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WATCH: Remembering the only time the Wallabies won in Dunedin

Matty Burke drives a dagger into All Black hearts

In over a century of trans-Tasman rivalry, the Wallabies have only managed to win one test in New Zealand’s southern-most city. It was back in 2001, a lifetime ago in rugby terms.

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They were coached by none other than Eddie Jones and captained by the great John Eales. Their first five was Stephen Larkham and outside him was Nathan Grey. At the time they were the current World Champions.

By contrast, the All Blacks were at a low ebb – by All Black standards. They hadn’t had the Bledisloe Cup since 1998, were still somewhat reeling from the shock 1999 World Cup exit, and were going through players at a great rate of knots to try and fix the problem. The test before they’d managed to scrape past the Springboks in Durban 12-3, in a match that featured no tries and a scoreless second half.

However, hopes were high. The All Blacks had never lost to the Wallabies at Carisbrook, the old ground in Dunedin before they built their wisely roofed Forsyth Barr Stadium across town.

It was a typically cold winter’s day in Dunedin. The test was the great Jonah Lomu’s 50th, and he didn’t take long to get into the game. He scored after only two minutes and it seemed that the All Blacks were back on track to regain the Bledisloe. However, that’s about as good as it got for the home team.

But then Matt Burke answered, scoring one of the best tries you’ll ever see in a Bledisloe Cup game to open the Wallabies’ account. The World Champs then flexed their muscles and ground out the game using an excellent kick chase, dominating territory and possession.

By the last 10 minutes, they’d opened up an unassailable 23-8, three score lead – helped by Ron Cribb giving away the first penalty try in All Black history.

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Jeff Wilson pegged that back with a converted try, but the game was in the bag for the Wallabies. There was one last curious decision by All Black captain Anton Oliver, who turned down a shot at goal on the last play of the game that would’ve given them a bonus point. Instead the ball was tapped and the futile attack smothered by the Wallaby defence that had been safely doing that all day.

Final score 23-15 and the Bledisloe Cup was retained. A few weeks later the two sides played out another epic in Sydney, when Toutai Kefu scored on the final play to win the game.

Eddie Jones now coaches England, while Larkham and Grey are assistant coaches of the Wallabies. Jonah Lomu has sadly passed away and Anton Oliver now lives in relative obscurity in London.

That win at Carisbrook wasn’t only the sole victory for the Australians in Dunedin, it also marks the last time they have beaten the All Blacks in New Zealand.

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16 years. If it seems like a long time, it’s because it is.

 

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SK 1 hour ago
The times are changing, and some Six Nations teams may be left behind

If you are building the same amount of rucks but kicking more is that a bad thing? Kicks are more constestable than ever, fans want to see a contest, is that a bad thing? kicks create broken field situations where counter attacks from be launched from or from which turnover ball can be exploited, attacks are more direct and swift rather than multiphase in nature, is that a bad thing? What is clear now is that a hybrid approach is needed to win matches. You can still build phases but you need to play in the right areas so you have to kick well. You also have to be prepared to play from turnover ball and transition quickly from the kick contest to attack or set your defence quickly if the aerial contest is lost. Rugby seems healthy to me. The rules at ruck time means the team in possession is favoured and its more possible than ever to play a multiphase game. At the same time kicking, set piece, kick chase and receipt seems to be more important than ever. Teams can win in so many ways with so many strategies. If anything rugby resembles footballs 4-4-2 era. Now football is all about 1 striker formations with gegenpress and transition play vs possession heavy teams, fewer shots, less direct play and crossing. Its boring and it plods along with moves starting from deep, passing goalkeepers and centre backs and less wing play. If we keep tinkering with the laws rugby will become a game with more defined styles and less variety, less ways to win effectively and less varied body types and skill sets.

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