Can the Wallabies storm Fortress Eden Park?
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By Spiro Zavos, 15 Jul 2009 Spiro Zavos is a Roar Expert
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All Blacks captain Richie McCaw celebrates a 39-10 victory over the Wallabies during the Rugby Union Bledisloe Cup Australia v New Zealand rugby test match at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, Saturday, August 2, 2008. AAP Image/Photosport, Andrew Cornaga
Teams have their fortress grounds. England are hard to beat at Twickenham. The Wallabies generally win at ANZ Stadium. The Springboks go to Ellis Park when they want a win, although this did not happen against the Lions. The All Blacks have Eden Park, Auckland, as their fortress when a victory is desperately needed.
So it was no surprise when Eden Park was scheduled for the first Bledisloe Cup of 2009 on Saturday.
Last season the Wallabies comfortably defeated the All Blacks at Sydney, only to be thrashed 39 – 10 the next weekend at – Fortress Eden Park.
The last defeat the All Blacks suffered at Eden Park was in 1994 against a French side that scored ‘a try from the end of Earth,’ an ensemble attack that started virtually from the French tryline and went through several phases and many hands before the try was scored.
In the last 32 Tests at Eden Park, the All Blacks have had only one defeat, one draw and 30 victories.
The last Wallaby victory at Eden Park was in 1986, with Alan Jones’ Bledisloe Cup-winning side playing the All Blacks off the park.
Since then the Wallabies have lost 9 Tests at Eden Park.
This year, the Wallabies must be rated the favourites to defeat the All Blacks in a four-Test Bledisloe Cup series. Robbie Deans has all his players available. The team has played reasonably well in defeating Italy and France.
The all-round play of Matt Giteau and Berrick Barnes, the playmakers, has been excellent. And for the first time in years, the Wallabies have real pace in their back three.
Perhaps even more importantly, this is Deans’ third campaign with the Wallabies. They seem to be learning the lessons of playing what is in front of them and playing smart.
Deans’ game plan, too, with its quick responses required to move the ball skilfully out wide, is now being accepted by the players.
The New Zealand build-up has been dreadful.
The All Blacks played without mongrel or skill against Italy and France. The backs are nervy and did not seem to have plans in place to confront a strong front-line defence.
Neither five-eights used impressed. Stephen Donald played with the stiffness of a Leg-man. And Luke McAlister played as if he were afflicted with sudden panic attacks at crucial moments.
The All Blacks played the same way as they have this season at Sydney last year. But when Richie McCaw came back into the side last year, the All Blacks turned their season around and did not lose another Test.
McCaw is back for this Test. Will history repeat itself with his return, and with the fortress qualities of Eden Park for the Wallabies?
And just as a footnote that might be relevant to this discussion, last year the Springboks defeated the All Blacks at Carisbrook, Dunedin, the first time this result had been achieved by South Africa since the two teams had played Tests there in 1928.
Hoodoos about fortress grounds, in other words, are there to be broken.
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Cutter said | July 15th 2009 @ 3:20am | Report comment
Spiro – minor things but worthwhile editing:
1. this is Deans’ second season in charge, not his third.
2. Elsom is still injured so the Wobs dont have all players available.
Mitch (in Valencia) said | July 15th 2009 @ 3:47am | Report comment
Spiro, when you say Robbie Dean’s third campaign with the Wallabies, are you meaning the 3N and Bledisloe from last year were his first two? Or did mean to say its his second Bledisloe campaign?
Have to agree wholeheartedly with your last statement. Just like rules are made to be broken, so are records. The more you win, the closer you get to a loss, and if ever the Wallabies looked good to break a hoodoo at Eden Park, then this Saturday is it.
Go the Wallabies!
Mitch (in Valencia) said | July 15th 2009 @ 3:49am | Report comment
Spiro, didnt mean to harp on the same point as Cutter, he must have posted as I was writing…
Knives Out said | July 15th 2009 @ 4:06am | Report comment
This is certainly a very good opportunity for the Wallabies to win: continuity in Australian selection; an improving pack; Deans’ personal knowledge of the Kiwis; 2nd season in charge means a growing understanding of desired playing structures etc; issues surrounding the NZ 10 jersey; fitness issues over the NZ talisman; home game pressure and antipathy toward Henry. That said, the All Blacks were heavily written off last season and looked what happened there.This may be a NZ team in transition but will the Wallaby pack be able to brutalize the All Blacks as the French did? Will the brand employed against Italy and France be enough? I’m not sure. It would be foolish to write off any All Black side.
