Mortlock hails invincible All Blacks as a ‘machine’
A pair of humbling losses to the All Blacks marked a tough initiation for new Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie, but that was to be expected against a world champion team showing no sign of stopping, former Australia captain Stirling Mortlock has said.
A pair of humbling losses to the All Blacks marked a tough initiation for new Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie, but that was to be expected against a world champion team showing no sign of stopping, former Australia captain Stirling Mortlock has said.
Mortlock, who battled a succession of top-ranked New Zealand teams in an 80-cap career from 2000-09, said Steve Hansen's side had defied belief by raising their game to another level since winning the 2011 World Cup under former coach Graham Henry.
They're full of confidence, they know exactly what they're doing both on an individual and collective level and their accuracy and execution when opportunities arise is fantastic
"The reality is the New Zealand team right now are essentially a machine," Mortlock said.
"They're full of confidence, they know exactly what they're doing both on an individual and collective level and their accuracy and execution when opportunities arise is fantastic.
"It seems as though, since winning the World Cup in 2011, this All Blacks outfit has just gone up another gear, which you'd almost argue you didn't think that they were capable of doing. But that seems to be the case."
The appointment of McKenzie, who replaced Robbie Deans after the New Zealander led Australia to a morale-sapping series loss against the British & Irish Lions, raised hopes Down Under of an end to the All Blacks' dominance.