FORMIDABLE FOE
It looks easier than it is to beat the Wallabies as often as the All Blacks have in the last 20 years.
In fact, it is entirely misleading what's happened since 2003 as the numbers don't tell the real story since Reuben Thorne's All Blacks captured the Bledisloe Cup 17 years ago at Eden Park.
Since then the All Blacks have held the Bledisloe and have never come close to giving it back. In that whole time, the trophy has been on the line – as in the Wallabies have come into a test knowing victory would see them take the silverware – just twice.
That was in 2015 and 2019, which tells a story in itself – these were World Cup years and the All Blacks were experimenting with their selections in the first Bledisloe tests of both years and lost.
Not once in this period have the All Blacks lost consecutive tests to the Wallabies and the record reads played 49, won 37, drawn two, lost eight for a win ratio of 80 per cent.
The average score between the two in this time has been 28-17 and on eight occasions the All Blacks have scored more than 40 points and twice they have cracked the 50.
The All Blacks have had two head coaches in that whole period, while the Wallabies have had five and under any measure it has been a period of domination by the All Blacks.
What's helped deepen that impression is the quality of rugby they have played at times against Australia.
