All Blacks: Stick or twist? Razor's selection issues for Sydney showdown

After two defeats to South Africa in Australia and a thrashing at the hands of the Pumas in Argentina, the Wallabies are at a low point ahead of the clash against the All Blacks in Sydney on Saturday.

So much so, pundits in the United Kingdom are wondering whether there is any point in the British and Irish Lions touring Down Under next year. South Africa might be a more competitive option, the experts and various podcasters reckon.

The question facing All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson this week is how to keep Joe Schmidt's men there or perhaps push them even a little lower while keeping an eye on the bigger picture.

Robertson has welcomed prop Ethan de Groot and lock Patrick Tuipulotu back from the casualty ward which will bring added grunt to a pack expected to dominate their opponents, but there will be more interest in the make-up of the All Blacks' loose forwards and backline decision makers.

Wallace Sititi made such a good fist of starting at blindside flanker against the world champions in Cape Town that Robertson will likely want to see the Chiefs' 22-year-old starting again — where, though, is the bigger question.

It's here that Robertson may wish to look to the future and play Sititi at his preferred position of No.8, shift Ardie Savea to openside flanker, and bring back Ethan Blackadder to the blindside.

Blackadder, in good form in Johannesburg, was unavailable a fortnight ago due to a tight hamstring which opened the door to Sititi. He took it with both hands, which is not something that could be said of all Robertson’s men.

Few players have been the beneficiary of his patience as first-five Damian McKenzie and the No.10 selection is again in question.

Would selecting Beauden Barrett at first-five and Will Jordan at fullback give a better balance to the backline?

McKenzie is still finding his feet as a starter at international level, but he hasn't exerted control over a Test this year despite being capped more than 50 times. Robertson may be tempted to look for something different.

Beauden Barrett played the bench role in the recent 18-12 defeat to the Boks, but, after excelling there against England in the first two Tests of the year, his last cameo was not a success. Would McKenzie be better there? He certainly has the energy for it.

The other issue is that, after the Wallabies conceded nine tries to the Pumas in Santa Fe, they appear the perfect team to play McKenzie into form and confidence. Moreover, as a 29-year-old compared with 33-year-old Beauden Barrett, McKenzie is more of a long-term option.

Robertson must be pragmatic because while he had a free pass to a certain extent against South Africa, Australia is a different beast.

There will be Wallabies playing at Accor Stadium who weren't born the last time Australia held the Bledisloe Cup — 2002 — and so a defeat would be unacceptable to the New Zealand public, even allowing for Razor's "honeymoon" period, and the greater unpredictability of modern-day international rugby.

Both teams had a rest day today in bright sunshine and temperatures approaching 25C — a long way from the wild weather in New Zealand — and players and management from both sides will be well aware of the frosty reception they will receive should they lose again.

For Wallabies prop Allan Alaalatoa, that comes with the territory.

"Everyone's going to have their opinion," he said.

"There's always going to be that external noise, and for us as leaders and as a group we've got to focus internally on what's important to us."

With the AFL and NRL playoffs in full swing, the attention of the Australian public will be more diluted than New Zealand's, besides which, they are so starved of wins against the All Blacks, another defeat will probably hardly register.

It's very much different for the All Blacks and Robertson a week out from the return match at a sold-out Wellington.

The head coach, who will announce his team in the morning, may be eager to roll the dice a little in terms of selections as he looks to the future and three extremely challenging away fixtures against England, Ireland and France.

But the here and now and the retention of the Bledisloe Cup is just as important.

It's a balancing act, and that's something Robertson, a keen surfer who may have gazed in wonder at the breakers at Bondi Beach today, will surely appreciate.

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