The All Blacks and Australia meet for the second week in a row when they take each other on at Eden Park in a Bledisloe Cup and Australia will be looking to build on last week’s promising performance.
The All Blacks started (-17.5) points against the Wallabies last week, but it was the visitors who made all the running in Wellington and were very unlucky not to win the match, eventually settled for a 16-16 draw. It was a game played at great intensity and Dave Rennie had got off to a good start with his Australian charges.
Australia haven't beaten New Zealand on the road since 2001 and last week’s draw broke a run of 23 consecutive defeats in New Zealand.
Eden Park has been something of a fortress for New Zealand over the years and Australia’s last win came back in 1986 and since then they have lost 19 consecutive times. Last season New Zealand beat them 36-0 at this ground and the winning margins in head-to-head clashes at Eden Park over the last 6 encounters are 36, 28, 27, 28, 31 and 22 and Australia have only scored over 13 points once in their last 7 meetings to Eden Park.
BETTING – Click here to bet
New Zealand 1/6
Draw 40/1
Australia 9/2
Handicap: New Zealand (-14.5) at 9/10, Australia (+14.5) at 9/10
Suggested Bet: Handicap, New Zealand (-14.5) at 9/10
The handicap is slightly lower this week and while many are saying that the New Zealanders have lost their aura I am not so sure we can write them off just yet. They are always better at Eden Park and I think they will have benefitted from last week’s game, more perhaps than the Australians who were in Super Rugby action more recently than the All Blacks. As well as Australia played last week, New Zealand still look the more deadly on attack and I am going for a home win by 15 points or more.
Note: All prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change
