Bledisloe Cup Special Publication 2023

BledisloeCup

Fromtherugbyfieldtothe stockexchange

RonJarden, astockbroker, businessmanandAllBlack–foundedthefir mR.AJarden &Coin1961. Today,the Jardennamehonour sthe60yearhistor yofbuildingNew Zealand’sleadingindependent investmentandadvisory group.

RonJarden’s backgroundwas typicalofmanyKiwis at that time.Hewas akeenr ugby playerfromage eight.

At19hewaschosento playon thewingfor Wellington,thenon theNorthIslandteam.In1951, Jarden madehisAllBlacksdebut during a tourof Australiaandwas branded ageniuswhen he scored 88pointsoversixmatches.Jarden captivatedaudiences worldwide duringhisfive-yearAll Black career,includinghisvictor yinthe famous1956series winagainst

theSpringbokswherehesco red acrucialtr yinthe firsttestat CarisbrookinDunedin.Atage 26Jardendecidedtohanguphis boots.

Fromthe rugbyfieldtothestock exchangeandlater,theboardroom, RonJardenwasneverafraidto takeonthe establishedplayers.

FromR.AJarden &Co’shumble beginningsin1961in afittingroom of aWellingtonmenswearstore,

heplayed afoundationalrolein thedevelopmentofNewZealand’s capitalmarkets. RonJarden’s entrepreneurialvisionlivesonin thefirm.Hestrivedforexcellence inever yaspectofhis life andthe firmstaystruetothosevalues today.

Inthespanof60years,Jardenhas evolvedinto aleading providerof wealthmanagementadviceand investmentserviceswithoffices

throughoutNewZealandand Australia.

TheJardenOtagoteamis dedicatedtosolvingtheirclients’ mostcomplexinvestmentneeds andachievingexceptional outcomesforeachandevery client. TheJardenOtagoteamoperates with astrongsenseofpride,asthey cultivatelastingrelationshipswith theirvaluedclientsacrossOtago &Southland. Withtheexpertise oflocalwealthmanagement professionalsbackedb yNew Zealand’sleadingresearch-driven advice,youcanbeconfidentin receivingprudentinvestment management.TheJardenOtago teamisdedicatedtoguidingyou steadilytowardsyourlong-term financialobjectives,ensuringa secureandprosperousfuture.

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Wellington andAllBlackwingerRonJardenrunsfrominsidehisown25during the WellingtonversusBritishIsles(BritishLions)tourgame. 20 June 1950.

Rugbyreturnstothebigstage

WELCOMEtoFootballCity. Eh?

ItsureseemslikeDunedinhas anewappreciationforthe round­ballgamefollowingthe hostingofsixgames,including thesold­outencounterbetween theFootballFernsand Switzerland justfourdays ago,duringthe FifaWomen’s WorldCup.

Butthe beautiful gameisgone —thesigns havebeen takenaway, theposts packedup, andthevenuenamereinstated asForsythBarrStadium—and itistimeforrugbyfeverto resume.

Wehavetoacknowledgethisis aratherunusualrugbytestweek in acitythattendstogenerate plentyofbuzzfor aBledisloe Cupbattle.

TheAllBlacksdonotarrive untilFriday,astraininggrounds andaccommodationinDunedin havebeenata premiumduring theFifaextravaganza,butat leasttheWallabiesarehere.

And,ofcourse,it’sstillgoingto be asell­outand(hopefully)an epictesttorankalongsidesome oftheother12Bledisloeclashes hostedateitherCarisbrookor

thecoveredstadium.

Don’tbothertalkingabouta ‘‘deadrubber’’thisweekeither, thankyouverymuch.

Yes,theAllBlackswonvery comfortablyinMelbourneon Saturdaynight.No,ageneration ofAustralianrugbyfansdoesnot knowwhatitisliketoseea Wallabiescaptainhoistthe famousBledisloe.

Butthisisstill atest.Atest involvingtheAllBlacks —and theyfaceimmensepressureto

wineverysingleone,remember. And,ina WorldCupyear,it mightbetemptingtosayearlyseasonresultsarealmost irrelevantbutitsuredoesadd somespicetotheoccasion,ifit neededany.

Therearestillplentyof questionssurroundingthe nationalteam,thoughthesmile appearstobereturningtocoach IanFoster’sfaceafteranannus horribilisin2022.

Isthislovelyrunofform

genuinelymeaningfulorisit simplythattheothersouthern hemisphereteamsare underwhelmingrightnow?

CouldtheDunedintestbea chancetoexperiment alittle?

AretheWallabiesfullywobbly ordoescraftycoachEddieJones havesomethinguphissleeve?

Naturally,therewillalsobea heapofquestionsaround selectionbeforetheAllBlacks unveiltheir23tomorrow.

Localfanswillbe desperateto

seeAaron‘‘Nugget’’Smithgiven achancetoplayonemoreteston thegroundhe gracedsooftenfor theHighlanders,whiletheones fromwaydownsouthwillnotbe impressedifcultheroEthande Grootisgivenaweekoff.

