk and reward.

No one captures this better than rugged second-rower Lukhan Salakaia