Wallabies may have already missed chance to end Bledisloe drought says All Blacks legend

The Wallabies might have already blown their best chance to regain the Bledisloe Cup and break a 35-year-drought at Eden Park, according to a World Cup winning All Blacks legend.

On the same day Wallabies captain Michael Hooper echoed coach Dave Rennie’s declaration that Australia does not fear the men in black, Sir John Kirwan has assured New Zealand won’t be as unpolished as game one - despite a 33-25 victory - and that pre-match talk of who is under more pressure for Bledisloe II was nothing more than “peripheral bullshit”.

Michael Hooper and Dave Rennie in Auckland on Friday. Credit:Getty

After Australia’s second captain’s run in as many weeks at Mt Smart Stadium - and not Saturday’s venue, Eden Park - Hooper was asked if he had extra motivation to become the first Wallabies skipper since Andrew Slack in 1986 to win at the ground against New Zealand.

Hooper has won three of his 16 Tests against New Zealand as skipper, two of which were draws.

“The stuff we’ve been talking about is leaving a mark. I guess that fits in there,” Hooper said. “But I will not be using that as a tagline. We do respect New Zealand and the All Blacks but we don’t fear them. We’re going out there to impose our game on these guys.”

Kirwan, who won a World Cup with New Zealand on Australian shores in 1987, feels Australia missed the boat to create history when the All Blacks produced a sloppy first half in game one before clicking to set up an unassailable 25-point lead heading into the final quarter of an hour.

“The disappointing thing is I don’t think you’ll get the All Blacks playing that poorly again. You had an opportunity to put them under pressure,” Kirwan told the Herald.

Sir John Kirwan in New Zealand in 2011.Credit:Kevin Stent/FairfaxNZ. Sport.

“The All Blacks were error-ridden and the Aussie team didn’t really capitalise on it as they should. I’d be expecting a way more complete performance from the All Blacks. I know the players aren’t very happy about the consistency of the 80 minutes. If we can deliver that, I think we’ll be a little bit too strong across the board.

“[Australia] get eight penalties and six errors in the first 30 minutes and your fullback doesn’t pin them in the corner and you lose your lineout? That wasn’t a great game. People were doing bloody mexican waves after 25 minutes.”

All Blacks captain Sam Whitelock played a straight bat when asked about Kirwan’s criticism earlier in the week that New Zealand’s opening 30 minutes was their worst period of play in five years.

“Everyone’s allowed their opinion. That’s obviously his,” Whitelock said.

Kirwan maintains that under Rennie, the Wallabies are improving and could win in a do-or-die encounter.

Lose and we go to a dead rubber in a fortnight’s time in Perth, which is a worst-case scenario for Rugby Australia.

Australia has been keen to remind New Zealand they are the ones under pressure given their streak at Eden Park, while Wallabies winger Andrew Kellaway accidentally gave New Zealand some ammunition by saying their aura may have diminished in the eyes of some of younger Australian players who now know what to expect.

“You never win the football game off the field. Ever,” Kirwan said. “That is just all peripheral bullshit.

“I don’t think the All Blacks have ever had an aura about them if you play for Australia. They have just been better over the last little while. I played the Australian side when they were a bloody good football side and used to beat us.

“What that young fella [Kellaway] needs to do is make 100 per cent of his tackles and every time he gets an opportunity, nail it. If he doesn’t, he won’t win. You can try and put as much pressure on but it’s not going to win you a football game.”

If the Wallabies fail to win, Rennie’s overall record will stand at three wins, three draws and five losses since he took over last year.

Kirwan pointed the finger at Australian rugby’s overall system instead.

“I don’t think it’s the head coach’s problem,” Kirwan said. “I think it is your system that has let itself down since 2003. It’s what Rennie gets delivered. If [Australia] think he’s the best man for the job, then you leave him there until the World Cup then reassess.

“I’ve seen improvements in this side. He will get more and more improvements. The Wallabies beat France in a Test series. The Bledisloe is still up in the air. The question I would ask is does Australia have the cattle? Do you have the players to compete at the highest level? If you don’t, you need to be asking the administration [for answers], not the coach.”

Watch every match of the Bledisloe Cup and The Rugby Championship with live, ad-free and on-demand coverage on Stan Sport continuing this Saturday from 4.30pm AEST.

Tom Decent is a journalist with The Sydney Morning Herald

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