WillJordanwouldnodoubt relishanopportunitytorunfrom hisnaturalfullbackpositionin perfectconditions,Leicester Fainga’anukuwillsurelyplay hisfirsttestoftheyear,andthe littlegeniusDamianMcKenzie mightgetanotherrun.

Expect,too,toseewarriorlock SamWhitelockreinstatedtothe startingXV.

ThetwoBledisloeCuptests hostedatthecoveredstadium bothresultedinlotsofpoints— 138,infact—and,more importantly,AllBlacksvictories. ThisSaturdayismomentous foranotherreason.

Itisthefirstafternoonkickofffor atestinDunedinsince 2001.

Thestadiumroofmeansthe weatherisnolongerreallya factor,buttheearlierstartwill beidealforbothfamiliesand centre­cityhospitalityoutlets lookingtomakethemostofa secondmassivesportseventin thecityinthespaceofsixdays.

Thetestisprecededbythe OtagoDailyTimes and Rugby News magazine‘‘longlunch’’ fortheOtago­Southland businesscommunity.

ThelunchisattheDunedin TownHallonFridayfrom11am to3pm.

HAYDENMEIKLE ODT sportseditor

Saycheese ...AllBlackspropEthandeGrootposesfor aselfiewithfansfollowingtheBledisloeCuptest attheMelbourneCricketGroundonSaturdaynight.

PHOTO:GETTYIMAGES

HaydenMeikle

Welcometoourstunningstadium

THIS year’s(tonguefirmlyin cheek)dummies’guideto ForsythBarrStadiumshould probablyinclude aphotograph oftheBledisloeCupforour Australianreaderswhomay haveneverseenit.

Thereare a coupleof importantthingsyou’llneedto knowaboutForsythBarr Stadium —thevenueknownas DunedinStadiumjust aweek agowhenFifacalledtheshots.

Firstly,itisconstructed solelyoutofcryptocurrency whichcrashedlastyear, causingtheAllBlackstoloseto IrelandandsendingTom Bradytothepoorhouse.

Secondly,you’llstaydry butitis aroofedoutdoor stadiumandisratherbreezy. Bringyourthermals,woollen mittensandcleanundies.The latterneedsnofurther explanation.

Thisis afancydressevent. Youmustcome dressedin

Lycraandassomekindoffarm animal.Lastyear,theone blokewhofellforthatattended as achicken.

ThatEddieJonesisa shrewdoperator.Hehadhis sidetankagainstSouthAfrica andlosetoArgentinajustto lulltheAllBlacksinto complacency.Eitherthator theAussiesare abit,well,not quitesurehowtofinishthat

sentenceinpolitecompany. ThatLycrachickensuit willcomeinhandybytheway. Thezealousremovalofallcar parkingwithin a200kmradius ofthestadiummeansthebest waytotraveltothevenueisvia thecyclelanes,andLycra reallyis acomfyfabricwhen riding.Itisveryflatteringtoo. Especiallyonportlyboomers. Itisveryimportantyoudo

notmistakethechant ‘‘GRRROOOOOOTTER’’for somesortofmatingcall. Although,itispossiblethatis howpeopleinGoreactually gettogether*. GRRROOOOOOTTER,of course,referstoEthande Groot,themassiveAllBlack propwhohailsfromGoreand playsfortheHighlanders.

TheWallabieshave got

aboutasmuchchanceof beatingtheAllBlacksin DunedinastheyhaveofEddie Jonespointingto Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahuon amapof NewZealand.

*Apologie stoG ore. Brough ttoy ouby embitteredsport sr eporter AdrianSeconi

Likeno other ForsythBarr Stadiuminallits gloryduringthe test betweenthe All BlacksandIreland lastyear.

PHOTO: PETERMCINTOSH

TIMEreallydoesbringsome perspective.

Some20­oddyearslater, formerAllBlackswingerJeff Wilsonisableto reflectonthe roleheplayedinahistoric BledisloeCupmomentwith humourandgoodgrace.

Hiscareerwaswindingupin 2001whenaclassyAustralian sidebeattheAllBlacksat Carisbrookforthefirsttimeto securetheBledisloeCupfor anotheryear.

ItwasthegamewhenAnton Oliverturneddownthe opportunitytotake ashotatgoal lateandsecureabonuspoint. Thatproved abigtalkingpoint.

Australiawon23­15ina convincingdisplay.

‘‘Thanksforremindingmeof that,’’Wilsonjoked.

‘‘Butthatwasaremarkable Australianteam.Thatwasthe eraoftheirsidebeingincredibly strong.Theyknockedusoutof the2003WorldCup.

‘‘Butitwasprobablytheirlast greatera,right?’’

NotifEddieJoneshas anythingtodowithit.ButWilson iscorrect.

Australiaheldontothe BledisloeCupin2002thankstoa drawnseriesbeforelosingitin 2003.TheWallabieshavenot beenabletowinitbacksince.

‘‘Wewerealwayschasingthat game,’’Wilsonsaid.

