Ask anybody in world rugby: beating the All Blacks in New Zealand is as arduous because it will get.
But when a chink of sunshine exists for the beleaguered Wallabies, it may very well be the collection of Wellington because the venue for Saturday’s second Bledisloe Cup conflict.
Australia have been spared the Eden Park cauldron this 12 months, the place the All Blacks stand unbeaten in an unbelievable 50 Assessments.
They will instead face New Zealand at Wellington’s harbourside Sky Stadium, known locally at the Cake Tin, where the All Blacks haven’t won in five Tests and six years.
That run includes one Bledisloe Test – Dave Rennie’s first outing as coach in 2020 – when Australia battled to a hugely commendable 16-16 draw, with Reece Hodge sending a 50m kick into the post after 80 minutes.
“It was an arm-wrestle of a match that one,” Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, a survivor from that clash, said.
“A tight contest but we’re hoping that this isn’t a tight contest, and hoping that we can get a result this week.
“It’s good to be back here in Wellington … and hopefully we can turn it around.”
As well as the 16-16 draw with Australia, the All Blacks shared the same scoreline with South Africa in 2019.
Steve Hansen’s side were also beaten by the Proteas at Sky Stadium in 2018 in another thriller: a 36-34 loss.
Looking a lot further back, Wellington was also the venue involved in Australia’s last Bledisloe Cup sweep, in 2000.
The Wellington hoodoo is a big talking point in New Zealand this week, but Salakaia-Loto isn’t buying in.
“I don’t read too much into that. Any team enjoys playing at home, and it’s the All Blacks in New Zealand, so it’s always going to be a tough match,” he said.
Dylan Pietsch is another with fond memories of the Kiwi capital, registering his international debut back in 2007 alongside Tate McDermott in the now-abandoned Wellington Sevens.
“Good memories, great field and a great place to be,” he said.
Pietsch could be in line for another first in Wellington, with a possible opening on the wing.
Given Australia cannot avoid the Rugby Championship wooden spoon, coach Joe Schmidt may feel it could be time to throw Pietsch in, given Marika Koroibete’s underwhelming form.
“I’d always love to start,” Pietsch said, before calling Koroibete “world class”.
“We gotta respect what he’s done in the past and what he does every week … I’m more than happy to start but I understand that Marika is there and is one of the best.”
NO CAPITAL RETURNS: NEW ZEALAND’S ORDINARY RUN IN WELLINGTON
2024 – All Blacks 30-38 Argentina
2022 – All Blacks 22-32 Ireland
2020 – All Blacks 16-16 Australia
2019 – All Blacks 16-16 South Africa
2018 – All Blacks 34-36 South Africa.
