Rugby Championship: All Blacks Seek Redemption

All Blacks focus on Bledisloe Cup after record defeat

The All Blacks look to put their record defeat to South Africa behind them as they face Australia for the Bledisloe Cup.

“We have a lot of pride in what we do and we want to always perform to make New Zealand proud...”

The All Blacks are focused on retaining the Bledisloe Cup against Australia, which has helped them move forward from their record defeat to South Africa. Assistant coach Jason Holland said the team has had “honest conversations” to address the pain of their 43-10 loss to the Springboks. “Obviously the boys hurt massively during the last week,” Holland said.

The All Blacks have held the Bledisloe Cup since 2003 and can secure it for a 23rd consecutive year with a win over Australia at Eden Park. Holland isn't concerned about the players' morale, despite the heavy defeat just over a week ago. “We've had some honest conversations around what we need to do to get better, and I think the boys are ready to go,” he added.

The team is preparing to face the Wallabies in the Rugby Championship clash, with a strong performance needed to overcome their opponents. Holland's comments suggest the All Blacks are focused on improvement and are ready to bounce back from their previous loss.

“A lot of those boys have been around a long time and they're pretty clear with everyone around what the Bledisloe means.

“It's massive for the crew, it's massive for us and getting solutions quickly has enabled us to have real confidence in what we're going to do this week.”

Work rate UP 🔩⚡️

Last 500 tickets for Saturday: https://t.co/xRDxm3NYwp pic.twitter.com/Q5LztbPKDz

— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) September 23, 2025

The Rugby Championship standings currently have Australia in the lead with 11 points, followed closely by South Africa in second place and New Zealand in third, with only two rounds left to play.

New Zealand's attack coach Jason Holland is facing scrutiny under the guidance of head coach Scott Robertson due to the team's concerning trend of second-half fade-outs. This issue was starkly evident in their recent matches, including a 43-10 loss to South Africa, where they managed only 10 points after halftime in their previous win against the Springboks.

In contrast, Australia has shown improvement under coach Joe Schmidt, with notable performances in the Rugby Championship. They've demonstrated the ability to finish strong, racking up late tries in their matches against Argentina. This trend has been highlighted by Jeff Wilson, who noted the significant difference in second-half performances between the two teams, with Australia scoring 85 points after the break compared to New Zealand's 30.

The upcoming match between Australia and New Zealand at Eden Park will be crucial, with the Wallabies looking to break their 39-year losing streak at the venue. A win with a bonus point for Australia could see them take the lead in the championship, adding extra significance to the match.

The All Blacks' recent performances have raised concerns about their ability to score in the second half. In their last two matches, they were unable to find the back of the net after halftime against South Africa and managed only 10 points in the second half of their previous win against the Springboks.

In contrast, the Wallabies have shown a different trend. They've struggled with slow starts but have found their rhythm and scored crucial tries late in their matches against Argentina.

Holland emphasized that finding a better balance between kicking and running games is a top priority for the All Blacks. Against the Springboks, they gave up too much possession with the boot, which impacted their performance.

All Blacks coach Scott Robertson's preferred scrumhalf, Cameron Roigard, has been cleared to return after a two-month layoff due to a foot injury. This timely boost shores up the All Blacks' halfback stocks, especially with Noah Hotham ruled out of the upcoming matches against Australia due to a broken leg. Roigard will ease into action for Counties Manukau in their provincial match against Auckland at Pukekohe on Saturday.

The All Blacks are looking to rebound from their record 43-10 defeat by South Africa in Wellington, and Roigard's return will be crucial in helping the team find a better balance between kicking and running games. With the Wallabies leading the Rugby Championship on 11 points, one ahead of second-placed South Africa and third-placed New Zealand, the upcoming matches against Australia will be pivotal in determining the championship's outcome.

“There was a bit of edge about the review, some real honest conversations talking about standards and expectations (and) around where we went wrong,” the 24-year-old told reporters.

“It wasn't a short, sharp review, there was lots of layers to it.

“We have a lot of pride in what we do and we want to always perform to make New Zealand proud.”

Key Players Returning for All Blacks:

• Cameron Roigard: Scrumhalf returning from foot injury
• Caleb Clarke: Winger recovering from high ankle injury, playing for Auckland
• Rieko Ioane: Winger/centre returning after being dropped for the loss to South Africa, playing for Auckland
• Luke Jacobson: Loose forward back from thigh injury, playing for Waikato against Tasman.