When George Gregan hoisted the Bledisloe Cup after the Wallabies’ 16-14 victory over the All Blacks in Sydney in 2002, few could have imagined that, now 23 years later, no other Australian captain would have (as yet) lifted the famous transtasman trophy again.
It’s a statistic former Wallabies lock Justin Harrison, who played in that match, calls “staggering” – especially since Australia had just secured the Bledisloe Cup for a record fifth consecutive year after Matt Burke’s penalty following the final whistle.
“It’s a tired cliché, but you have to take it all in and appreciate it, as you never know if you’ll experience that again,” Harrison told the Herald. “There are players who have not beaten the All Blacks, let alone won a series. To think we haven’t won it in over 20 years is staggering.”
That 2002 decider was a true battle, highlighted by physical play, while Burke and All Blacks playmaker Andrew Mehrtens both struggled off the tee.
With the Wallabies trailing by six points heading into the final 10 minutes, Rogers dove over near the posts, but Burke’s conversion hit the posts – meaning they trailed by a single point.
But in stoppage time, All Blacks captain Reuben Thorne gave away a penalty and Burke slotted the match-winning kick from nearly the exact same spot from his previous miss.
Harrison remembers both teams being evenly matched but said the Wallabies’ composure in the decisive moments proved the difference.
Now head of Australia’s Rugby Union Players Association, Harrison said facing the All Blacks was always the pinnacle outside of a World Cup.
“We’ve both been measured for a long time against performance in the Bledisloe,” he said. “It’s always been the precursor to World Cup cycles.
“To contemplate not winning a series now – and it’s very difficult with just two tests – you’ve either got to win both or draw one and then win the other to get it back.
“When you think about the national psyche, the most competitive of all is Wallabies versus All Blacks. People talk about England-Australia because of the history, but from a purely sporting perspective, not much beats it.”
The Bledisloe goes on the line again on Saturday at Eden Park in the first of two tests. The Wallabies must avoid defeat to carry a chance of breaking the drought when the series shifts to Perth.
But history is stacked against them. Australia haven’t beaten the All Blacks in New Zealand in 29 tests since 2001 – Harrison’s second cap, after debuting against the British and Irish Lions. To put it in perspective, two of their biggest stars, Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i and Max Jorgensen, weren’t even born the last time the Wallabies beat the All Blacks on Kiwi soil.
On top of that, they have lost their last 23 tests against the All Blacks at Eden Park dating back to 1986, 20 of them during the All Blacks’ 51-match unbeaten streak at the ground.
Former Wallabies captain Phil Kearns insists there is “nothing special” about Eden Park. Harrison, however, believes players can be beaten before they even arrive.
“History can sometimes speak for itself before it even happens,” Harrison said. “The more you talk about something, the more it takes on a life of its own.
“There’s so much talk, hysteria, mystery, intrigue – almost a sense of fortune-telling – around the All Blacks’ record there that it becomes this immovable mountain.
“The atmosphere and intensity there is different – more foreboding, more powerful psychologically – because it’s been talked about so much that it gets into your DNA.”
As for Saturday, Harrison said the scoreline is irrelevant as long as the Wallabies are one point ahead at fulltime. And with the All Blacks reeling from a record loss to the Springboks, he believes there is no better moment to strike.
“That’s the positive for this current squad. They carry the shadow of history, but they also have a real opportunity,” he said. “The challenge is that ‘opportunity’ is one of the worst words in the English language, because it can remain just potential. Turning it into results is what really matters.”
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.