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Five Of The Best: Bledisloe Cup Series
By Jamie Wall
Ahead of the weekend’s big Wallabies vs All Blacks match on Rugby Pass, Jamie Wall revisits some classic editions of the Bledisloe Cup from the last 20 years.
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The Bledisloe Cup has been more one-sided than State of Origin lately – the Wallabies have been unable to prise it out of the All Blacks’ vice-like grip since they let it go back in 2003.
But regardless of who ends up lifting the trophy, there have been some classic Bledisloe Cups though the years. Here are the five best series in my lifetime.
1992
First test (Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney): Wallabies 16 All Blacks 15
Second test (Ballymore, Brisbane): All Blacks Wallabies 19 All Blacks 17
Third test (Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney): All Blacks 26 Wallabies 23
The sun was setting on the days of amatuer rugby, so it was fitting that one of the last great acts of on field thuggery happened in this pulsating series. The last ever full tour of Australia by the All Blacks was notable for incredible rugby, including one of the greatest tries ever and the start of a short-lived period of Australian dominance.
1996
First test (Athletic Park, Wellington): All Blacks 43 Wallabies 6
Second test (Lang Park, Brisbane): All Blacks 32 Wallabies 25
Two wildly different All Black victories in the first year of Tri Nations Rugby, the first a much-mythologized ‘Greatest Performance Ever’ against both the old foe and, at times, Mother Nature herself. The second a few weeks later saw a massive turnaround for the Wallabies, who almost pulled off a stunning victory, only to be thwarted by the sweetest piece of poetic rugby justice by Frank Bunce.
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2000
First test (Stadium Australia, Sydney): All Blacks 39 Wallabies 35
Second test (Westpac Stadium, Wellington): Wallabies 24 All Blacks 23 (Wallabies retain the Bledisloe Cup)
If you haven’t seen either of these games, questions must be asked about your life choices. The first test, instantly dubbed ‘The Match Made In Heaven’, saw the biggest opening blitzkrieg of points, the bravest comeback and the most thrilling end to a test of all time. The second saw the greatest set piece try, the most contentious period of injury time and the most iconic act of a second choice goal kicker you’ll ever see. Even if you’ve watched these 100 times, watch them again. Now.
2003
First test (Stadium Australia, Sydney): All Blacks 51 Wallabies 20
Second test (Eden Park, Auckland): All Blacks 21 Wallabies 17
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A shaky start didn’t stand in the way of a truly rampant All Black effort in the first test, although Wendell Sailor managed to blast his way through the defence late for a memorable 50 metre run in for a try. The second was a much tighter affair, with the game only sealed with two Doug Howlett tries. It’d been five long years since the Wallabies had held the Bledisloe Cup, since full time in that game they haven’t had it since.
2006
First test (Lancaster Park, Christchurch): All Blacks 32 Wallabies 12
Second test (Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane): All Blacks 13 Wallabies 9
Third test (Eden Park, Auckland): All Blacks 34 Wallabies 27
A 3-0 whitewash and a mostly dull opening test masks the fact that this was one of the most hard fought and bitter series in recent memory. The second test in Brisbane was the stage for arguably Richie McCaw’s finest 80 minutes and is probably the best one-try tests of all time. To counter McCaw’s brilliance the Wallabies simply tried to take his head off in the third test, they almost succeeded but forgot to play enough rugby to actually win.
