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Following a Spring Tour full of promise, Australian fans are starting to believe in the Wallabies again.
We’re approaching a golden period for the game, and no doubt top of the bucket list for many fans is breaking the Bledisloe Cup drought that has stood for over 20 years now – in addition to success in the Lions Tour and a great performance at the home World Cup.
To make the most of these years, Rugby Australia have released their ‘From Green to Gold’ strategy for the next five years of rugby. They have set out some lofty goals in the plan.
Rugby Australia aim to see two local Super Rugby Pacific sides competing in the semi finals each season and they plan to win Rugby Championship titles regularly.
They’re aiming for the Wallabies and Wallaroos to be competing on the final weekend of the upcoming home Rugby World Cups.
Like their fans, the governing body also wants to see the Wallabies lift the Bledisloe Cup every second year.
A quick memo to the head honchos at Rugby Australia. If they want to reclaim the Bledisloe Cup and are serious about reaching these goals set out in the strategic plan, it’s time to have a conversation about the scheduling of matches against New Zealand.
Sevu Reece of New Zealand. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Australian fans need no reminding, but a Wallabies captain hasn’t held that cup aloft since 2002.
It’s been a long time between drinks, so to target winning the trophy every second year is incredibly ambitious. Aiming to do so without a change to the schedule is just foolish.
While the Bledisloe Cup series included at least three matches outside of World Cup years every year since 2006, it has been reduced to a two-Test series for the past three years, with no plans to change that in the immediate future.
Winning the Bledisloe at the best of times is a big ask, but the deliberate decision to reduce the flagship series to just a pair of matches makes RA’s goal of winning the trophy every second year even more difficult.
With the All Blacks holding the trophy since 2003, to reclaim the Bledisloe the Wallabies face the tough task of winning two from two. They have to have a perfect record, even across the ditch.
Wins in New Zealand do not come easily. The last time Australia beat the All Blacks away was in 2001, before Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Max Jorgensen were even born.
When New South Wales lost eight consecutive State of Origin series, they didn’t petition the NRL to reduce the series to two games to save some face.
Similarly, if Rugby Australia are serious about this ambition of winning the Bledisloe Cup back, they need to be smart at the negotiating table, and push for a return to a three-match series.
That would ensure that every second season, the Wallabies have home ground advantage in the Cup, meaning beating New Zealand twice at home would secure the trophy.
Rugby Australia can’t keep setting ambitions for the sport while asking the Wallabies to play with one arm tied behind their backs.
They need to act with vision to achieve their goals, and return the Bledisloe to a three-match series.
All Blacks captain Scott Barrett and Wallabies captain Harry Wilson pose alongside the Bledisloe Cup. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
If this happens, will the Wallabies taste immediate success and win all home Tests against the All Blacks in Australia? Most likely not, as the last four Bledisloe Tests in Australia have shown.
But with the Wallabies beginning to rebuild under Joe Schmidt and a lot of hope springing from the promising European Tour, a return to three matches will give Australia the advantage needed every second season to have a better shot at winning the Bledisloe Cup back.
Even the series where New Zealand hosts two matches will still give the Wallabies more of a shot than exists currently.
Australia already needs to claim a scalp across the ditch, but in a three-match series would have two goes at it, rather than one.
Commercially, New Zealand Rugby might baulk at this. They’re already shifting their outlook to focus on tours against the Springboks over more regular matches with Australia because the Bledisloe has rarely been competitive.
But even choosing one of the All Blacks Tests to count solely as the Bledisloe each year would offer the Wallabies more of a shot than the no man’s land of a two-match sporting series.
Rugby Australia needs to seriously consider changes to the schedule if they want to achieve their self-proclaimed goals over the next few years.
Scheduling a Bledisloe series that puts Australia in with a real shot at reclaiming the trophy is something that could further breathe life into the game here, and into the rivalry with New Zealand.
With their strategic plan, Rugby Australia are looking to turn a corner for the best.
Through this idea, they can prove they are serious about this ambition by fighting for the best conditions for the Wallabies to finally win back the Bledisloe Cup.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.