Grandpabhaile said | July 15th 2009 @ 4:20am | Report comment
Wallabies will take the All Blacks apart at the weekend. this is deans year of greatness and Henry’s year of depression after hitting unreal heights last year. the New zealanders benefited from playing teams in transition, poorly resourced and the changes brought by the ELV introduction. And has been shown, NZ are fragile without key personnel such as Carter and McCaw. McCaw will be raw. luke mcalister will be found out. nz not good enough. Oz by 15 points.
Jerry said | July 15th 2009 @ 5:12am | Report comment
Wouldn’t rely too much on McCaw being raw. He was ‘raw’ last time the Wallabies played at Eden Park – how’d that work out?
Mike said | July 15th 2009 @ 9:00am | Report comment
I don’t know that “The New Zealand build-up has been dreadful”. Its certainly not what they wanted, but neither was Australia’s. A number of commentators in both countries seem to consider that only a whitewash of other visiting sides amounts to a “good build up” for 3N. At times this verges on hubris (not in Spiro’s case).
Wallabies look somewhat stronger across the three halves, ABs look somewhat stronger in the forwards. Too close to call.
Hammer said | July 15th 2009 @ 9:01am | Report comment
Is it possible for a Zavos article about the Wallabies and Deans to ever appear without the phrase “playing what is in front of them ” … I doubt it …
“This year, the Wallabies must be rated the favourites to defeat the All Blacks in a four-Test Bledisloe Cup series” .. why ? based on the light run arounds against the babas, Italy and a tired French outfit – in all those games the Wallabies still looked as though they fell off in intensity for large portions of the 80 mins ….and when was the last time the Wallabies beat the AB’s 3 times in a season ?
“And just as a footnote that might be relevant to this discussion, last year the Springboks defeated the All Blacks at Carisbrook, Dunedin, the first time this result had been achieved by South Africa since the two teams had played Tests there in 1928.” … yip true however they needed a piece of magic from their scrumhalf to do it in a game they never looked like winning for 79 minutes … against one of the rawest AB’s sides put out for quite sometime …
Is it going to be tight – of course … but the Aussie forward pack holds no fears for the AB’s … whereas given the the lopsided make up of the Wallaby bench the AB pack obviously does for Deans …
We saw last year what happened when an over confident wallaby team turned up at Eden Park … seeing that AB side just named … I can see a similar result happening
Worlds Biggest said | July 15th 2009 @ 9:27am | Report comment
As others have pointed out, if ever there is a time to break the Eden Park hoodoo it is this weekend. The AB’s have been scratchy and 5/8 is an issue. The Wallabies are settled and apart from the Lote drama they are having a good preparation. BUT the return of McCaw is a massive lift for the AB’s and it will be a different team on Saturday. Last year we went to Eden Park a little cock-a-hoop and got belted. The AB’s generally start there test season a little slow out of the blocks but then ramp it up a few notches for the Tri Nations. We have seen the Wallabies get off to good starts in June Tests but the wheels come off at Tri Nations time. Here is hoping the wheels are in motion and we drive out of Mt Eden with a win.
LeftArmSpinner said | July 15th 2009 @ 9:30am | Report comment
knives, Im with you. Dont EVER write off an AB team. EVER, EVER, EVER.
Correction: Unless it is a RWC semi or final.
Seriously, the AB’s have not had an ideal prep but, I dont think this will matter. the skills are there, the continuity and McCaw. A strong bench. It is interesting to hear from Knives that this is an AB team in transition. That is a surprise. I’m not close enough or knowledgeable to assess that. On one hand, if so, the ABs are back in synch for a good run in RWC11. But they have 500 test caps in their run on team. Phew.
I think at best it will be a good battle and one that the Wallabies really need to harden them and be a benchmark for their 2009 season so far. I cant wait, but I will be watching ABC’s Sydney rugby first!!!!