And so it all comes down to this. Australia against New Zealand. The Bledisloe Cup on the line. Neither team is in form, with two dazzling wins and two dizzying losses apiece in this Rugby Championship. But in the fourth round a fortnight ago, the All Blacks rebounded to blitz Argentina 53-3 while the Wallabies crashed to earth, smashed 24-8 by South Africa. Now New Zealand on top of the table, Australia are third and either side can still win both trophies on offer.
Of the 152 Bledisloe Tests already played, New Zealand have won 108 and Australia 37, with seven drawn. The Wallabies have not won the Cup since 2002 but they get a chance to foil a 20th series loss this Thursday at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium. On home turf, against a weirdly inconsistent and vulnerable New Zealand, there is the sniff of an upset. After four defeats in 2022 – three at home – Ian Foster’s side is still under siege and the bulletproof All Blacks fear factor is gone. But do these misfiring Wallabies have the golden guns to take them out?