‘‘Therewasalotatstakeand thatwas agroupthatwastrying tocreatehistorybywinning there.’’

TheAllBlacksactuallyscored firstwhenthelateJonahLomu ranonto agrubberfromTana Umaga.

TheWallabiestooktheleadin the17thminutewhenMatt Burkechippedahead, regatheredandscored.

Thevisitorsstretchedtheir leadwhenRonCribbtackledJoe Roffwithouttheballand conceded apenaltytry.

WilsonpreventedtheAll Blacksfallingbehindfurther whenheran80mtobringRoff down.Andwiththreeminutes remaining,Lomuwentononeof hisbullockingrunsand offloadedtoWilson,whoscored his44thandlasttesttry.

‘‘Iscoredunderthepostsbutit wasn’tenoughtobringitback.

‘‘Atthattimewewere agood teambutwejusthadn’tfound ourmojo,whereasAustraliajust had awealthofexperience.’’

PlayerslikeJohnEales, GeorgeGreganandStephen Larkhamreallydidenjoy alotof successagainsttheAllBlacks.

‘‘Theyknewhowtowin,’’as Wilsonputit.

Thatgameendedupbeing Wilson’slasttestathisbeloved

Carisbrook.

‘‘Inthosedaystherewas somethingspecialaboutplaying inDunedin. Irememberthe firstmatch Iwenttothereandit was aBledisloeCupgamein 1993.

‘‘Ihadsortofjustmovedto Dunedinanditwasan unbelievableatmosphere.The citytransformeditself.It became arugbycity.’’

‘‘Itis ashameitisnotlikethat anymore.’’

TheBledisloehaslostsome lustre.Therivalryhaslostits lustre,too.TheAllBlackshave perhapsheldontothetrophy toolongandpeoplehave stoppedcaringasmuch.

Wilsonhaswordsofwarning, though.Australiaarestill avery capableteambuthedoeslike whatheisseeingfromtheAll Blacksthisseason.

AndthebackthreeofWill Jordan,MarkTeleaand BeaudenBarrettstrikehimasa potentmix.

‘‘Thatcombinationhas areal balancetoitandtheyplayed withrealclarityandendeavour againsttheSpringboks.But,if youdidn'thaveBeaudenBarrett outthereatfullback,you’dhave averyinexperiencedback three.

‘‘Andthatisnotsomething youreallywanttogointoa RugbyWorldCupwith.’’

ADRIANSECONI

Bugger ...JeffWilsonleads dejectedteam­matesoffthefield aftertheirBledisloeCupdefeatat Carisbrookin2001.Left:Wilson at arefereecappingfunctionlast year. PHOTOS:GETTYIMAGES

HoranhopesWallabiescompetitive

FewAustralianshave dominatedtheBledisloe CuplikeTimHoran.The princeofmidfielderswon itseventimesoutof10 duringhisglitteringcareer inthe1990s.Hereflects on agloriouserawith HaydenMeikle

Q.What’syourfavourite Dunedinmemory?

A. Hah. Ireckon,forme,it’s actually atest Ididn’tplay.It’s whentheWallabieswondown therein,whatwasit,2001?The oldCarisbrook.Backinthe earlydays,itwasjustsucha toughplacetowin.Youknow, thescarfiesonthehillandit wasjust adifficultplaceforus toplay. Ithinkthenewstadium you’vegotis alittlebitdifferent becauseitalmostfavoursthe incomingteam.Youobviously knowwhatthedealisgoingto bewiththeweatherandthe conditions.It’s aperfect stadium.

Q.Andwhataboutthecityof Dunedin?Youenjoyvisiting theplace?

A. Yeahtherearesomegreat spotsdownthere. Afewspots outthereonthebeach,StClair. Yougooutthereandhavesome brekkieand acoffeeand awalk around.Wealwaysdidthat whenweplayeddownthere, whetheritwastheRedsorthe Wallabies.We’dhangoutthere alot.Evennow,if Iambackfor somecommentary,weliketogo therefor abeer.Just agreat spot.

Q.Tellmemoreaboutwhy youlikeForsythBarrStadium.

A. I’vebeenthere afewtimes. Irememberthedecent Wallabiestesttherefourorfive yearsago.Mate,whata stadium.Perfectforviewing. Thegreatthingisyoucanstill gettheuniversitystudents beingpartofit.I’mreally lookingforwardtoanothertest there.

Q.What’syoursingle favouriteBledisloeCup memory?

A. ProbablyChristchurchin 1998,whenwewonthesecond testmatchtoholdtheBledisloe

Cup.Thatwasat astadium wheretherewereprobablyonly 200Wallabiessupporters dressedingold.Winningthat wasprettyspecial,andknowing wecouldgobacktoSydneyand trytowin3­0,whichwedid.

Q.It’stoughfortheWallabies

toregaintheBledisloe,given theyusuallyonlyplaytwotests, sothey’vegottowinboth.But 21yearsis alongtimebetween drinks.Doesitmakeyou wince?

