Wallabies halfback Will Genia says Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup Test is the perfect time to end their inconsistent ways, and coach Robbie Deans couldn’t agree more.
Fresh from a 41-39 win over the Springboks that ended a 47-year wait for a win in South Africa’s highveld last weekend, the Wallabies go into this weekend’s Bledisloe Cup clash at ANZ Stadium aiming to end another unwanted record.
The All Blacks have now won nine straight trans-Tasman clashes over the Wallabies, with Australia’s last win coming in Sydney in 2008 – long before Genia’s international debut.
But recent history is littered with the Wallabies failing to back up a good performance with another the following week, regardless of the opposition.
And it’s a trend coach Deans wants to see end, hopefully thanks to a new found self-belief from that last-gasp win in Bloemfontein.
“We’ve shown that promise previously and when you get up in games that are tenuous it does add to your core,” Deans said on Thursday.
“The key now is to turn it into a habit.”
Genia believes the way the Wallabies responded to a Springboks comeback to score 10 points in the final 10 minutes last Saturday and secure the win hints at a new steel within the team.
“I think that was the biggest thing that we’ve been missing, that we responded to adversity,” the Queensland Red told reporters.
“We started well in both games in South Africa and the first one we didn’t respond, I guess, to them coming at us and coming back into the game.
“To be able to have that response from the guys and show that we can do it and really close out a game at the end … it instils a lot of belief within the group and holds us in good stead this week.”
Genia feels the team is ready to end their wait for a Test victory over the All Blacks, although it will take all of their new-found belief to achieve that aim.
“We obviously haven’t beaten them in a long time,” he said.
“We created history with the last game that we played and I think there’s a very good chance we can do it (again) this weekend.
“It (the losing streak) just adds more to how big the challenge is.”
Genia is also confident his long-time halves partner Quade Cooper will rise to the occasion in what will be the five-eighth’s first Test against the land of his birth.
“He’s like he always is, the most relaxed bloke I’ve ever met,” Genia said.
“He’ll be fine.”
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
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