ABs v AUS Rugby Bledisloe Cup : the first test between the Wallabies vs All Blacks at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne (kickoff at 9.45pm):
It’s a rare Thursday night test as the Wallabies host the All Blacks in a crucial Rugby Championship/Bledisloe Cup clash.
With this time of year in Melbourne being all about the backend of the AFL season and the Melbourne Storm making their usual finals run, the test was scheduled for the first midweek Bledisloe Cup match since 1994.
And it just so happens the game was moved for nothing. The two AFL games this week are in Sydney and an hour down the road in Geelong while the Storm were knocked out of the NRL playoffs last weekend. But the test is set to be a sellout at Marvel Stadium (nee Colonial Stadium/Telstra Dome/Etihad Stadium).
Kickers challenge ➡️ Melbourne captains run pic.twitter.com/ggQuJemc5m
Read More:— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) September 14, 2022
Bledisloe Cup: How to watch Wallabies vs All Blacks
The Wallabies and All Blacks will once again battle it out for the Bledisloe Cup, set to open the series in Melbourne on September 15.
Dave Rennie’s men are hungry to bounce back after a disappointing defeat to the Springboks in Sydney. They face a All Blacks outfit full of confidence after their thumping victory over Argentina in Waikato.
The two-Test series will then head to Eden Park on September 24, with the Wallabies out to win the Cup for the first time in nearly two decades
The Wallabies’ clash with the All Blacks will be shown LIVE on Stan Sport and the Nine Network.
Coverage will be live and ad-free on Stan Sport, slated to start at 7:00 pm AEST with kickoff expected at 7:45 pm AEST.
The game will also be shown on free-to-air television on Channel 9 (Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane) and 9GO (Perth and Adelaide) with coverage beginning at 7:30 pm AEST
The All Blacks head into the game with a one-point lead atop the Rugby Championship standings over the Springboks, Wallabies and Pumas.
Frenchman Mathieu Raynal is in charge of the test – he was the referee when Ireland beat the All Blacks for the first time in the 2016 Chicago test. A better omen for All Blacks fans, they’ve won their other three tests with Raynal including a 54-16 drubbing of Wales in Cardiff last year.
ABs v AUS Rugby teams:
All Blacks: Jordie Barrett, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, David Havili, Caleb Clarke, Richie Mo’unga, Aaron Smith, Hoskins Sotutu, Sam Cane (c), Scott Barrett, Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Tyrel Lomax, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Ethan de Groot.
Reserves: Dane Coles, George Bower, Fletcher Newell, Akira Ioane, Dalton Papali’i, Finlay Christie, Beauden Barrett, Quinn Tupaea.
Wallabies: Andrew Kellaway, Tom Wright, Len Ikitau, Lalakai Foketi, Marika Koroibete, Bernard Foley, Jake Gordon, Rob Valetini, Pete Samu, Rob Leota, Matt Philip, Jed Holloway, Allan Alaalatoa, David Porecki, James Slipper (c).
Reserves: Folau Fainga’a, Scott Sio, Pone Fa’amausili, Darcy Swain, Fraser McReight, Nic White, Reece Hodge, Jordan Petaia.
Wallabies vs All Blacks History:
It’s the All Blacks against the Wallabies so there’s a little thing (well not so little) called the Bledisloe Cup up for grabs. The Wallabies haven’t had their hands on the trophy since 2003 and have lost three straight tests to the All Blacks.
The All Blacks and Australia last met in Melbourne in 2010, a 49-28 victory to New Zealand. The Wallabies beat the All Blacks down the road at the MCG in 2007 where they don’t have a great record (1-2). The All Blacks are 4-0 under the roof including three wins during the 2003 World Cup.
The last time the All Blacks and Wallabies played a midweek test was in 1994 when George Gregan made an iconic tackle to deny Jeff Wilson from scoring the match-winner in the corner.
Wallabies and All Blacks Last five tests:
2021: All Blacks 38 Wallabies 31, Perth
2021: All Blacks 57 Wallabies 22, Eden Park
2021: All Blacks 33 Wallabies 25, Eden Park
2020: Wallabies 24 All Blacks 22, Brisbane
2020: All Blacks 43 Wallabies 5, Sydney