A. Hah.Yeah,itdoesabit.Or maybeitreallydidaroundthat

Midfieldtomicrophone .. .Tim Horancarvedupbacklinesinthe 1990sandisnow afamiliarvoice onrugbytelevisioncoverage.

PHOTOS:GETTYIMAGES

Brookbasher ...Wallabies flankerOwenFinegancharges throughAllBlacks(fromleft) TonyBrown,GregSomervilleand CarlHoeftatCarisbrookin2001. Horandidnotplayinthetestbut itishisfavouritememoryof Dunedin.

10­12yearmark.Now,forus,I thinkwe’rejusthopingthe Wallabiescanbecompetitive, youknow.They’llbecommitted, butcantheybecompetitive? Andthisisprobablythefirst time Ihavesaidthis,but Ididn’t thinkaboutthemwinningitthis year.Youjustwantthe Wallabiestobecompetitive.It’s tough.I thinkAustralianrugby fanswouldjustwantthe Wallabiestogetwithin10points oftheAllBlacks.Fanswould stickwiththemthen.

Q.Howwelldoyouthink EddieJonescangetthe Wallabiesgoingthisyear?

A. Heneedssomebig­name playersback.He’sgotTaniela TupouandQuadeCooperand SamuKerevicomingbackfrom longinjuries.RobLeota,Angus Bell —thosesortsofplayers. Getsomedecentcattlebackand withsometimeinthemiddle betweennowandtheWorld Cup.

Q.Andyourarea,the midfield?What’sthebest Wallabiescombination?

A. Iwashopingitwasgoingto beLenIkitauandSamuKerevi, butIkitaunowwon’tbebacktill theRugbyWorldCupstarts. Thatwasthecentre combination.NowI’dsayitwill beIzaiaPereseat13,because you’vegottoleaveKereviat12.

Q.WhatabouttheAllBlacks midfield?There’s awinger turned13inRiekoIoane,anda fullbackturned12inJordie Barrett.Whatdoyouthinkof howtheyaredeveloping?

A. Ithinkwhatthey’vedoneis justpicktheirbestplayersand find apositionforthem.That’s theoldwaytocoach.Will Jordanisyourbestfullback playingonthewing,butthat’sto fitBeaudenin.I’m abig believeryouwanttohaveboth JordieBarrettandBeauden Barrettinyourteam.Theyneed tobeintherun­onXV.That’s toughforDamianMcKenzie,but that’sthedepthyouhave.

Q.Lotsofpeoplethinkonly FranceorIrelandcanwinthe WorldCup.Hasthesouthern hemispherefallenthatfar behind?

A. Idon’tthinkwe’vefallen behind. Ijustthinkthenorthern hemispherehascomeuptothe levelthesouthernhemisphere hasbeenat forthelast20years. They’vehad alotofcoaches fromNewZealand,Australia andSouthAfrica.Ithinktheir grassrootsandacademy programmeshavereallybuilt upinthelast10or15years.It’s been agradualbuild,and FranceandIrelandareatthe forefrontofthat.

TimHoranplayed80testsfor theWallabiesand119gamesfor theQueenslandReds.Heisoneof thespecialguestsatthe ODT/ RugbyNews LongLunchon Friday.

Transtasmanclashessparkle

Wallabies30,AllBlacks16

EdenPark,1978

Theserieshadbeendecidedby thetimeofthethirdtest,the AllBlackshavingnailedwins inWellingtonand Christchurch.Inaddition, Wallabycoach Daryl Haberechthadsuffereda heartattackatWhanganuidays earlierandgiftedbackPaul McLeanwasoutofthetour with akneeinjury.Nochance Australia,then.Cleansweep beckoning.InsteadAustralia playedasifinspired,anditwas theirbushrangerNo8Greg Cornelsenwhostoletheshow. TheQueensland superannuationconsultant became thefirstAustralianto scorefourtriesin atestand remainstheonlyplayerto have scoredfouragainsttheAll Blacks.TheWallabies’30 pointswerearecordagainst themtothatpoint.Australia scoredfivetriestotwo,the otherbyCornelsen’sflank partnerGaryPearse.

Wallabies20,AllBlacks16

SydneyFootballStadium,1994

Therehavebeenfinertests betweenthetranstasmanrivals butthiswillalwaysbe

rememberedfor TheTackle. Australia,fourpointsupwith secondsremaining,weretrying to withstanda finalonslaught whenJeffWilson,alreadythe goldenboy of NewZealand sport, skippedinsideand outsidethreedespairing Wallabytacklersandsprinted towardstheright­handcorner. Hedivedforthelineashewas hitby Australian halfback GeorgeGregan,fourtests intoa terrificcareer. Thetackle dislodged theballinmid­dive, andensuredthewinfor Australia.

AllBlacks50,Wallabies21

TelstraStadium,Sydney2003

Aweekearlier,the Springboks hadbeendusted52­16in Pretoria,sotherewerelong oddsonanotherhalfton,given thetravelinvolvedandthe sheerdifficultyofbackingupto thesamedegree.

