Australia 16 defeated New Zealand 13
Sydney - 3 August 2002
There's something about Bledisloe Cup tests. A buzz - like I used to get for State of Origin games back in the 80s. Back then the gladiators were King Wally, Bouncin' Benny, Sterlo and the Nudist. These days it's Guv, Tana, Burkey and Mehrts. Except a bigger stage, and with more at stake - national pride.
And - once again - when the chips were down, our boys dug deep and pulled off another miraculous victory. Another buzzer-beating come-from-behind heart-in-your-mouth tear-in-your-eye how-bloody-good-is-it-to-be-an-Aussie thriller. Part of me longs for the relative calm of an easy victory over the All Blacks - say a 20 point lead with about 2 on the clock. But deep down I know that there is nothing like unexpected triumph.
When it's that close, the cruelty of defeat can be suffocating. Just ask our Kiwi friends. For three years in a row, they have watched the Bledisloe slip from their clasps in injury time. That's a bitter pill to swallow by anyone's measure. Pity the sheep - I'm not kidding. I was talking to a bloke on Sunday who couldn't wait to stir up a Kiwi mate of his. Last year, after Kef pulled off his Inspector Gadget try, this New Zealand lad was so utterly shattered that he decided to head home to the family farm and shot a few sheep to vent his rage.
But when you win...how sweet it is. Your blood pressure may have launched an ambitious assault on the big 200, your heart may have been pumping like a customised Daihatsu Charade on Parramatta Road, and you may have had to fight an almost irresistible urge to cover your eyes because you just couldn't bear to watch, but this is sport at its most enthralling. And - as it was on Saturday night - it can be one hell of a ride, even if it was closer than it should have been. Andre Watson, what were you thinking??? Jeremy Paul's try should never have been disallowed.
The Wallabies have developed an astonishing level of self-belief. You can't teach such things. They can only be discovered in times of adversity. A team is either made of the Right Stuff or it isn't. The Wallabies are, the All Blacks aren't - yet.
It was a team effort, and all the players deserve praise. But special mention must go to Nathan Sharpe, who produced a stunning performance at lock, George Gregan, cool as a cucumber and fast as a speeding locomotive, Stephen Larkham, who took all the right options in those crucial final minutes, Matt Burke, who kicked it when it counted, and Mat Rogers, a freak, plain and simple.
Surely a starting position must be found for Rogers, though precisely where is the problem. The Wallaby backline is in form, so it's tough to dislodge anybody - just ask Wendell. Chris Latham hasn't been at the top of his game, so maybe Rogers should slip in at fullback. Or Burkey to fullback, Mortlock to outside centre, and Rogers on the wing. Either way, change is unlikely until the forthcoming European tour, where Eddie Jones has indicated that more experimentation will occur.
But the simple fact of the matter is that you can't keep someone as talented as Mat Rogers on the sideline for three quarters of the game. His form warrants a starting position. Jones has often spoken of the X factor that he is looking for in players - the ability to make things happen, to be an on-field spark. Rogers is surely one of the X-Men that Eddie has been looking for.
So on to Johannesburg, where the Wallabies will face the Springboks in a match that will be the Tri Nations decider, coming as it does a week after South Africa play the All Blacks at Durban. The Tri Nations crown will be there for the taking. The Wallabies will have the inestimable advantage of knowing exactly what they need to do to win the crown. But if they are to triumph, they will need to overcome the Boks at home - something they have only done twice in the past decade - and at altitude.
One thing's for certain - they will give themselves every chance. They will believe that they can win. And they will keep on trying until the ref blows his whistle.
- Dan Fowell
