Australia v New Zealand
Sydney - 26 July 2003

Telstra Stadium has been a happy hunting ground for the Wallabies, with only one loss recorded there - against the All Blacks in that test match in 2000.

Which is not to say that there haven't been some very lucky escapes - remember burke kicking us to victory against theAll Blacks last year, or Kefu reaching for the line against the All Blacks in 2001?

Seeing a pattern here? Yep - it's almost always close against the All Blacks at Homebush, and we've been pretty bloody lucky on a number of occasions.

I know, I know - you create your own luck, but it would be reasonable to say that this current All Blacks side - whilst short on international experience - looks the most talented side to grace these shores ...ever?

I'm aware that it doesn't follow that if the Boks beat the Wallabies, and then theAll Blacks thrashed the Boks, that the ABs will annihilate the Wallabies this weekend.

But the wallabies are going to have to show a great deal more ticker and fight than they have in recent times. If they can produce the kind of rugby we saw them play against the English in the second half in Melbourne, then we are a chance. But even then, only a slim one.

Where the Wallabies look disjointed and unsure in broken play (hell, even in set moves!), the All Blacks are starting to combine with clinical precision, and are now showing the form which has had them listed as World Cup favourites ever since their development team performed so well in the Northern Hemisphere late last year.

This could get ugly.

- Dan Fowell

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