Thebackdrop wasintriguing. TheWallabiestalkedpublicly ofavengingtheirnetball players’worldchampionship finallosstothe Silver Fernsa fewdaysearlier.Ontheother side,therewas agrumbling disputewithNewZealand RugbyUnion officials overthe sizeofanyWorld Cupbonus.

Whatever,theAllBlacksbelted theWallabies,scoringseven tries allbythebacks,with threetoJoe Rokocoko.

Wallabies16,AllBlacks14

StadiumAustralia,2002

TheAllBlackswonthefirsttest 12­6 atLancasterPark, meaningthey couldgettheir handsbackontheBledisloe with awininSydneyfollowing theheartbreakoftheyear before.

Leading11­8with19minutes gone,Mehrtenslinedupa penaltyfrominsidehalfway whentwostreakersranon.The penaltyattemptwasthen pushedtotheright.Hedidmake amucheasierkicktwominutes laterthoughtomake it14­8.

TheNewZealandHerald countsdownthe10greatest BledisloeCuptests. l Continued

TheWallabieswentonattack and theAllBlacksheldthemon theirlinefor15phasesuntilMat Rogersdivedoverwitheight minutestoplaybutMattBurke hitthepostwithhisconversion toleaveit14­13.TheAllBlacks

continuedtodefendintheirown 20fortherestofthegamebut refereeAndreWatsonpinged ReubenThorneforhandsinthe ruckasthehootersoundedafew secondslater.

Burkelinedupthekick,in shadesofJohnEales,ataspot Burkehadmissedfivestraight kicksfromattrainingtheday before.Heslottedthisone thoughandtheBledisloeCup remainedinAustralia.

Subscri be to theSouth.

FromthebackpaddocktotheBledisloeCup, we cover rugbyinthe Southlikenooneelse.

We’vebeentheresincetheAllBlacksandtheAussiesfirstmetatTahunaParkin1905,andwe’llbeat thestadiumonSaturday. SubscribetoODTdigitalornewspaperdeliverytoreadallaboutthetest,aswellaslocalrugbywherefuture AllBlacksaredeveloped. WehelpnurturethatemergingtalentbysponsoringrugbyinOtagoandSouthland.Supportyourteamandyourlocaljournalism.

AllBlacksfullbackShane Howarth(left) looks onaswingerJeff Wilson divesoverthelinebutisprevented fromscoring byWallabieshalfbackGeorge Gregan,whoknockedtheballoutofWilson’sgraspatthe SydneyFootballStadiumin1994. PHOTO:GETTYIMAGES

Transtasmanclashessparkle

> From Page8

Wallabies29,AllBlacks26

StadiumAustralia,2001

TheBledisloeCupwasfirmlyin Australia’shandsafter avictory atCarisbrook afewweeks earlierbuttheTri­Nationswas stillontheline.Itwas ayear afterJonahLomufamously sunktheWallabiesin athriller; thistimetheygottheirrevenge in afarewelltestforJohn Eales.

ChrisLathamsoaredabove Lomutocollect abombanda first­halftryastheWallabies wentoutto a19­6leadatthe break.TheAllBlacks respondedwithtriestoDoug HowlettandPitaAlatini,along withanAndrewMehrtens penaltytojumpoutto a26­19 lead.Australiacuttheleadto fourandEalesrepeatedly turneddownshotsatgoalinthe final10minutesbeforeToutai Kefubargedoverforthematchwinner.

AllBlacks29,Wallabies28

SuncorpStadium,2014

After aback­and­forthtestit appearedthedefiningmoment camewhenRichieMcCawwas penalised —yesitdidhappen once —withfiveminutesleft. NicWhitekickedittoputthe Wallabiesoutto a28­22lead. TheWallabieshadtheball onhalfwa yw ithtw om inutesto pla yb efore ay oungSa mC ane earne dat urnoverpenalty, howeverColinSlade’ sk ickfor thesidelinefaile dtom ake touchan dita ppeare dN ew Zealand’slastchancewas gone.Bu tt heAllBlack sw on possessionbackan df oundan overla po utwidewithMalakai Fekitoadartingthroug ha gap, divingove rj ustasth ec lock tickedove rto80m inutes.Ten metre sinf romtouch,Slade landedtheconversio ntow in it.

AllBlacks43,Wallabies6

AthleticPark,1996

Itwas afoulday;theprospect wasfor agrimbattleofattrition intheopeninggameinTriNationshistory.Insteadthe

40,000gotwhatmanywise headsreckonedmighthave beenasclosetothat unattainableconcept, perfection,fromtheAllBlacks. Theysparkledinthesleet.

Onememoryremainsfixedin themind.JonahLomuandan Australianplayerclosedinona looseballinmid­field,grubber kickedthroughbyAndrew Mehrtens.Itwas a50­50 contest.Lomumadeit ano contest,wrenchedtheball away,gottohisfeetand althoughseeminglywrapped up,flipped apasstoJustin Marshallwhosprinted45mto thecornerforoneofsixtries.

