‘A notch above’: Why the Wallabies will win back the Bledisloe

For the Wallabies and Matt Philip, it doesn’t get much bigger than this. It’s Test week in Melbourne, and the All Blacks are coming to town.

The All Blacks have dominated the Bledisloe Cup rivalry for more than two decades, but after 21 years of hurt, disappointment and frustration, the Wallabies are ready to reclaim the trophy.

Australia are coming off back-to-back defeats under new coach Eddie Jones, while the All Blacks appear to be trending in a very different direction.

Sitting at opposite ends of The Rugby Championship ladder, New Zealand are deservedly the favourites going into this Test.

But the Wallabies are ready.

After arriving in Melbourne earlier in the week, and training in front of some inspired students at Brighton Grammar School on Tuesday, the Australians are ready to make a statement in front of about 80,000 fans at the MCG.

“We’ve got the cattle, I think we’ve always had the cattle,” Matt Philip told reporters. “Some really exciting players in the squad with people like Taniela (Tupou) and Samu (Kerevi) coming back into the squad.

“The coaching staff as well has really reinvigorated the training. The intensity of training has been a notch above what it has been in previous years.

“The intensity and the detail around our game that we’re training and how we want to play will help us get to that next level that we haven’t been able to reach for a long time.”

In the southern hemisphere, there is probably no greater sporting rivalry than the fiercely contested battles between Australia and New Zealand.

Whether it’s rugby union, league, cricket, football or even sailing, any clash between the neighbouring nations is sure to create headlines.

Even in AFL-mad Victoria, the MCG is being prepared to host an international Test matches. Promotional images of All Black Ardie Savea and Wallaby Michael Hooper were seen on Wednesday around ‘the G.’

The All Blacks are coming into this Test on the back of two big wins over Argentina and South Africa, and they’ll be full of confidence when they run out onto the most famous field in Australian sports.

But there’s just something about this rivalry.

The Bledisloe Cup is a prized chalice in New Zealand, and the visitors won’t go down without a fight. There’s a reason Philip believes the All Blacks are “the standard in world rugby.”

“For me, putting aside a World Cup final, it’s the biggest game as an Australian rugby player,” Philip added.

“Every time you put on the jersey it’s a new opportunity to test yourself against the best because I believe they are the standard in world rugby.

“It’s the biggest game personally and it’s the biggest test you can face.”

Sitting on a tram in East Melbourne, Philip sat with a few reporters – including myself – as a small group of Wallabies, media and photographers made their way towards Flinders Street Station.

With the MCG in sight, Philip opened up about his “life-changing” knee injury – and the journey back to Wallaby gold.

“Every Test you put on the Wallabies jersey you want a result. You never know when it could be your last.

“I’ve been through a pretty big injury, thought potentially that could be my last (Test) having the ACL done at the end of last year. Fortunately, it wasn’t so every Test from now on is extremely special to me because like I said that was a pretty life-changing experience.”

The Wallabies take on rivals New Zealand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday evening in the first of two Bledisloe Cup Tests.