(Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
If it wasn’t enough that an Australian team with a modest recent record is heading to Europe to try and achieve just their second Grand Slam, they will confronted with their most dangerous foe and an arduous travel schedule to kick off proceedings.
With such a landmark occasion in Europe ahead, marking the 25th anniversary of the famous 1984 team that recorded Australia’s first home nations touring whitewash, a triumph would all but erase what has been a horror year for the Wallabies.
However, few betting men would bank on Australia beating Ireland, Wales, England, and Scotland based on current Wallabies form and home ground advantage for the host nations.
An unbeaten run in their home tests and a surprise victory over the Springboks in Brisbane didn’t erase a poor Super 14, a wooden spoon Tri Nations, numerous off field incidents including the Lote Tuqiri affair and the rumours of infighting between the Victorian Super 15 factions—and of course another lost Bledisloe and a 0-3 record against the All Blacks.
New Zealand has now held the famous cup since 2003, and the ledger between the two sides in the last seven years is horribly one sided from an Australian perspective reading at 15 losses and just four wins.
To break this six match losing streak, one feels that it is not so much a case of doing the job as much as just being mentally prepared. The Wallabies have shown that they can compete at the highest level, but when it comes to the All Blacks, it is almost as if they regard the men in black as their modern hoodoo.
They must overcome this bogey team in Black.
The Bledisloe has become arguably the strongest barometer of Australian (and for that fact New Zealand) rugby, and a 2009 with a 4-0 series score line to the All Blacks is a statistic and a piece of mental baggage that the Wallabies do not need.
But after kicking off their Northern tour with so much expectation in what will be a carnival like atmosphere in Tokyo, it will be followed by a second match just four days later.
With a clash with Gloucester on Nov. 3rd, numerous Wallabies will be backing up in what is the better part of a 15-16 hour road trip from Japan to South West England.
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