Runningrugbyintherain, barelyanerror.Itwasthefirst bonuspointawardedin internationalrugby.Ifitwasn’t perfectionitwasdamnclose.

AllBlacks35,Wallabies29

ForsythBarrStadium,2017

TheWallabiesashuge

Clockwis ef ro ml eft:Australia captainJoh nE ale sh old sup th eB ledisloeCu pa fte rt he Wallabiesbeatth eA llBlacksat Stadiu mA ustraliain September ,2 001 ;A llBlacks wingerJonahLomumake sa brea kd uring aC upmatchat StadiumAustraliainSydne yin Jul y2 000;WallabiescoachEwen McKenzi ea nounceshisresignation afterhistea ml os ttot heAl lB lacks 29­28atSuncorpStadiu min October,2014 ;A llBlackshalfback JustinMarshal lo ffloadsduringa CupmatchatTelstraStadium, Sydney,inJuly,2003.

underdogsjumpedoutto a17­0 leadafterthreetriesinthe opening14minutes,including IsraelFolaucrossingoverin thefirstminute.RiekoIoane finallygottheAllBlacksonthe boardmidwaythroughthe halfwaybeforeAaronSmith scoredjustbeforehalftimeto makeit17­14.

TheAllBlacksseemedtotake controlofthematch,whenthey finallygrabbedtheleadinthe 60thminutebutthefinal15 minutesofthetestwentcrazy. Theleadchangedhandsthree timesas aBernardFoley conversionputAustraliaup 29­28withfourminutestoplay. Thensomeslickpassingsetup BeaudenBarrettforthematchwinnerinthedyingstages.

Wallabies24,AllBlacks23 WestpacStadium,2000

AnotherheartbreakerforAll Blacksfans,andthistimethe hurtcamefromnobody.

WallabycaptainJohnEales didn’tparticularlyappreciate hisnickname —Nobody,asin nobody’sperfect —buthewas among the great modern forwards.Notonly atop­class lockandanoutstanding athlete,hecouldkickgoals. Hismostcelebratedkickwith thefinalkickofthegame,the firsttobeplayedatthenew stadium.

TheAllBlackswere23­21up andpressingwhenStephen Larkhamclearedtheballinto touchintotheAllBlacks’half. Australiawonthelineout,and fromtheensuingrucka penalty.Ealeslookedaboutfor theregulargoalkickerStirling Mortlock.‘‘JeremyPaulsaid ‘Mate,Stirling’soff.It’syour kick’,’’Ealesrecalled.Sohe lookedagainattheposts, plantedtheball,strodeinand from25mstruckitbetweenthe postsbeforeraisinghisarms andbeingengulfedby teammates.

AllBlacks39,Wallabies35 StadiumAustralia,2000

Afabulouscontesttwomonths beforetheSydneyOlympics and asmidgeonunder110,000 weresquashedintothe OlympicStadiumatHomebush. TheAllBlackswererunning awaywithit,24­0upineight minutes.Byhalftimeitwas 24­allin apendulumcontest whichwasdefyingbelief.

WhenNe wZ ealand­born hookerJeremyPaulscoredfor th eW allabie ss ixminutes fromtheend ,tom akeit35­34, th ed ieseeme dc ast .B utithad no tb een an ormalnight .T ime wa supw he nT ain eR andell flun gap asslefttoLomu.He shruggedoffStephenLarkham 20 mo utandtip­toeddow nt he linetoscoreth e1 0than df inal tr yofas taggerin gn ight.Many ofthos ew hosawitwondered ifthe yh adindeedseenthe mostexhilaratin gc ontestof all.

PHOTOS :A LLSPORT/GETT YI MAGES

Afternoons inthesun

CAMPBELLBURNES

RugbyNews editor

Icanclosemyeyesandpictureit clearlynow. No need fora YouTubereminder.

ZinzanBrookefired apassoff hisrighthandthatmusthave travelledatleast20mandhit ChristianCullenonthechest.

Itwasa longwayto the WallabytrylinebutCullen caughttheballatpaceand kickstartedhismazyrun, weavingthroughtheopposition andturningGeorgeGregan insideout.

The funnythingwasthat Cullendidnotoncebreakstride. He had that priceless and etherealqualityofbeingableto run,stepandjinkasthoughit wasthemostnaturalthinginthe world.

Histrywasa beauty,oneof the greatestinBledisloe Cup history.Anditbroughtthe42,500 packedintoCarisbrook totheir feet.

Theydidn’tsitdownmuchin thatfirsthalf,bywhichstagethe AllBlackshaduncorkeda wondrous40minutes,andled 36­0.Itmatterednotthatthey lostthesecondhalf 24­0.The gamewasgone.

Icheckedthedate:August16,

1997.Winter wasnotyet done,butthe sunshone vibrantlyand itwasan afternoon kickoff.Ah, thosewerethe days.

Intruth, Cullen’stry wouldhave warmedthecrowdifitwas belowfreezing.

