Allan Alaalatoa is refusing to back down from the All Blacks pack as they prepare for the opening Bledisloe Test.
The Wallabies landed in New Zealand on Friday, eager to break a 19-year Bledisloe drought.
Get your tickets now for The Rugby Championship now
However, a longer winless streak awaits them in the opening Test at Eden Park on August 7 as New Zealand celebrate a 35-year dominance over Australia at their unofficial home ground.
Speaking to media on Monday, the 27-year-old believes the chance of making history excited the side as they build off a 2-1 series win over France.
“Obviously they are a world-class team that has been number one for a while and they love playing at Eden Park, they’ve put a lot of great performances there,” Alaalatoa said.
“For us, that’s the most exciting part is that we get the opportunity that this group hasn’t done before in a while which is to beat them in New Zealand but also having the opportunity to do it at Eden Park.”
According to the Brumbies prop, this starts in the forward pack, where they can 'exploit' aspects of the All Blacks whilst remaining wary of their imposing set-piece.
“They’re a team that thrives over the turnover attack but in terms of a forwards perspective, they are very clinical at set-piece time so we need to be at our best there,” he added.
“We’ve definitely previewed ways to see opportunities to exploit them.
“It’s those little details that we need to be clear on and nail throughout the week so we’re fully confident we can deliver on this on Saturday.
“They definitely dominated those last three Test matches (against Fiji and Tonga) and understanding what’s it like in the past, they’re a team that prides itself on set-piece but they have a lot of variation of that.
“We know that we’re not just going out there and test them, we want to go out there and dominate so that’s our mentality as a forward pack.”
READ MORE:
RACING THE CLOCK: White pushing for return
DROUGHTBREAKER: NZ claim gold
BITING BACK: Hogg accused of biting
Whilst wet and miserable conditions potentially await the Wallabies on Saturday, this did little to faze Alaalatoa and a Brumby-lathered pack used to playing in the nation's capital.
“Everyone thought it was cold but it wasn’t that cold,” Allalatoa said, speaking like a true Canberran.
“We’re over here in Tauranga and it’s actually been lovely the last couple of days so we’re loving it.”
