May 26 (Reuters) – World champions New Zealand will stay in
New Zealand longer to prepare for away tests against Australia
after losing the final Tri-Nations trophy to their arch-rivals
last year.
The world number one All Blacks have customarily landed in
Australia up to a week in advance of tests but will delay their
arrival until two days before their two away tests against the
Wallabies this year.
“It’s more about us trying to raise the bar,” All Blacks
manager Darren Shand told Fairfax Media. “We have not had the
success we’d like in Australia and (the coaches and players)
have been thinking hard about how they prepare and think it’s
worth changing.
“It’s the norm for most (New Zealand) teams now … Let’s be
honest, it’s not much to travel for three hours.”
New Zealand have won eight of their last 13 away matches
against second-ranked Australia since 2002, a proportion well
down on their overall winning average of about 75 percent.
Under new coach Steve Hansen, the All Blacks host Ireland in
a three-match series next month before travelling to Sydney in
August for the opener of the inaugural Rugby Championship, which
sees Argentina added to the southern hemisphere competition
including South Africa.
A third Bledisloe Cup match between the Wallabies and All
Blacks and which is not part of the southern hemisphere
competition, will be held in Brisbane in October.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Greg
Stutchbury)
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