The All Blacks will cross swords with the “strongest man,” Wallabies front-rower Sekope Kepu when they clash in Perth at 11.45am on Saturday.
With the two teams crossing swords for the first time this year in the final Rugby Championship round, and the first of two Bledisloe Cup Tests, Kepu believes their visitors have to be wary of the man who is challenging him for the tighthead position in the Gold and Green Taniela “Tongan Thor” Tupou.
Kepu tells an Australia-based website: “We always have a giggle about it because we are 10 years apart.
“He is 23 and playing tighthead and he is the strongest guy I have ever seen in terms of his physique and the way he lifts in the gym.
“He has got it all and now I am starting to see his mental preparation.
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“I room with him a lot and to see him go about his work, he is up early and either stretching or we are trying to do stuff together.
“But yeah, I have seen him since he first came into camp in 2017/16.
“He has that confidence now and we are going to push each other as hard as we can to do our best.”