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Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has Everest to climb on Saturday night, when a wounded All Black squad runs onto their Eden Park fortress looking to retain the Bledisloe Cup.
Having lost 27-19 at ANZ Stadium last Saturday, the All Blacks will grow an extra leg with the coveted Cup – that the men in black have owned since 2002 – at stake.
But fear not, Eden Park has also been the venue for two historic Wallaby successes – September 24, 1949, and September 6, 1986.
The Bledisloe started in 1932 when Lord Bledisloe, the Governor-General of New Zealand, donated the huge trophy for regular competition between the All Blacks and the Wallabies.
It took 17 years for the Wallabies to win the Bledisloe, with a 16-9 success at Eden Park, having led 8-0 at the break.
The Wallaby team that historic day was (1) Bevan Wilson (2) Nev Cottrell, (3) Jack Baxter, (4) Rex Mossop (5) Nick Shehadie, (6) Dave Brockhoff, (7) Col Windon, (8) Keith Cross, (9) Cyril Burke, (10) Nev Emery, (11) Ralph Garner (12) Jack Blomley, (13) Trevor Allan (c), (14) John Solomon and (15) Roy Cawsey.
The numbering is not strictly correct. In 1949 the fullback wore 1, the loose-head prop 15, with the numbering changed in 1967 to the fullback wearing 15 and the loose-head prop 1.
But what a side.
Allan is still the best outside centre I’ve ever seen, Mossop became a dual international and hosted the one of Australia’s best sports shows on Channel Seven. Shehadie was knighted and became Sydney’s Lord Mayor, chairman of the ARU, and a host of other boards including the SCG Trust, and SBS.
Brockhoff became Wallaby coach in his own quaint way – he was a great bloke – while Emery, the senior master at Shore, always wanted to be a Test cricketer but ended up a Wallaby. His son Phil always wanted to be a Wallaby and ended up a Test and ODI cricketer.
Cross became a famous surgeon, Windon a Wallaby legend.
(This in from David Gordon: “Cross was not a famous surgeon – that honour lies with Merv Cross who played 1st grade League whilst studying medicine, an amazing feat when you consider the demands of both pursuits. Keith became a chartered accountant having a highly successful career as a partner with Price Waterhouse.”)
The All Black line-up that day was (1) Des O’Donnell, (2) Arthur Hughes, (3) Jack Bond, (4) Thomas Budd, (5) Tiny White (6) Bert Lunn, (8) Harry Rowley, (9) Vince Bevan, (10) Ben Couch, (11) John McLean, (12) Ray O’Callaghan, (13) John Smith (c), (14) Roy Roper, and (15) Jack Kelly.
Emery, Solomon, and Windon scored tries for the Wallabies, Allan kicked a conversion and a penalty, Cawsey a conversion.
Roper scored the only try for the All Blacks, O’Callaghan kicked a penalty, Smith a drop goal.
The crowd was 25,000. The referee was Lesley Walker, who is still alive and will turn 102 on October 26.
Next Wallaby cab off the Eden Park rank was Alan Jones’ side, led by Andy Slack.
Having won the first Test in windy Wellington 13-12, Welsh referee Derek Bevan denied Steve Tuynman a legal pushover try, and the Wallabies lost 13-12. Eden Park was the decider, on a miserable day on a soggy pitch.
Early in the game Wallaby prop Topo Rodriguez head-on stopped a rampaging Hika Reid and drove him back well away from the Wallaby tryline. That was the early show of commitment to the entire Wallaby side, and they ran out easy winners 22-9, having led 12-6 at the break.
The side that day was (1) Rodriguez, (2) Tommy Lawton, (3) Mark Harthill, (4) Steve Cutler, (5) Bill Campbell, (6) Jeff Miller, (7) Simon Poidevin, (8) Steve Tuynman, (9) Nick Farr-Jones, (10) Michael Lynagh, (11) Matt Burke, (12) Brett Papworth, (12) Andrew Slack (c), (14) David Campese and (15) on debut Andrew Leeds.
The All Blacks – (1) Steve McDowell, (2) Reid, (3) Gary Knight, (4) Gary Whetton, (5) Murray Pierce, (6) Mark Shaw, (7) Jock Hobbs, (8) Mike Brewer, (9) David Kirk (c), (10 Frano Botica, (11) Craig Green, (12) Arthur Stone, (13) Joe Stanley, (14) John Kirwan, and (15) Kieran Crawley.
Campese and Leeds scored tries for the Walabies, while Lynagh landed a conversion and four penalties.
For the All Blacks, Crowley kicked three penalties.
The crowd was 48,000, the referee Brian Anderson from Scotland.
So there you have it, Eden Park hoodoos can be overcome.
And not that Cheika needs reminding, but he has a 100 per cent record against the All Blacks.
The next best is Rod Macqueen, with five wins from seven attempts for 71.42 per cent. But coaching four Bledisloe-winning series in 1998, ’99, 2000 and ’01 was the main reason for such a high and thoroughly deserved ranking.
The ball is now in Cheika’s court. He has the chance to overturn the hoodoo.
And he will.