The first Bledisloe Cup Test of 2014 was the most important game the Wallabies have played since the 2003 World Cup final.
But with the Wallabies wasting opportunities to go one up in the series following the 12-all draw, the return match against the All Blacks at Eden Park has taken on even greater significance for the future of Australian rugby.
Despite a 28-year losing streak at the fortress of New Zealand rugby, the Wallabies simply have to find a way to win or their 2014 international campaign will be consigned to the mediocrity basket.
The Bledisloe Cup has become the Holy Grail for the Wallabies, and for frustrated Australian rugby fans who haven’t seen the trophy among our silverware since 2002.
A 3-0 whitewash of France or even winning the Rugby Championship will not atone for another failed attempt to regain the Bledisloe.
Many judges are already arguing that the Wallabies have surrendered their chance by squandering golden opportunities to win the first game. The decision to shun close-range penalty goal attempts just before halftime and the try chance missed between Nathan Charles and Pat McCabe late in the game let the All Blacks off the hook.
Wily All Blacks coach Steve Hansen believes his team can step up another 10 or 12 notches at Eden Park, while he also reckons the Wallabies don’t have many more bullets to fire.
Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie has remained upbeat about the prospects of finally ending one of Australian sport’s longest running hoodoos, and has astutely decided to put the team up in a different hotel to the one they’ve apparently stayed in for the past 20 years.
But if the Wallabies return home with their 2014 Bledisloe mission unaccomplished there will be a despondent mood among Australian supporters, even with most of the Rugby Championship and an end of year tour of Europe to come.
The current 12-year gap for Bledisloe success isn’t the longest stretch the Wallabies have gone without winning the coveted trophy. New Zealand held it from 1951 until Australia finally grabbed it back in a one-off Test in Sydney in 1979.
In that period, the two nations contested the Bledisloe Cup series sporadically, with often three or four years between series.
If the Wallabies fail again in Auckland, the powers that be may have to do away with annual series to save Australians from continual disappointment.
warratah
Guest
Cant wait to see beales X Factor. And folaus x factor seeing he is the best full back in the world. And hoopers captaining brilliance. Because the warratahs won s15 with xfactor and gd captain . + all blacks on the decline richie too old . Mc kenzie has the master plan to win lol ...... now to check last nights result
Neil
Guest
I guess after last nights game you may wish to revisit your timeline.
Mike
Guest
Looks like 2014 is a write-off... :roll:
supertrooper
Guest
according to the irb only nz and wales punch above thier rugby weights
SteveP
Guest
Why is it that would be AB detractors have this monumental problem about selecting the correct organ for communication? Is it cultural? Is it hereditary? Is it biological? Whatever it is, it is a considerable embarassment to see displayed in public. Perhaps the national captain (you know, the one with the Piscean mouth who rides the bike) can assist. Call him for advice. On the matter of frequency of the competition for the BC, perhaps about 15 years would be right. Any Ideas?
Grahame
Guest
Your analysis Magic Sponge proved correct. Well done. What are you like at lottery numbers?
Grahame
Guest
"This is the weakest All Blacks lineup in quite a while". Redsfan, do take a look at the scoreboard and swallow, and maybe choke on, your words.
stash
Roar Pro
Of course Ewen McKenzie is upbeat. He has no choice but to stand confidently with his team. If he were to say, "Actually, I think we will be pretty lucky to get a win in Eden park," he would be crucified. Seems to me that McKenzie is very sensitive to how the media portrays him. Perhaps even to a fault. To my mind, the reason why he has the same team line-up is that if he were to change the Beale/White/Toomua scenarios that would be akin to him admitting he was wrong.
Rebel
Guest
Steve is based in Brisbane as per his bio.
Lazza
Guest
Absolute bs...improvement is the key and there is always next year
WEST
Roar Guru
Title is appropriate for the All Blacks as well. The loss of the RC is one thing the Bledisloe is another story! A write off would be an understatement, a F##KING catastrophe!!! would sum it up better. Agree with the other fellows, don't get to hung up on... Hansen said this, McKenzie said that rubbish. The Coaches and players know what the deal is, while outsiders looking in create scenarios and theory's to add to the drama. The only thing that counts is what happens on the filed.
James in NZ
Guest
I think its safe to say that our season (the AB's) would be looked at pretty unfavorably too, if we came out on the wrong side of the ledger tonight. I'd probably be hara-kiri time if that was followed by a loss in Brisbane.
Magic Sponge
Guest
Lets not kid ourselves, the Bledisloe is gone the team is not good enough. It has too many weaknesses against this vulnerable AB side. We need Beale gone and Squeaky, JOC, a fit Genia and rambusting Higgers at 6 and Skelton more game to win it, which we will in 2015. 2015 is looking very good for the wallabies. I think we can snatch that world cup. Fans are hoping beyond hope, it is like going for a promotion and you go to the interview hoping that you will get it but the candidates beside you have more qualifications and experience. You are confident but deep down it is beyond ya, This is the wallabies fans mentality at the moment. Every game there is hope but we are dreaming. It just means one more year of more experience and we the wallabies will get it in 2015. The wallabies are doing their best and there is now a great culture and it is great getting behind this side again. Well done LInk.
