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By Lee Stace

THE WALLABIES believe the pressure is on the All Blacks heading into Saturday night’s test in Sydney, but who are they kidding?

If anything, it is those 22 players kitted out in an attire of gold and green that need to produce a big – and preferably winning – effort under the night sky at ANZ Stadium, because this chapter of their international season is riding on it.

As your eyes prepare to gobble up every crunching tackle of this trans-Tasman test, ask yourself the following questions: which team has gone 10 years without having its named engraved on the Bledisloe Cup? The Wallabies.

Which team has only won three of its last 14 clashes with its cousins from across the creek? The Wallabies.

Which team needs victory in this game to ensure it has a realistic chance of a) getting its hands on the Bledisloe, and b) challenging for the overall Rugby Championship title? Yes, you guessed it, the Wallabies.

While there is pressure on the All Blacks – heightened by the fact they currently hold in their mitts a little gold cup which is the symbol of global supremacy – to get their campaign off to a good start, a loss will not exactly be the end of the world for the Men in Black.

For Australia, though, it will.

Get beaten up in Sydney and the side may as well abandon any hope of reclaiming the Bledisloe Cup, as the next game of the three-match series is at its hoodoo ground, Eden Park. Need you be reminded that the Wallabies have not supped upon the sweet juice of success there (against the All Blacks, at least) since 1986.

Get beaten up in Sydney and, as expected, lose in Auckland the following week and the Robbie Deans-coached team will be 0-2 in the Rugby Championship. The pressure will then be on it to win its remaining games and hope the All Blacks suffer a couple of banana skin moments along the way against the Springboks and Argentina.

Victory is important for the All Blacks, but the Wallabies must win this game.

Deep down the players know their Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship aspirations hinge on it.

No pressure, lads.

Posted Comments

Judi Peterson

19-08-2012
20:33:55

Australian rugby is in a mess. They run onto the field with no plan. And that Genia, well, he spends most of the game with his hands on his hips, pointing into the ruck or pulling his jersey down. I feel for Robbie Deans, he has a second rate bunch to choose from. There are some half decent player in Aus. Nic White for one....Why not give him a go..

REDS05

19-08-2012
02:15:33

Once again Deans love affair with NSW players has come back to haunt us. NZ please take Deants back so we can install McKenzie as our coach. NSW lose 8 in a row but they have 8 players in the starting lineup? The equivalent would be Auckland Blues dominating AB's but it doesnt happen as AB's pick players on form. By the way you can have Mr John Oneil as well. Deans has been consistant with his selection, consistantly bad that is. Im waiting for Elsom and Vickerman to return he loves NSW regardless if they've played or not

Stever

17-08-2012
15:58:30

I really want this to be a good one, want to see the Wallabies playing like it is a must win, bring the fury and all that. But, I see the All Blacks winning comfortably, no doubt about it. Rugby Championship 2012 belongs to the Great Ones! All Blacks------Salute!

Vixy

17-08-2012
11:27:17

An Ozzy teacher asks her students if they're Wallabies fans. Everyone raises their hands except one little girl. The teacher says, 'Why arent you a Wallabies Fan?' 'I'm an ALL BLACKS fan!' The teacher asks why. 'Because my Mums an All Blacks Fan and my Dads an All Blacks Fan so I Am an All Blacks Fan!' Teacher says, 'Thats no reason, what if your mum were a moron and your dad were a moron what would you be then?' 'Then id be a Wallabies fan!'

Dave Mitchell

16-08-2012
20:40:47

On paper the All Blacks will win in a canter, they have the ability and named players, It is possible due to the odd combination there could be blowout which will favor the Ockers especially if Gina is let to dictate behind the scrum. I pick the All Blacks by 20+ a comfortable win as we will overpower the Ockers scrum.

Lee Wood

16-08-2012
16:25:20

A strange thing happened the other day! An Australian was heard to mutter some barbed and critical comments about 'The All Blacks' and New Zealanders in general! This must have been the very first time this odd situation has occurred, and one can only imagine that the ears that heard it must surely have gotten it wrong? An Australian being anything other than polite, caring and intelligent? BBBBEEEEEEEEEPPPPP The alarm went off suddenly, the Aussies were Big - Noting themselves before another loss to the greatest rugby team of all time, -- Back to normal! By15 - 20 points, Richie?

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