When six All Blacks greats retired at the end of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Wallabies fans probably thought their chances of beating the All Blacks would improve.
Surely with Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Ma' Nonu, Conrad Smith, Tony Woodcock and Keven Mealamu calling it quits, who between them playedin a combined 707 tests, the Wallabies could at least get closer to taking back the Bledisloe Cup.
How wrong they would have been.
In the four Bledisloe Cup clashes following the World Cup, where the six greats played their final matches, the All Blacks have won by an average score of 40-15.
Saturday's 54-34 thrashing was the fourth straight time the All Blacks have beaten the Wallabies by 20 points or more, the first time they have handed out four successive thumpings by such a margin.
The All Blacks have now won six straight against the Wallabies, four shy of the record 10 straight wins set between 2008 and 2010.
The two teams head to Dunedin for the second test on Saturday. Forsyth Barr Stadium has hosted just one Bledisloe Cup clash previously, a seven-try test won 41-33 by the All Blacks.
The Wallabies need a victory on Saturday to keep their hopes of winning the Bledisloe Cup alive. A trophy they haven't held since 2003.
Australia have lost 20 straight tests to the All Blacks on New Zealand soil with their last win coming in Dunedin, at the old Carisbrook ground.
That's their only victory in Dunedin having lost their 11 other clashes.
All Blacks' last four tests against Australia 42-8 - Sydney, Aug 20, 2016 29-9 - Wellington, Aug 27, 2016 37-10 - Auckland, Oct 22, 2016 54-34 - Sydney, Aug 19, 2017
