Can the Wallabies storm Fortress Eden Park?
Columnist By Spiro Zavos, 15 Jul 2009 Spiro Zavos is a Roar Expert
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- Alan Jones, All Blacks, Bledisloe Cup, Luke McAlister, Matt Giteau, Richie McCaw, robbie deans, Rugby Union, Stephen Donald, wallabies
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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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July 15th 2009 @ 9:43am
Knives Out said | July 15th 2009 @ 9:43am | Report comment
Spinner,
Personally I would consider Owen Franks, Ross, Read, Donald & Jane (and perhaps even Kaino) as developing players, hence the reference to transition. Of the 500 caps that you refer to 141 come from McCaw and Muliaina, with Woodock and So’oialo contributing another 107. Australia has similar experience: Baxter (66), Sharpe (76), Smith (99), Giteau (67) and Mortlock (78), however that experience is more evenly distributed throughout the spine of the team. The average Saturday All Black has 33.3 caps, and the average Wallaby has 38.7 caps.
July 15th 2009 @ 9:48am
Bill said | July 15th 2009 @ 9:48am | Report comment
Hammer – 3 wins from 4 matches for the Wallabies to win the Bledisloe considering 2 games are on NZ soil appears a very tall order.
I will settle for 2 Wallaby wins, 1 draw, 1 loss to claim the Bledisloe Cup! [winks]
I would question though whether there has ever been a Wallaby side over-confident playing the AllBlacks on NZ soil??? The Australian press/supporters can be guilty of this but the players themselves…. I doubt it!
July 15th 2009 @ 9:57am
Tarpo said | July 15th 2009 @ 9:57am | Report comment
First campaign ended with Tri Nations last year, 2nd campaign was the European tour, this is indeed the 3rd campaign.
Never write the ABs off (anywhere, least of all at home), Wallabies do have the best OPPORTUNITY for quite some time to win one at thehome of the 2011 RWC final. Breaking the Hoodoo now would make it that little bit easier mentally to do again in a couple of years. There is an awful lot riding on this test, both teams will rise to the occassion, expect a vintage test.
July 15th 2009 @ 10:01am
Worlds Biggest said | July 15th 2009 @ 10:01am | Report comment
I agree with Bill, no Wallaby team playing in NZ would ever be over confident. The same applies when playing AB’s here. You right off the AB’s at your peril, never a smart thing to do. They were hammered by media and public after the Italy game so they will be fired up on Saturday.
July 15th 2009 @ 10:07am
Hammer said | July 15th 2009 @ 10:07am | Report comment
World’s biggest has nailed the important factor the relentless media and public opinion since the Itlaians is the key … the focus will be intense in that AB camp …
I’m expecting that AB pack to really rip into the Wallabies and without the sanctions law to protect them this time around I can see a very old fashion AB conservative approach of accumulating points early and then opening in the 2nd half
July 15th 2009 @ 10:12am
Hoy said | July 15th 2009 @ 10:12am | Report comment
Going to be tough. South Africa haven’t had a good 5/8 for years, and they seem to win comfortably enough, often enough, so I don’t know that Donald at 5/8 will be that much of an issue.
McCaw is the most awesome athlete. I can’t imagine what sort of work he does to be a fit as he is.
The Wobblies must be 100% for the whole game to win this weekend. That is for sure.
July 15th 2009 @ 10:14am
ohtani's jacket, said | July 15th 2009 @ 10:14am | Report comment
This Test at Eden Park was scheduled long before the June Tests, so I don’t see what’s so surprising about it being the first Test venue.
The “[Wallabies] played reasonably well in defeating Italy and France” sounds like a euphemism for “the Wallabies didn’t play that well, but were better than the All Blacks.”
Personally, I don’t think the Wallabies are capable of a forward performance like the All Blacks gave in the second Test against France, but the key to this Test will be whether the Wallabies can raise their game to a higher level than an All Black team who could hardly be playing any worse.
The Wallabies never once kicked into an extra gear against the Italians and French, which raises the question of whether they’re being coached properly. If being solid in all phases of play gets them nowhere at Eden Park, I think there ought to be reservations over whether a New Zealander can coach the Wallabies. Australians play rugby a certain way. New Zealanders play it differently. If you try and force NZ systems on an Australian team, you dull some of those characteristics.
Anyway, this is the Wallabies best opportunity to win in NZ since 2001. If they blow this, I want recriminations.
July 15th 2009 @ 10:29am
JK said | July 15th 2009 @ 10:29am | Report comment
Tahs broke a 80 year hoodoo @ Eden Park
Anythings Possible!
July 15th 2009 @ 10:53am
stuff happens said | July 15th 2009 @ 10:53am | Report comment
Entirely agree with OJ.This is it for Australia – best opprtunity for yonks.No excuses!.
For the AB’s a tough two weeks; they have to back up against the ‘Boks at Bloemfontein on July 25. (another terrible TN schedule)
July 15th 2009 @ 11:06am
OldManEmu said | July 15th 2009 @ 11:06am | Report comment
I sniff an ambush of monumental proportion and I also sniff something else (Nat Myles – is that you) because the Wallabies as a team will be sh*&tting bricks in the sense, they will be very very keyed up and nervous. They will know that if they cannot get over the ABs this Saturday night, then they have butchered a golden opportunity.
The rational analysis says Wallabies in a canter:
1- Good build up over steadily increasing opponent
2- Team at full strength apart from Elsom
3- Finally depth in key positions
4- Excellent coach
5- Set piece finally not a liability
6- Great decision makers with flair in the 10-12 channel
7- ABs having rested or being forced due to injury top players on the sideline
None of this will count for squat on Saturday night.
This is the first time for probably eight years that it could be fairly said that the Wallabies are favourites. How will they handle it. My guess is not very well.
Beware the ABS.