Chris Rattue: All Black "vulnerability" a double-edged sword for Wallabies in Perth

Scott Sio...helped smash the Pumas, next stop All Blacks. Photo / Getty Images

Yes, the Aussies can talk big even when they are performing small.

But when the retired Wallaby warhorse Phil Waugh reckoned this week that the All Blacks are vulnerable, it was hard to disagree.

He was simply making an obvious point before Saturday's clash in Perth.

Strangely enough the All Blacks have long been unconvincing in Bledisloe Cup games across the ditch in the World Cup tournament years.

Saturday will present a new venue and an old problem for the All Blacks.

Since the advent of professional rugby, the All Blacks have lost away Bledisloe Cup games in 1999, 2007, 2011, and 2015.

With the build up to defending the World Cup lacking authority, Steve Hansen's men will want to make a clear statement this weekend.

What the last couple of years tend to show is that while the aura of All Black invincibility has been dismantled, as former Aussie flanker and captain Waugh rightly indicated, the Wallabies remain the All Blacks' bunnies.

South Africa and the best northern hemisphere teams have turned contests with the All Blacks into a fairly level playing field.

But among the traditional rugby powers, Australia (and dishevelled France) struggle to foot it with the All Blacks.

Since suffering their humiliating 57 – 0 defeat in Albany two years ago, the Springboks have had a draw and one victory in four outings against the world champions, and a points differential of minus one.

Ireland have beaten the All Blacks in that time, and just as significantly Scotland came very close to their first victory over the men in black in 2017.

"We were on the brink of something very special. We firmly believed all week, to come up just short was bloody disappointing," the fabulous fullback Stuart Hogg said after the match, displaying unusual Scottish confidence.

Scotland caused the All Blacks significant breakdown problems in a 17 – 22 defeat, having been down by 12 points. England also came very close to victory last year, continuing the trend.

The Wallabies are trending the other way however.

Australia's 2017 victory in Brisbane was followed by heavy 25, 28 and 17 point drubbings from the world champions last year.

There is an obvious conclusion to draw.

The teams which cause the All Blacks real problems have strong forward packs, and are particularly good in the tight five.

It is an area the All Blacks have openly acknowledged, their search for fitter and more mobile props creating an early 2019 casualty in Karl Tu'inukuafe.

Tu'inukuafe can be damaging with the ball in hand, but his workrate is open to question even if his axing can be seen as harsh.

This new mood has also seen big Ofa Tu'ungafasi come into more prominence, and athletic Angus Ta'avao make a big World Cup claim despite his scrum issues on the loosehead side.

The All Black pack, and its normally highly regarded tight five, is far from being a settled and reliable unit having lost Brodie Retallick and with Scott Barrett returning from injury.

The newcomers, the World Cup hopefuls, are leaving more questions than answers, and the first choice No. 6 Liam Squire has dropped out of sight over apparent confidence issues.

The major positives are Ardie Savea's bursts of energy and Dane Coles' impressive comeback from a long injury period, giving the All Blacks a unique zip.

But the All Black pack is still being re-shaped with the World Cup not far away. Time to set a cat amongst he pigeons.

In other words, victory should not be the Wallabies only mission in Perth. Coach Michael Cheika will be hoping his often fragile pack exudes engine room grunt which will flow all the way to Japan.

The Wallabies should progress out of their World Cup group, where they face a strong Wales side, minnows Georgia and Uruguay, and a potentially tricky assignment against Fiji.

But there will be nowhere to hide once the playoffs commence, and Australia no longer have the backs able to compensate for a soft centre.

Prop Scott Sio's return had an immediate influence against Argentina, and while Australia lack depth a veneer of classy forwards is potentially potent. They are starting to talk big about their scrum.

For a Wallaby team struggling to put a credible World Cup campaign together under a volatile coach, the so-called All Black vulnerability in Perth is a double-edge sword.

While the All Blacks can claim to be indulging in World Cup subterfuge, there is less form latitude for the Wallabies in front of their long-suffering fans.

One of the last things they need is another confidence-sapping Bledisloe Cup collapse, particularly against an All Black team supposedly not in the best shape.

More than anything, the Wallabies need an emphatic performance to launch their World Cup campaign from. This is the moment.

Which means the time has arrived for the Wallaby pack to make a big statement.