It’s almost Bledisloe Cup time, the time when the loyal Wallaby fans again hope to break the drought.
The Wallabies haven’t held the massive cup aloft since 2002 and haven’t won at Eden Park since 1986 – that was 17 internationals ago.
A drought alright.
So why do the All Blacks keep dominating the Wallabies?
The answer is very simple. Rugby to the All Backs is a religion, but it’s only a social event for the Wallabies.
Sure the Wallabies have won two Rugby World Cups, but the All Blacks have won three, and more than likely it will be four after Tokyo next year.
At the Super Rugby level, the story is the same.
The Brumbies have won two, the Waratahs and Reds one each.
But the Crusaders, a branch office of the All Blacks, last night won their ninth in 23 attempts and are by far the most successful franchise in the tournament.
New Zealand franchises won 36 successive Super Rugby games against their Australian counterparts until that streak was broken this season.
So can the Wallabies break their Bledisloe Cup drought?
Yes they can, providing David Pocock is captain, that the tall timbers Adam Coleman and Rory Arnold are the locks and are really aggressive, that whoever is the hooker consistently finds his target, that Will Genia successfully returns from missing eight-week with a broken arm, that Bernard Foley’s goal-kicking boot is deadly accurate, and Reece Hodge is the outside centre.
We can expect Kurtley Beale and Israel Folau to be the flair as the attacking platform on the basis of good controlled ball from up front.
Then, and only then, will the Wallabies rise from a social event to an international threat, knowing rugby will never be a religion.
The other key is coach Michael Cheika.
He’s done battle with the men-in-black nine times, having won the first 27-19 at ANZ stadium in August 2015, and the last 23-18 at Suncorp last season.
But the problems were the seven clashes in between, all comfortably won by the All Blacks.
And there’s another on-going problem.
Only the All Blacks can do it with a string of multi-talented fly-halves who steered the side superbly and kept potting goals from everywhere.
It started with Grant Fox and his 645 points, followed by Andrew Mehrtens and his 967, then the best of all in Dan Carter with a record 1598, and more recently with Beauden Barrett’s 482.
But it doesn’t stop there – Richie Mo’unga has surfaced, and there’s every indication he may well turn out to be the best of them all.
(Photo by Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images)
The 24-year-old is the complete footballer, and he’s only been around for “five minutes”.
He made his Test debut against France last June, but last night he was the difference in the Crusaders 37-18 win in the Super Rugby final at Christchurch against the Lions, despite blow all possession and territory.
He set up a couple of tries and landed all seven attempts from all over the park.
In short, Richie Mo’unga was the ringmaster, and the Wallabies must keep him quiet in the coming weeks.
Gary
Guest
Hello Ralph, no elitist me just a lad from Parramatta ! And guess what we almost had a player who would have been as good as Sir Ruchie , probably better, and he played in the same position - open side. You may be too young to remember a bloke named RJ Price. Ray was a terrorist machine who sadly only played a few tests before switching to the Mungos. He played one test against the Blacks that I recall - a 16 all draw up in Brisbane in 1974/75 , I recall watching it as a young fella because he was from our club. Had he stayed in Rugby he would have been an alltime great for sure and would have made a difference to the Wallaby fortunes of that era because he made a difference to every team he played in League or Union - bloody shame he didn't stay - arise Sir Raymond Bloody Price !
brian
Guest
QLD, Reds, same same. The Koala is still sitting on a Q. We still count the Super 12, Super 14, Super 15 and Super Confused titles. NRL and AFL still count the semi-professional titles. All of the NZ teams were involved that were still involved this year. So, #emoticon of tongue sticking out, hashtag count-to-10
Jerry
Guest
Pre-season warmup at best.
Ralph
Roar Guru
Hey Gary, 1. You've never had a player like Sir Ruchie! We're just not into this PC nonsense where everyone gets a "Montgomery Burns award for outstanding achievement in the field of excellence'. 2. You bunch of elitists, what is wrong with putting kids on TV? I amazed you don't do similar :) 3. We have a Parliamentary Channel, a Maori Channel and a 24 hour Christian radio station as well. I haven't just accepted it, I love it. And if you want that trophy back you'd better turn up with more than an inferiority complex and some cheeky words. Can't wait.
Ralph
Roar Guru
A few home truths that may or may not be able to be received: 1. It’s trite to think that because we love the game it’s a religion. 2. Whilst Aussies think moving the decks chairs is the key they’ll never understand how a Pete Samu goes from an Aussie discard to a Super Rugby champion. 3. If you don’t care you won’t beat the best; but that’s true for most team sports at their elite level.
Ralph
Roar Guru
"haven’t won at Eden Park since 1986" Jeepers creepers. There are Australian professional rugby players with birth dates after that.
Gary
Guest
Steady on tiger , you will pull a hammy !
Puff
Guest
Cynical, the biggest sport in NZ is recreational fishing it is way ahead of rugby. I don't even live there?
taylorman
Roar Guru
Now thats just silly....We’d get Folau in there somewhere...?
piru
Roar Rookie
Do you have a moment to talk about our Lord and Saviour Jonah?
piru
Roar Rookie
To be fair, it is pretty choice stuff, bro
taylorman
Roar Guru
Valerie Adams is a Dame, the female knight equivalent and shes still shotputting. Is shotputting therefore a religion here too? Just because oz are sloooooow at acknowledging their people have done anything worthwhile, thats not our problem is it! Or do you need help in that area? Cooking has its own 24 hour channel, is that also a religion. Childrens programmes have multiple channells, Maori have a couple, are they religions too? Music, crime, comedy? All religions? Is League a religion in oz? https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sgx65Wzkepg ????
Gary
Guest
Quite right Riccardo , no denigration on my part , I love Enzed going back to my first back packing days over there in late 70's - great place. I am just pointing out the obvious and if truth be known most of us die -hards over here are just a little jealous of your National Rugby lust. That aside I hope we belt the tripe out of the Blacks shortly and ..... GO- YOU -BLOODY - WALLA -WALLA - BIEESSSSSSSSSSSS !
Gary
Guest
They don't get it do they ? They were ALL facts that supported my case quite aptly I thought.
Riccardo
Guest
Don't think Gary meant to denigrate all of New Zealand where you clearly do SP... Again. Sod off...
SP
Guest
So what is rubbish then? 1. Richie McCaw was knighted straight out the game - True 2. School games are broadcast on TV - True 3. NV TV has a rugby channel - True $ "A' is for All Black - Probably true Not part of your national character? On yer bike. Kiwis are defined by the All Blacks.
taylorman
Roar Guru
Yes, but the Reds didnt. Winning in 2018 isnt winning the same tournament as 1992, or whenever it was.
jacko
Guest
Oh well.....There is so little fact and so much rubbish in your post that you must be Aussie....accept that it’s a large part of your National character and move on
Jacko
Guest
He was the tackler...got up on the wrong side of the ruck and used his foot to nudge the ball towards his own side....Not legal and cynical...YC was a cumulitive thing
Paulie
Guest
Jerry is correct Cynical play you opened in google go the N Z Hearld website and you will see for yourself. The Brisbane Courier Mail has up to 4/5 pages on league or the local Melbourne papers full of articles on Aussie rules its what you are bought up with as a football code.