The All Blacks will host the Wallabies in Auckland in an international friendly game that will also serve as the Bledisloe Cup as well as a Rugby World Cup 2019 warm-up game. Having tried out experimental sides in the previous two games, Kiwis’ head coach, Steve Hansen, has hinted at fielding his best XV for the double-header meetings with the Wallabies. On the other hand, Australia will be looking to lift the first Bledisloe Cup since 2002 and they will need to be on top of their game to oust the reigning world champions.

Wallabies vs All Blacks Rugby Bledisloe Cup 2019 Kickoff Time, Dates, Venue, What Channel is the Game On

  • What: Wallabies vs All Blacks Rugby 2019 Live
  • When: Saturday, 17th August
  • Where: Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand
  • Kickoff: 6:35 am GMT
  • Television Match Official (TMO): TBC
  • TV: BBC Sport, S4C, NBC Sports, DMAX

Most Recent Meeting

The All Blacks were 37-20 victors of the most recent meeting between these two teams in a 2018 end-of-year test match that was played in Yokohama, Japan. New Zealand scored 5 tries via Squire, Read, Barrett, Smith, and Loane while the Wallabies managed to breach the Kiwi defence twice via Naivalu and Israel Folau. Both teams converted two penalties each with Barrett scoring for the All Blacks while Beale and Foley converted for the Wallabies.

Head to Head

Since 1903, New Zealand and Australia have met 164 times in test matches with the Kiwis dominating with 114 wins to the Wallabies’ 43 with 7 games ending in a draw. 75 of these games have been played in New Zealand and Australia have managed to win 15 times while the All Blacks have won 59 times in home turf.

Key Players

Damian McKenzie’s injury could prove to be a blessing in disguise for the All Blacks with Beauden Barrett moving to cover in fullback which might see Richie Mo’unga get the number 10 jersey. With this combination, the Kiwis will be like a double-edged sword which could prove to be a menace for their opponents.

Isaac Folau leaves very big shoes to fill and it will be interesting to see how Kurt Beale slots in and performs with all eyes on him. Additionally, David Pocock could get some game time against the Kiwis after missing a couple of weeks with injury and he’ll be very instrumental in this game, if he gets the nod to start.

Game Prediction

New Zealand have been “shaky” lately which saw them lose to the Boks, Ireland, and end with a self-inflicted and frustrating draw against the former in the penultimate game of the 2019 Rugby Championship. Despite that, they were still able to score tries at will and beat the Wallabies three times in a row. Australia are winless in the past 10 visits to New Zealand and if the current form is to go by, then it won’t change in this occasion. The Kiwis line up with experimental sides in the past two games but will field a strong side against the Wallabies which is very bad news in itself for the visitors. The Kiwis have averaged 38+ points against Australia in the past three matches while the Wallabies have averaged less than 14 points in those games. However, poor handling might see the Kiwis concede more than they have in the recent past. New Zealand to Win by 39-20