Bledisloe Cup Preview 2004

Image: Getty Images

New Zealand has a cricket team full of fight, it’s produced a couple of top golfers, its rugby league team can be more than competitive and the Shaky Isles even coughed up a Wimbledon champion almost a century ago.

But no matter how great its achievements are in other sporting pursuits, to be an All Black is still the ultimate dream for most young kids running around in the backyards of New Zealand.

The All Blacks are the lifeblood of the country, they dominated international rugby last century, and the nation’s economy can fluctuate depending on their performance.

While other sports claim to be making inroads in New Zealand, Kiwis don’t rely on any other team as much as the All Blacks for their national pride.

Following their loss to Australia in the World Cup semi-final in Sydney, newspapers that lauded the team in the weeks before, turned and labelled the would-be heroes “World Chumps” and “Chokers”.

For the fourth time in a row, the highly favoured All Blacks failed to live up to the New Zealand public’s lofty expectations and win the William Webb Ellis trophy as they did in the inaugural competition back in the heady amateur days of 1987.

Almost as soon as the World Cup was over, the New Zealand rugby chiefs sacked its coach John Mitchell despite a record that read 22 wins out of 27 games in the two years he was at the helm.

New Zealand demands nothing less than success from the most famous team in world rugby.

While it will be another four years before the All Blacks can properly redeem themselves in the eyes of the Kiwi public, a victory over Australia to retain the Bledisloe Cup will mark an important step in the healing process.

Last year, the Kiwis, under Mitchell’s guidance won back the Bledisloe Cup in emphatic fashion ending Australia’s five-year reign as holders of the trophy.

They will be desperate to keep their hands on it when the teams clash in July and August, but to keep the media and fans at bay.

Over the last quarter-of-a-century the Bledisloe Cup has become one of the most hotly contested trophies in world rugby.

In 1979, the Wallabies won the famous trans-Tasman trophy for the first time in 30 years and since then, Australia and New Zealand have built a rivalry to match that of the famous All Black clashes with the Springboks.

From the early 30s, when Kiwi Governor-General Lord Bledisloe Charles Bathurst donated the trophy, through to the disco era, Australia-New Zealand clashes were usually one-sided affairs.

With the arrival of players such as the Ella brothers, Campese, Farr-Jones and Lynagh, the All Blacks dominance ended and Australia started to threaten the Kiwis on a regular basis.

The contests over the last 25 years have produced some of the greatest rivalries in rugby.

Locks John Eales and Ian Jones, flyhalves Michael Lynagh and Grant Fox, hookers Phil Kearns and Sean Fitzpatrick, make up just a handful of the greats that have faced off in epic battles.

In recent seasons, until the All Blacks regained the trophy last year, the Bledisloe Cup became synonymous with great escapes by the Wallabies.

Following Australia’s first 3-0 clean sweep in 1998, good fortune played a role in the Wallabies hanging on to the trophy in subsequent series.

In 2000, John Eales levelled the series at 1-1 with an injury time penalty goal in Wellington while a brilliant Toutai Kefu try on the stroke of full-time in Sydney in 2001 again stole the match from under New Zealand’s nose.

The following year in Sydney Matthew Burke kicked a penalty goal on full time to again snatch victory.

However, the All Blacks can still lay claim to one of the greatest ever triumphs when the great Jonah Lomu crossed in the final moments for a 39-35 victory at the Olympic Stadium in 2000.

For the moment, New Zealanders, those that have managed to get over their heartbreak of last year anyway, will be eagerly anticipating the All Blacks performance under new coach Graham Henry.

Until stumbling in the World Cup, Mitchell had the All Blacks playing scintillating rugby with the likes of Spencer, Muliaina, Rokocoko and Howlett running rampant.

Henry’s so-called schoolteacher methods caused waves of controversy during the British Lions 2001 tour although the Auckland Blues have thrived under his handling.

Mitchell joined Alex Wylie, Laurie Mains and John Hart whose stints as All Blacks coach ceased after World Cup disappointments.

Given some of the great displays of last year, Mitchell paid a tough penalty but in many respects only had himself to blame.

In the highly competitive sports market gone are the days when you can treat the media and everyone outside the team with contempt.

One thing is certain, the road to redemption is sure to be long, but France 2008 will never be far from the minds of the New Zealanders.

The Wallabies would want to be on their guard.