Australia legend Mark Ella can’t see anything other than an All Blacks victory on Thursday and lamented the current state of rugby union in the country.
The Wallabies take on New Zealand in Melbourne looking to end their barren spell against their arch-rivals.
Some believe that this is their best chance to win the Bledisloe Cup for the first time since 2002, considering their opponents’ issues this year.
Ian Foster’s men have lost four of their seven matches in 2022, including a first-ever home defeat to Argentina, but Ella still believes that the All Blacks are huge favourites for the Rugby Championship encounter.
Haven’t worked it out
“I can’t see anything changing,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“I wouldn’t have ever thought it would be 20 years. I thought we would have been smart enough to work it out by now. Obviously, we can’t for some reason.
“You can’t go this long without winning. Anybody with half a brain in rugby knows we’re not going to beat them.”
Ella also believes that little has improved over the past few years, insisting that the quality is not there in either coaches or players.
“We’re consistently bad,” he said. “The solution is we need better coaching and better players, simple as that. That’s the predicament for Rugby Australia to work out.
“You’ve actually got to deliver the goods rather than moaning or groaning that we didn’t play well and (saying) we’re learning and we’ll get better next game. That’s bulls***.”
One player who never won the Bledisloe Cup is Drew Mitchell and he admits that beating the All Blacks twice is going to be “difficult” for the current side.
“It’s not pretty reading,” said Mitchell. “Hopefully it’s this year. We’ve got to believe that. There’s desperation to get our hands back on it.
“They’re probably not as confident as they have been. If the Wallabies start like they did in Adelaide (in a 25-17 victory), then perhaps some of those doubts start to creep into the forefront of the mind.
“Some of the pressures and cracks start to get a little bit wider. But it’s going to be a difficult task.”
Australia’s last match-winner
A crucial part of Australia’s last Bledisloe Cup win was Matt Burke, who kicked a late penalty to earn a 16-14 triumph over New Zealand in 2002.
“I remind everyone at work every time I’m there. I always say ‘who kicked the goal? I can’t remember’,” Burke said. “20 years, wow. That is a long time.
Click Here: Canterbury Bulldogs Jersey
“The irony is that night I kicked two from five and became a hero. I should have been hung, drawn and quartered for kicking so s***.”