TwootherafternoonDunedin Bledisloeslivein thememory:in 1993, when Michael Jones heapedmiseryontheWallaby rookieNo10(PatHoward)and in2001,whenEddie Jonesmade adecentearlyimpressionby leadinghischargesto a23­15 winin amatchnotablefor MatthewBurke’sthirdsolotry againsttheAllBlacks.

Whatliesinstorefor this Saturday’safternoonBledisloe?

Well,theweatherwillnotbea factoras weareunderthe ForsythBarrroof.Butdonot talkof a‘‘dead’’Bledisloe rubber.Thisis,afterall,New ZealandversusAustraliain rugby,andtherehavebeen no friendliessincetheyfirstlocked hornsattheSCGin1903.

Thisis,too,thefinaltest beforebothnationsname their anointed33­manRWCsquads. The respectivematch­day23s forthisclashwillbeinstructive, buttheremust beopportunity forfringe candidates desperateto impress. Leicester Fainga’anuku, I’m lookingatyou.

SurelyShannonFrizelland AaronSmithwillsuitup,atleast offthebench,for theirfinal matchattheirhomeground?

MaybeDallasMcLeodwillwin

hisspurs,thoughinwhat position? DMactorun the cutter?

Whichever waythey go,it’s not asiftheAllBlackswillbe severelyweakened.

TheWallabies?They have majorinjuryconcernsatprop,so Eddiemayhavefeweroptions. Butwhathewillbedemandis thefirstspellcommitmenttothe

breakdownandthetacklethat hismenshowedinMelbourne. Thatistheminimum, andit wasn’tnearlygoodenoughlast weekend.

Onewould liketothink bothteams wouldplaynoholdsbarred rugbyagain. Thereis,after all,nothingto lose andmuchto gain. TheDunedincrowdwillbe thebeneficiary.And, importantly,therewillbe plentyoftimetoenjoythepostmatchfestivities.

PHOTO:GETTY IMAGES

Campbell Burnes

Australianfansstilldreambig

HowaretheWallabies shapingupforSaturday?

Weasked CanberraTimes rugbywriter CadenHelmers forhis thoughts.

EDDIEJonessitsdown twodaysbeforethe BledisloeCupopener andtellsyoutohavetheNew Zealand PrimeMinisteron call,becausetheeconomyis abouttostartsinking.

BecausewhentheAllBlacks lose, thecountryloses.Andin frontofmorethan83,000 peopleattheMCG,that’swhat wasabouttohappen —evenif nobodyreallybelievedthe Wallabiescouldwin.

Morethan 80,000people

wereabouttoget ashock, Jonessaid.

ThiswasJonesathisbest, sellingrugbygameslikehe’s thebestcarsalesmanonthis sideoftheTasman,tellingus CarterGordonis amodernday blendofStephenLarkhamand ButchJames,thathisbackline hadallthepiecestopickthe AllBlacksapart.

“NewZealanders allthink they’rebetterthanus,”Jones said.

Twodayslater,youstartto realisewhy.

TheBledisloeCupwillstay inNewZealandRugby’strophy cabinetforthe21styearin successionaftertheAllBlacks racedawaytoa 38­7winatthe MCG onSaturday night.

NowanAchillestendon injuryissettokeepWallabies tighthead propAllanAlaalatoa outofthe World Cupwhile

Australianco­captainMichael Hooperisnocertaintytobefit beforetheflighttoFrance.

Welcometothelifeofan Australianrugbyfan,whohas wastedmoredawnsthana ZachBryansong.

OwenFineganwasinthe No 6jerseythelasttime AustralialiftedtheBledisloe Cup.It’sbeennineyearssince your columnistplayedagame offourth­graderugbyagainst himinQueanbeyan.

MatRogerswasinhisrookie yearfortheWallabies.Today you’remorelikelytoseehim onanepisodeof DancingWith TheStars

YoucantellyourselftheAll Blackshavelosttheiraura— likeAndrewKellawaydidtwo yearsago —butthemoreyou sayit,themoreabsurdit seems.

Theonlythinglostinthe

transtasmancontestis

Australia’sabilitytotrouble New Zealandformuchmore thanhalfanhour.Ifwecould blowthefulltimewhistleafter 30minutes,maybewecould shiftsomecobwebsoutofthe trophycabinet.

TheglorydaysofWorldCup winsandBledisloeCup triumphsseem alifetimeaway. For ayoung generationof Wallabiesfans,that’swhatit hasbeen. Nowwe’rebeingaskedto dreamagainastheWallabies headinto aWorldCupwitha 35­year­oldplyinghistradein Japanand a 22­year­oldwith onesolidSuperRugbyseason underhisbeltastheirleading flyhalfoptions. QuadeCooper’sresurgence beforebeingsidelinedwithan Achillesinjurypaperedover somecracksatRugby

Australia’sMooreParkbase. TheWallabiesare afallen giantandAustralianrugby pathwaysneedamajor overhaul.

