mens
international
Dave Rennie is set to take on some familiar faces in this weekend’s Bledisloe Cup clash at Eden Park, training All black people against several Wallabies players he once picked when he was at the helm of the Australian ship.
Seven men picked by Les Kiss to face the All Blacks Auckland were in Rennie’s final team of his Wallabies tenure, which ended when Rugby Australia he was sacked in favor of Eddie Jones in January 2023.
But the bitter end of the relationship did not leave a sour taste for Rennie, who dismissed any suggestion that he was out with a reason to prove himself when he met the Australian media again on Thursday afternoon.
“It’s not about me. I have no regrets. I got to work with some really good people, people I have a lot of time for. It’s part of the game we’re in,” he replied.
“I enjoyed Japan. I loved coming back here and working with these guys; we have great people, players and staff. We’re very motivated, but it’s not about me.”
Having spent three years in charge of the Wallabies between 2020 and 2023, Rennie’s knowledge of the group, their national rugby DNA and mindset is a rare insight the All Blacks head coach has into the age-old rivalry. But the coach played his cards close to his chest when asked how his experience with the team could benefit this week’s preparations in New Zealand camp.
“I know a lot about the players; obviously a lot of them who started in 2020 and now they’ve played 50, 60 or 70 Tests. So what we know is they’re a good side, they’re experienced and they’ve played a lot of players together.
“We know the strength of that team and I think they’ll come in confident; they’ve had a good run recently. As you saw against that South African side, they were quite dominant for 70 minutes.”
On Saturday, Rennie will be looking to defend two of the All Blacks’ proudest records – a 53-Test unbeaten run at Eden Park and 24 consecutive years of holding the Bledisloe Cup – after previously attempting to break both earlier in the decade.
“I’m not sure how Les viewed it,” Rennie told the Eden Park board. “I think all the sides that come here want to be the ones to break the record, so they will be as highly motivated as the Irish were when we spoke to them after the game. We are well aware of what is coming.”
