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Will Genia - Source: Photosport
All Blacks v Australia
Played: 140
Won: 95
Loss: 40
Draw: 5
Befitting of our deeply intertwined history, no other rugby nation
has played the All Blacks more than Australia's Wallabies.
The All Blacks and Wallabies have played for the Bledisloe Cup ever
since 1932 and it has developed into one of rugby's most hotly
contested pieces of silverware.
The All Blacks may have the wood over their trans-Tasman neighbours
in Bledisloe matches, but the Australians have been the World Cup
spoiler on two occasions - in the 1991 semi-final and again
in the 2003 semi-final in Sydney.
Indeed when then Wallabies halfback, George Gregen, taunted All
Black opposite Justin Marshall with the infamous call of "four more
years," a new edge was added to an already bitter rivalry.
The Wallabies though, like the All Blacks, disappointingly dipped
out of the 2007 World Cup in France at the quarter-final stage and,
as a result, appointed former All Black fullback and Crusaders
task-master, Robbie Deans, the most successful Super rugby coach in
history, as their head coach.
His influence was apparent straight away, shocking the All Blacks
in the first Bledisloe match of 2008 by 34-19 in Sydney. The All
Blacks came back to be victorious in the next three matches against
Australia, including a historic clash in Hong Kong.
In 2009 the return was no better for the Wallabies as they were
swept 4-0 and then they in 2010, they lost all three Tri Nations
Tests before snatching a last-gasp win in Hong Kong thanks to the
magic of young gun, James O'Connor.
And with O'Connor leading a new generation of players - including
the Queensland inside back pairing of Wil Genia and Quade Cooper
and tearaway Force flanker David Pocock - Australia are expected to
be real a force at the 2011 World Cup.
Squad: TBC
