‘We don’t fear the All Blacks’ – Dave Rennie
Wallabies head coach Dave Rennie watches his team during warm-up before the third Rugby Union Test match between Australia and France at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Saturday, July 17, 2021. (AAP Image/Dan Peled) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY ** STRICTLY EDITORIAL USE ONLY, NO COMMERCIAL USE, NO BOOKS **
Wallabies head coach Dave Rennie has defended wing Andrew Kellaway and is adamant that they ‘do not fear’ the All Blacks.
Kellaway stoked tensions ahead of Saturday’s clash at Eden Park by suggesting in an interview on Big Sports Breakfast that the New Zealand “aura has worn off.”
The Melbourne Rebels player is in a back three that contains the returning Marika Koroibete, who was suspended for the opening Bledisloe Cup encounter.
He made his first start for Australia in last weekend’s game and marked it with a try, but has now made headlines for potentially providing ammunition for the hosts.
Rennie has come to his defence, however, insisting that the 25-year-old’s comments were misinterpreted.
No fear
“He wasn’t saying that,” Rennie told reporters. “What he’s saying is there’s a bit of an aura around the All Blacks and he had never experienced that before because he had never played against them. For him it was a bit of heading into the unknown…He’s played them once now, so now he knows what to expect.
“I assure you, we’ve got plenty of respect for the All Blacks. We don’t fear them though, and that’s going to be important again on Saturday night.”
Rennie has been boosted by the return of Koroibete after the wing sat out the first Bledisloe Cup clash due to a disciplinary breach.
The Wallabies head coach says that it was easy to welcome him back into the fold, with the powerful wing looking sharp in training.
“He’s been one of our best players. It was a tough week, but he’s jumping out of his skin,” he added.
“He was pretty down on Saturday; it was a tough watch for him. He’s really excited and he’s trained superbly. Reece Hodge will testify to that. Today he was on the wrong end of a collision.”
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