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Too often in the past the European nations’ tours of their southern hemisphere counterparts were little more than a complete waste of time.
They generally followed the same boring script, the European side would turn up with a weakened team and hardly fire a shot, thereby resulting in a completely one-sided series.
Adding insult to injury was the consistent and tiresome chorus of excuses heard on the way out, such as the extreme length of their season, the exhaustion of their players, blah blah blah.
Previously these series often involved just the two Test matches making it a rather difficult concept for fans to fully support. From 2012, a new concept was introduced with a return to the traditional three-Test series. And though the results haven’t changed dramatically, the anticipation and interest in these series has certainly increased.
England’s three-Test tour of New Zealand in 2014 was particularly compelling and Wales’ imminent tour to face the All Blacks has the potential to replicate this for a number of reasons.
This Wales side has the opportunity to make history. We always hear about the fact that they haven’t beaten the All Blacks since 1953 but what about the fact they haven’t ever beaten them in New Zealand.
New Zealand and Wales clashes have overwhelmingly been played in the principality, out of a total of 30 matches, 19 have been played in Wales. Only seven times have the All Blacks and Wales clashed in New Zealand, the last such time way back in 2010.
Surely for any Welshman this is the ultimate tour, after all it may only happen once in their playing career that they get to challenge the All Blacks in their own backyard.
By their own standards and expectations, Wales are a side who have achieved plenty over recent years – three Grand Slams, another Six Nations, a World Cup semi-final. Without getting into Six Nations bashing, European success is all good and well, however it’s by no means a barometer of any kind of real success and excellence.
Ask most Welshmen and they would tell you that a Test win over New Zealand would top any of those European achievements and that a Test win against New Zealand in New Zealand would top all of that combined.
In June, Wales will have another opportunity to create not only a career-defining moment for the players and tour party but a history-defining moment for Welsh rugby.
Wales will be arriving in New Zealand match hardened, fresh from a Six Nations campaign. They will be coming up against an All Black side who haven’t played since that glorious day in late October last year.
Unlike previous years, they won’t be met by an opposition team led by the All Blacks’ greatest ever player and a number of others not far behind him in the list of all-time greats. This will be an All Blacks side starting out on its journey seeking a new and slightly different identity to that which the great Richie McCaw presided over.
Wales will see this as an opportunity and will be targeting the first Test in particular. If they can stay injury-free up until the tour then they are a strong side and will be as strong as any touring side from Europe that New Zealand will have seen in recent memory.
In the likes of Wyn Jones, Sam Warburton, Taulupe Faletau, Rhys Webb, Dan Biggar, Jamie Roberts and Jonathan Davies they have genuine international class spread across their team sheet. Add into that the prospect of the deadly goal-kicking of Leigh Halfpenny making a return and Wales are a real threat.
They have the ability to achieve what no other international side has done since 2009 – win a Test in New Zealand.
Of course, history does speak for itself and New Zealand is not a graveyard for international teams for no reason. Since rugby went professional in 1996, of all the Six Nations sides touring New Zealand, only France in ’94, England in 2003 and France again in ’09 have managed success, and for that reason it’s hard to bet against the All Blacks sweeping the series 3-0.
However with a single Test victory in New Zealand the stated Welsh tour objective, and with the ability and personnel available to them, perhaps now is the perfect time for Wales to buck the northern trend and create history.
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.