TheWallabieshave already been dealt acaringhandfor theWorldCupin apool featuringWales,Georgia,Fiji andPortugal.Topthegroup— whichmight seemlikewishful thinkingforsomefollowinga winlessRugby Championship campaign— andthey’re potentiallyoncoursefora quarterfinalclashwith Argentina. Rightnow,itfeelslikethat couldbetheendoftheroad. But maybewecanwinthe BledisloeCupagainnextyear. Orsometimeinthenexttwo decades.Untilthen, we’llhave tokeepaskingGeorgeGregan whatit tastes like whenyou drinkoutofit.

Sweetrevengeearnedinone­offtestatCarisbrook

ADRIANSECONI

LAURIEMainsdidnotsaywhat theBledisloeCupneedsis atrip toAustralia.

Weaddedthatbit.

TheAllBlackshavehada mortgageonthetrophysince 2003andtherivalryhasarguably sufferedas aresult.

Mainshas atheoryonthat.But backwhenhewasAllBlacks coach —from1992to1995—the fixtureswerehotlycontested andtheoutcomesfarfrom certain.

Australiatookpossessionof theBledisloeCupin1992witha 2­1serieswininAustralia.

Mainsengineeredtherevenge in aone­offtestatCarisbrookthe followingyear.TheAllBlacks wonandwonwell,dispatching Australia25­10.

Theyalsorevealedanew tacticwhichtheyputbackonthe shelffora coupleofyearssothey couldbringitoutandsurprise everyoneatthe1995WorldCup.

‘‘Mybiggestmemoryishow importantthatgamewasaspart ofourbuild­upforthe’95World Cup,’’Mainssaid.

‘‘WhenweplayedAustraliain

1992,theirlooseforwardshung offandtherewasjustnoroom forourbacks.

‘‘Sowedevelopedanewtactic thatisstillprettyprominentand that’sthepickandgo.

‘‘Theaimwaswewouldclean outaroundtherucksandtryand openitup,picktheballupand gostraightaheadthroughthe middleanditworked atreat.’’

ItforcedthevisitingWallabies looseforwardstocomeincloser tothebreakdownandthatfreed upsomespaceoutwide.

‘‘Thatwasthestartofthepick andgo.Butweputitasideafter that.EarleKirtonandIwerejust tryingtobuilduptacticsthat werenewforwhenweheadedto theWorldCup.’’ Whatalsosticksoutaboutthat

Timetocelebrate TheAllBlacks reflectontheir victoryinthe 1993Bledisloe Cupclashat Carisbrook.

PHOTOS:ODTFILES

1993gamewasthetremendous supporttheAllBlacksreceived inDunedin.

A‘‘tentcity’’wasconstructed atBathgateParkwherefans couldgotoenjoythebuild­up andhave adrinkafterwards.

‘‘Therewerehordesofpeople thereandtheplayersgot areal thrilloutofit.’’

MainsfelttheBledisloe

rivalryhad‘‘cooledoff’’asa resultoftheAllBlacks’ dominanceintheintervening years.

‘‘WhenIcoached[theAll Blacks]. Australiahad somethinglike11world­class playerswhowouldhavemadean internationaltestteam.’’

TheWallabieshavefaded awayinthepastfewdecades andhavenot‘‘hadenough qualityinternationalplayers’’.

Mainswasat alosstoexplain theirdemise‘‘buttheplayers justaren’tthereanymore’’.

TheAllBlackshavehadtheir ownstrugglesinrecentseasons. Buttheyhavestartedtheir internationalseasonstrongly andMainsfelttheopening20 minutesduringthe35­20win overSouthAfricainAuckland onJuly15was‘‘simply outstanding’’.

‘‘Ithinktheintroductionof JasonRyanandJoeSchmidthas justturnedtheAllBlacks around.They’vegotnewcoaches —Idon’tthink[Ian]Fosterhasa lottodowithitnow.

‘‘WearestartingtoseetheAll Blacks’intensitywherewe expectittobe.’’

Dunedintests throughtheyears

TwelveBledisloeCuptests

—10atCarisbrookand twoatForsythBarr Stadium —havebeen heldinDunedin.Hereisa selectionofimagesfrom the ODT filesfrom110 yearsoftranstasman rugby.

Spoilsofvictory CaptainSean Fitzpatrickhoiststhe BledisloeCupand Tri­Nationstrophies aftertheAllBlacks’ 36­24winat Carisbrookin1997.

Left:Wallabies forwardsBrendan Cannon(left)and NickStilescelebrate withAustralianfans aftertheir23­15win atCarisbrookin 2001.

Battlecry ...AllBlackswingerIngaTuigamaladoesthehakabefore the1993testatCarisbrook.TheAllBlackswon25­10.

Handsoff AllBlacksfullbackIsraelDaggtriestoevadeAustralian defenderIsraelFolauduringthe2013testatForsythBarrStadium.The AllBlackswon41­33.

Doubleact ...BeaudenBarrett(left)celebrates atrywithbrotherScott duringtheAllBlacks’35­29winatForsythBarrStadiumin2017.