Nearly four decades of history is against them, but Wallabies skipper Harry Wilson is convinced that a string of tough tests this year will hold his side in good stead when they throw themselves at the walls of New Zealand’s rugby fortress this weekend.
Not since 1986 have the Wallabies beaten the All Blacks at Eden Park and New Zealand could extend their record against all-comers at the famous Auckland ground to 52 tests over 31 years with victory in Saturday’s Rugby Championship test.
The match doubles as the first in this year’s two-match Bledisloe Cup series, which means the hosts, as holders, only need to win on Saturday to maintain their two decade-long grip on the symbol of tran-Tasman Sea rugby supremacy.
Wilson, however, led the Wallabies to victory over the British & Irish Lions in August and followed that with a first win over South Africa at Ellis Park since 1963 and another win over Argentina.
There were also two losses to the Lions as well as one each to the Springboks and Pumas, but none have been blowouts.
“We’ve played a lot of big matches this year, which is something which gives a group a lot of confidence,” Wilson told reporters in Auckland on Friday.
“We’ve been under pressure cooker quite a lot this year, so it is definitely something we’ll lean on this weekend, knowing that we’ve been here before, and we’ve found ways out of it too.
“So it’s another heck of a challenge. When you are versing a team like New Zealand, we haven’t won over here in quite a long time … but that’s something that truly excites this group.”
New Zealand have a reputation for ferocious backlashes after their rare defeats and few losses have been more humiliating than their record 43-10 reverse at the hands of the Springboks in their last outing in Wellington.
“Obviously the last game against South Africa wasn’t their best performance, so we’re very aware of the bounce back this weekend,” Wilson added.
“It really excites us, history is against us, but there’s a lot of belief that we can do it, and it’s going to be an almighty challenge, which is something we can’t wait for.”
Australia also lead the Rugby Championship standings with two rounds to play but, in keeping with coach Joe Schmidt’s philosophy of good things coming from good performances, Wilson was not thinking too much about that.
“We want to win test matches,” he said. “We want to have that winning sort of mindset, and we want to believe in ourselves.
“So the least we can do is go out there and have that mindset and do everything we can to win right to the 80th minute.”
