Horan: Aussies ‘are sick’ of this lame Bledisloe response

Tim Horan says Australians are “sick” of hearing the Wallabies talk about “learning” from their losses to the All Blacks after yet another Bledisloe Cup humbling at Eden Park on Saturday night.

New Zealand’s 50-19 romp in Auckland ensures the trophy will remain out of Australian clutches until at least 2027 and takes some sting out of this weekend’s series-ending return match at Sydney’s Accor Stadium.

The All Blacks have held the Bledisloe since 2003, and it is back to the drawing board for Wallabies coach Les Kiss, who had won four and drawn one of his first five games in charge.

“Beating the Springboks (42-38 in Perth last month), back-to-back world champions, everyone was quite excited,” Wallabies icon Horan said on Nine’s Wide World of Sports.

“The bubble’s been popped a little bit, but I think that they can rebuild, this Wallabies team. I just don’t like hearing, ‘oh, we’re going to learn from this, we’re going to learn from this.’

“I think Aussies are sick of learning from getting beaten by the All Blacks, and 24 years in a row now they’ve retained the Bledisloe Cup. (Captain) Harry Wilson’s got to get this team up and for Les Kiss... five in a row (unbeaten), and all of a sudden, you come to the All Blacks, and you get taught how you’re going to play the game.

“Saturday afternoon, they get a chance to turn it around.”

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The Wallabies haven’t beaten the All Blacks at Eden Park since a 22-9 win in 1986 with Alan Jones as coach and Andrew Slack as captain.

Horan made his Test debut as a 19-year-old at the ground in 1989, with the All Blacks winning 24-12.

Kiss’ Wallabies scored the first try through fullback Tom Wright and trailed 17-14 at halftime before the floodgates opened.

“If I was the Wallabies, I’d be saying ‘I don’t want to play at all.’ Like play it in Christchurch or in Wellington,” Horan quipped.

“It’s been 40 years, and it’s a difficult place to win. So Les Kiss, good challenge for him defensively, they’ve really got to start to push up and put some pressure on this All Blacks team.”

Indeed, defence coach Scott McLeod will have a busy week as the Wallabies set up camp in Sydney’s west.

The All Blacks feasted on quick ball and spent 63 per cent of the match in enemy territory as the Wallabies missed 46 tackles.

“They gave them too much space and that’s where they’ve got to try and change,” former Wallabies selector Horan said.

“When you look at the way that Beauden Barrett played and Damien McKenzie, they just had too much time and space, and that comes because they’ve got a forward pack that just keeps rolling ahead of you.

“And so hopefully what the Wallabies can do is move up, put some pressure on that. They actually looked really passive in defence, which was unlike this Wallabies defensive pattern. Can’t wait for Saturday afternoon, it’s going to be huge and a big crowd of 80,000 people.”

Pleasingly for fans, the Bledisloe will return to a best-of-three series next year with the inaugural Anzac Day Test in Brisbane kicking things off before home-and-away Rugby Championship Tests in July-August.

The Wallabies have lost their last 12 Tests against the All Blacks, the longest streak in Bledisloe history.

Australia’s last win came under now All Blacks coach Dave Rennie in 2020.

It was therefore surprising to hear Wallabies fullback Tom Wright admit that the All Blacks were “hungrier” in hunting the ball in Auckland.

If the Wallabies aren’t hungry for success after this Bledisloe starvation, then when will they ever be?

Both coaches will be forced into changes when they reveal their teams on Thursday.

Kiss needs a new inside centre after John Eales Medallist Len Ikitau failed his head injury assessment in Auckland, while squad member Jordan Petaia (ankle) has also been ruled out.

ACT Brumbies backs Kadin Pritchard and Corey Toole have been called into camp.

Rennie will be without forwards Asafo Aumua, Anton Segner (both concussion) and Ethan Blackadder (calf) - as well as winger Leroy Carter (ankle).

Carter was on crutches after the game, with Wallabies flanker Rob Valetini injuring him with a hip-drop tackle in the act of scoring a second half try.

Valetini is very lucky that World Rugby’s new hip-drop crackdown doesn’t kick in until November 1.

“Leroy’s one looks a little bit more serious. He obviously won’t travel with us (to Sydney). We’ll make a decision on the northern tour with him,” All Blacks attack coach Mike Blair said.

Rennie has called up flanker Du’Plessis Kirifi, hooker George Bell, lock Jamie Hannah and centre Anton Lienert-Brown.

Lock Scott Barrett will have to complete HIA return-to-play protocols this week if he is to play after copping a head knock at Eden Park.

“We’re hopeful for him,” Blair said.

The Wallaroos will kick off Saturday’s historic quadruple header at Accor Stadium with a WXV Global Series clash against Scotland.

Australia beat Scotland 30-10 in Edinburgh last month.

Saturday’s schedule at Accor Stadium (all AEDT)

12pm: Wallaroos vs Scotland

2.05pm: Australia men’s sevens team vs Fiji

2.25pm: Australia women’s sevens team vs New Zealand

3.45pm: Wallabies vs All Blacks

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