Jerry
Guest
That wasn't technically a Bledisloe decider, it was a TN decider. Even if Aus had won they'd have needed to draw or win in HK to win the Bledisloe.
wazza perth nz ex pat
Guest
Weakest ??? Beware Redsfan you are about to get your bottom smacked....
Simon Bedard
Roar Pro
Sounds like a good stir of the pot.... "Despite a 28-year losing streak at the fortress of New Zealand rugby, the Wallabies simply have to find a way to win or their 2014 international campaign will be consigned to the mediocrity basket." - Consider if they lost tonight, but won the third test in Brisbane, and went on to beat SA & Arg in their home and away games. They then go on to a clean sweep in Europe. Would you still call this year a mediocre performance...I think not. "If the Wallabies fail again in Auckland, the powers that be may have to do away with annual series to save Australians from continual disappointment." - Now you really are taking the p*$$...and I must say what kind of Australian would even suggest giving in because we are losing. Tut tut tut... :-) With the NRC kicking off to a great start, the ARU have started us on a path of long term development. With greater development paths we will attract more talent from the other sports. Given this will take time, but in 10 years, I would be expecting the Wallabies to be far more consistent, and show much greater depth. This sounds like the recipe for much greater success. Lets hope it doesn't take 10 years. :-)
Zero Gain
Guest
Yeah, if we can't beat the ABs today then the a wallabies should just give up. Huh? Anyone who watched the Brady Bunch knows that a quitter never wins.
stillmatic1
Guest
we didnt seem to go too bad without kaino the last couple of seasons, redsfan1. business as usual with messam in there. if a dry pitch favours oz, it must be nirvana to the allblacks. where is the pace in the oz backline? and is it more than their ab opposite?
Harry
Guest
Reality. I am a hardcore long term rugby union supporter and there are plenty like me. However it is a fact that rugby is primarily supported in Queensland and New South Wales, with pockets (hopefully growing but still niche) in ACT, Melbourne and Perth. But 4th in the football codes it is, and likely to stay that way. Doesn't mean Australian rugby doesn't have a vibrant passionate and large support base. Re the article above, I presume Steve Connolly is a kiwi. Unlike NZ (kiwi's should realise its great to be in a country where rugby is the dominant sport) the national sporting psyche isn't dependent on Wallaby success (just as well you might say). Australian rugby will continue on as a vibrant force, win, lose or draw this evening. We've already had a Super Rugby win to enjoy (through slightly gritted teeth for this Reds fan) and are pleased by recent Wallaby performances last week, against France and the spring tour last November. And this week saw the restart of a national rugby championship. Personally I can see some merit in Australia and NZ not playing each other every year. However it aint going to happen as both countries make too much money.
Craig
Guest
This is a negative piece from someone who is either a Kiwi supporter playing mind games (like Steve Hansen) or a jaded Australian rugby supporter. It does not take into account the trend of the results and the fact that whilst the Bledisloe Cup is important, the main prize is obviously the World Cup next year. I think the majority of rugby supporters around the word would agree on that. The Wallabies appear to be on an upswing after a disappointing end to Robbie Deans' time in charge and a reality check for the first matches that Ewen McKenzie took over. They are playing a different brand of football now and have adopted a much different attitude to discipline and organisation. No-one with two working eyes could have watched the draw last week against the All Blacks and thought that the Wallabies were not significantly better in that game than against them in the matches last year. The important thing to note is the improvement overall and the fact that they seem to be getting more and more consistent with each match they play. There will be some games that are better than others (as the 3 tests against France showed), but the overall direction has undoubtedly been up since being belted by South Africa in the return leg of the Rugby Championship last year. To suggest that the Bledisloe would not be played to save Australian disappointment is one of the more ridiculous comments you will find on this site. New Zealand's record is superior against every nation in rugby, not just Australia, and the Bledisloe is the single most important series we have, as the only way you get better is playing against the best. New Zealand have won 11 Tri Nations/Rugby Championship titles, Australia and South Africa have both won only 3. Following Mr Connolly's logic we should probably scrap that tournament too, unlikely I would suggest. Patience is a virtue. As a Wallabies supporter I acknowledge the past few years as being particularly difficult, but look to the future with optimism as we now have a side with the ability, and increasingly the discipline, to vie for the mantle as the world's best come 2015 in England. There is a lot of work and improvement still ahead to reach the pinnacle, but the trend recently would suggest that this is more than a mere pipe dream.