RugbyU: Wallabies Look For Fresh Start To Roll All Blacks - Larkham

Zeeshan Mehtab Published August 19, 2016 | 01:32 PM

SYDNEY, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Augst,2016) - The Wallabies are hoping a new focus will help them upset New Zealand in the opening Rugby Championship Test, assistant coach Stephen Larkham said on Friday. Australia, the defending titleholders, are outsiders in Saturday's Test in Sydney having won just one of their last 13 encounters with the world champions.

Australia have not held the trans-Tasman Bledisloe Cup since 2002 against the dominant All Blacks. Significantly, no member of the Wallabies' 23-man match-day squad has ever had their hands on the Bledisloe Cup, the symbol of trans-Tasman rugby supremacy. Head coach Michael Cheika and his backroom staff are confident a playing group has been assembled to challenge and push the All Blacks to the wire.

"There's a bit of a new focus within the team, a bit of a fresh start for us," Larkham told reporters. "Last year the campaign was pretty intense and very enjoyable and we certainly surprised a number of people. "I think everyone had written us off last year after our England series -- maybe that's the case again this year." The Wallabies were second best to Six Nations champions England in a three-Test home series and, including last year's World Cup final defeat to the All Blacks, have lost their last four internationals.