Michael Atkinson: Why Wallabies should prioritise Bledisloe Cup and need to box clever with talismanic Will Skelton

With a 62-year drought broken on the weekend, the Wallabies' next mission should be to end the 39-year hoodoo at New Zealand rugby's most feared fortress - Eden Park in Auckland.

Not since the Andrew Slack-captained Wallabies defeated the All Blacks 22-9 in 1986 has Australia tasted victory over our-trans Tasman rivals at Eden Park. 

It's a hoodoo not as long as the one just ended in Johannesburg, but it certainly feels more daunting.

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For starters, the Wallabies have faced the All Blacks at the venue 23 times since their last victory in 1986, compared to the fact Australia played at Ellis Park against the Springboks for just the 12th time in history on the weekend. 

So yeah, winning at Eden Park might be a bigger deal. 

And for that reason, the Wallabies must throw everything they can at winning this year's fixture on September 27.

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The management of superstar lock Will Skelton is a big talking point in the game right now. 

On Stan Sport's Inside Line this was a key topic of discussion. Rugby Australia has managed to extract arguably our most influential forward for more Test appearances at this stage of the year than seen in previous seasons. 

The reasons for this are many and varied, but if managing Skelton's workload is part of the arrangement with his French club La Rochelle, then the upcoming fixtures are a good opportunity to be selective with selection. 

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Former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper said RA should map out how the next 18-24 months look in terms of the big lock's involvement - which games or campaigns are more important to have Skelton involved.

Top of that list must be the two Bledisloe Cup fixtures this year. 

Skelton is expected to be picked by Joe Schmidt again this weekend, but there should be a thought to resting the 33-year-old for the next two matches against Argentina in Townsville and Sydney. 

Allow Skelton to rest up, perhaps return to France for a short break, check in with his club before returning to help give the Wallabies a massive tilt at a win in Auckland and reclaiming the Bledisloe Cup for the first time since 2002. 

"We need him around for Bledisloe this year, cause the boys are a hell of a shot at that," Hooper said on Inside Line.

A similar approach should be taken to selecting the likes of Rob Valetini (who is currently injured but nearing a return) and captain Harry Wilson (who left the field on the weekend with a knee injury but, following scans, has been cleared of structural damage). 

If there is any ounce of risk with Wilson and Valetini's injuries, avoid it this weekend by not picking them. 

The extra rest could help keep these key players fresh for perhaps the Wallabies' best shot at an Eden Park win and the Bledisloe Cup in some time. 

Australia is on a run of eight straight losses to the All Blacks. It's not our longest losing streak to New Zealand, but it's not far off. 

For a team that has ended several significant hoodoos in recent times, ending the Eden Park misery would be another step towards 'the Wallabies are back' claim actually being true. 

The amount of coverage, conversation and cut-through created out of Sunday morning's epic 38-22 win in South Africa should be a lesson in PR and marketing - nothing gets Australia back onboard the Wallabies like a ground breaking win. 

Sure, following that up with a consecutive victory in Cape Town this weekend would be phenomenal, but if resting key players this week or in the coming weeks is going to help make a charge at the All Blacks, this should be a considered top priority.