If we are to believe the pundits, according to the stats it is not that the All Blacks will beat Wallabies – but by how many that is the real issue.
That is as good as saying let’s have the ceremony first and then the match. It is like saying Wallabies fans should not spoil their sleep and rather watch the losing replay later in the day.
The aura of the All Blacks as a team that cannot be beaten in this tournament is so dominant that punters fear to contemplate betting against it. Yet we know from past World Cup matches, anything can happen on the given day – with no team excluded.
When the ARU asked Michael Cheika to coach the Wallabies team in October 2014, he was told, “tell us what you need to get to the World Cup final and win the Cup.” It was a very tall order given the terrible state of affairs of the Wallabies during Ewen McKenzie’s reign.
To add to Cheika’s misery, the Wallabies were in the Pool of Death.
Before we all lose faith in the Wallabies because of the pundits and the punters, here is a reality check.
Firstly, the team which Cheika cobbled together for this World Cup is nowhere near the team which the All Blacks have been thrashing in the last few years. This Wallabies team was has improved on their recent results, beating the All Blacks to win the Rugby Championship this year.
Secondly, the Wallabies team which All Blacks thrashed in Eden Park for the Bledisloe Cup was not the team which beat the All Blacks in Sydney a week earlier.
The winning side in Sydney was much closer to the team which has beaten England, Wales, Argentina and Scotland to ascend to the World Cup final.
Why didn’t Cheika send in his winning combination to Eden Park for the Bledisloe Cup a week later? Was it mind games? Or just working hard to ensure the best team was on the park?
The Wallabies have never met the All Blacks in the World Cup final.
It is worth losing sleep in the wee hours. It is worth tuning in. This Wallabies side has a great chance of bringing home the Cup.
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.
All Blacks star Jordie Barrett has announced a sabbatical to play with Irish club Leinster at year's end, while committing his future to New…
There are those who will forever play the man - and not the ball - where TJ Perenara is concerned. The All Blacks and…
I well remember the day a New Zealand Rugby staffer put their hands on me. It seems I’d made them angry.The Wellington Sevens was…
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) have described the players' union call for the board to step down while governance reforms are carried out as a…
I am a rugby fan hanging on by a thread to a game I have followed for over 50 years. It brought immense joy,…
Waratahs' Will Harrison says he has an itch to play for the Wallabies now he's back from a 92-week rehabilitation from multiple knee injuries.…
