Wallabies name team for Bledisloe Cup match against All Blacks

Wow, finalist for this year's John Eales can't get a start. Deans is trying to shake things up but it seems as if the Wallabys are lacking fire in the belly.

It's a dead rubber really, the Aussies don't have much motivation to win other than not wanting to lose again.

The All Blacks on the other hand are playing in a pretty historical venue for us Kiwis - Peter Snell won Olympic gold for us here in 1964 (and gold is bigger for us than it is for aussies), plus the Japanese fans (and us kiwis) will be cheering for them. That and the Aussie's coach is a kiwi. Lots of good reasons to not want to just win but to dish out a good trashing.

Fingers crossed the sushi doesn't get to the boys.

Fingers crossed the sushi doesn't get to the boys.

Nice one! But you could always play the "we had food poisoning" card if you lose, ala 1995 World Cup in South Africa!

All Blacks are specials for the game, the current Wallabies are the most untalented Australian team in living memory. They are a bunch of duds, to be honest - and so is Deans.

The most untalented Australian team in living memory.

That is a bit rough. In living memory I think that honor goes to the Wallabies who were forced to do kiddie scrums against England a couple of years ago for the lack of any good props. Just watching that game made my skin crawl.

Then again, the game in general these days lacks the characters of times gone by. The hard men of times gone by were a lot tougher than the chaps playing today. Anyone remember Richard Loe, that outstanding All Black known as the "enforcer?" I remember seeing a TV program with him training (down on the farm). He is the only guy I have every seen who could do knee squats while shouldering 2 44 gallon drums. The Australians also had a couple of tough characters. One that readily comes to mind is Topo Rodriguez, originally from Argentina. I still remember going to NZ to watch the Bledisloe Cup and seeing him poleaxe some poor New Zealander with a perfectly legal tackle. The chap who was hit suffered multiple fractures and separation of his chest cartilage Those were the days, the chaps playing now just don't compare when it comes to playing the game the way it should be played, i.e., handing out and taking a bit of biff.

Richard Loe was an eye-gouger, how could we forget him :)

Those were the days, the chaps playing now just don't compare when it comes to playing the game the way it should be played, i.e., handing out and taking a bit of biff.

I agree 100 percent TimorBorder. Bring back the Biff! The decline in interest in Australian Rugby is alarming - heaven forbid it will likely soon be overtaken by soccer. Richard Loe was tough as nails - but also a dirty grub who would think nothing of trying to pull opponents eyes out of the socket or rake his studs over faces in the ruck.

Rake his studs over faces in the ruck

Doesn't everybody mate? Back in the day, raking furrows in your opponent's head was all part of the game. You handed it out and you took it. A good Saturday of rugby consisted of a bit of biff during the game, a mandatory visit to the casualty ward at hospital, and then down to the pub for pies and beer with the opposition. A real good time being had by all.

These days, however, the hardest performing people are the trainers who seem to run marathon distances while giving players band-aids. And they talk about fitness? Give me the old school any day. People like the Ella Brothers, Simon Poidevin, Zinzan Brook, etc.

I am from australia and will be watching a rugby game for the first time. I have spoken to a lot of japanese and they dont really know about the game. i will be surprised if many people go to the game. Hope the weather is good and that might get a few more people to the game. I also hope they have explanations about the rules before the game starts. should be interesting anyway.