Wallabies must 'walk the walk' if 40-year-old curse is to end

Arriving in Auckland ahead of the opening Bledisloe Cup Test in 1999, Wallabies great David Wilson cut a confident figure.

"We're certainly not intimidated by the All Blacks at all," said Wilson, who was acting as Wallabies captain in the absence of an injured John Eales.

Wilson was not being boastful, cocky or showing false bravado, as he had reason to declare the Wallabies were not scared of the All Blacks.

They had won all three Bledisloe Cup Tests the previous year, with the clean sweep including a famous 27-23 victory in Christchurch.

The Wallabies were also enjoying a 10-match winning streak under coach Rod Macqueen, so it was no surprise self-belief was high when they took the field on a chilly July evening at Eden Park.

What followed was later described in the Australian media as a "wake-up call" for the Wallabies.

They were outclassed in an error-ridden 34-15 defeat, having trailed 22-3 at half-time, with a rabid home crowd — most of whom were wearing black — doing their best to put the Wallabies off their game.

"When the Wallabies play the All Blacks in New Zealand, the contest is between a team and a nation," Spiro Zavos wrote in The Sydney Morning Herald at the time.

Given the Wallabies won the Rugby World Cup later that year, the loss was a blip on the radar.

But it did provide a salient lesson: self-belief can only take you so far when you play the All Blacks in New Zealand, as it means nothing if you cannot execute your game plan.

Fast-forward to 2026, and the Wallabies find themselves faced with the same challenge as they prepare for tomorrow night's Bledisloe Cup Test, which will also be played at Eden Park.

Despite having lost their past 11 Tests against the All Blacks, expectation among the Wallabies squad is rising as they look to extend this season's six-match unbeaten run.

They posted a 42-38 victory over the Springboks in Perth a frotnight ago, while last year's stunning 38-22 defeat of the two-time defending world champions at Ellis Park is still fresh in their collective memory.

But as the 1999 Wallabies learned, confidence counts for little if you do not deliver on the field when you play the All Blacks.

"Belief is strong, but belief won't just cut it," Wallabies openside flanker Fraser McReight said earlier this week.

"We have to go out there and perform."

Eden Park 'hoodoo'

McReight would be mindful of how many times the Wallabies have made the trek to New Zealand in a buoyant mood, only to return to Australia with tail between legs.

Not since 2001 have they defeated the All Blacks in their own backyard.

Eden Park has particularly been unfriendly across Bledisloe Cup history, as the Wallabies have not triumphed over the All Blacks at the venue in 40 years.

Convincing defeats in 2008 (39-10), 2015 (41-13) and 2019 (36-0) stick out in the memory as each came a week after the Wallabies lowered the All Blacks' colours on home soil.

The Wallabies have lost 24 straight Tests to the All Blacks at Eden Park, although the New Zealanders have not been defeated by any team at their spiritual home since 1994.

Suggestions of an Eden Park "curse" or "hoodoo" have resurfaced this week, as they always do whenever the Wallabies play in Auckland.

The New Zealand Herald even published an explainer on its website under the headline: A dummies' guide to the Wallabies' Eden Park hoodoo against the All Blacks — 40 years without a win.

A dictionary definition of the word hoodoo featured in the article for good measure.

Whether Wallabies coach Les Kiss was reading is unknown, but he maintains the run of losses has not been discussed inside his squad.

"It isn't front and centre for us in terms of what we're about," Kiss told reporters.

Instead, the Wallabies have hinted they are flipping the script.

"You can look at it two ways," McReight said.

"We're really trying to win and get the win over here … but they're also defending it [their winning record] and that has to play [on] their psyche as well.

"That's probably how we're trying to frame it."

It has been a talking point among the All Blacks, as coach Dave Rennie revealed when he announced his match-day squad on Thursday.

"No-one wants to be part of the first team for a long time to lose at Eden Park or lose the Bledisloe," said Rennie, who was sacked as Wallabies coach at the beginning of 2023.

"All sides, who come here, want to be seen to break the [Eden Park] record, so they'll [the Wallabies] be highly motivated. We're well aware of what's coming."

The All Blacks do not just have an envious home record at Eden Park to protect — they are also hoping to avoid four straight Test defeats.

After winning the series opener against the Springboks in Rugby's Greatest Rivalry, Rennie's side crashed to three consecutive losses.

Not since 1998 have the All Blacks dropped four Tests in a row, and the players do not need to be reminded New Zealand's rugby public only tolerates winning.

Is this the Wallabies' best chance to defeat the All Blacks on their own turf in more the two decades?

That is debatable.

The Wallabies have expressed confidence though, just as their predecessors did in 1999.

But McReight and his teammates are also aware talk is cheap.

"We don't just want to talk the talk," he said.

"We want to walk the walk and be able to deliver."