Wallaby late show could back fire
August 8, 2001

The All Blacks lacked "the sniff factor" because of their late arrival in Johannesburg for last season's Tri-Nations Test, coach Wayne Smith said on Wednesday.

That could be added to the reasons why they lost the match 40-46. Smith gave credence to former All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick's suggestion that the Wallabies' late arrival in Dunedin for Saturday's Test could backfire on them.

The Wallabies fly into Dunedin Thursday, about 48 hours before the Tri-Nations/Bledisloe Cup Test kick-off.

"If they've got a phobia about (Carisbrook), which they do, I would be under the belief that they should get in there earlier so there won't be any surprises," Fitzpatrick told AAP on Tuesday.

Smith said the All Blacks were disadvantaged last season when they spent most of their time in South Africa in Durban before flying to play at high altitude in Johannesburg 48 hours before kick-off.

The players didn't quite absorb the Test atmosphere to feel that edge for the Test, Smith said. "What I felt we lacked was the sniff factor, the smell factor - the hostility of the venue," Smith said on Wednesday.

"We were comfortable in Durban. When we got up there (Ellis Park) it was hostile so things didn't go right and we didn't quite react to it like we should have."

He said he would be interested to see how the Wallabies would go this time. Australia have yet to win a test at Carisbrook.

Smith said he believed the Australians' schedule had been done before Eddie Jones took over as coach about a month ago.

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