Pasilio Tosi of the All Blacks with the Bledisloe Cup. Photo: JAMES GOURLEY
All Blacks v Wallabies - Bledisloe I
Kick-off: 5:05pm Saturday 27 September NZT
Eden Park, Auckland
Live blog updates on RNZ
The All Blacks have held the Bledisloe Cup since 2003, but that hasn't dulled their desire to for more success.
The team returns to action this weekend as they seek to bounce back from the record defeat to South Africa in Wellington earlier this month.
The All Blacks can retain the Bledisloe Cup with victory at Eden Park over the Wallabies on Saturday night. With just two tests in the series this year, the holder only has to win one game to keep the trophy.
Codie Taylor is tackled. Photo: Kerry Marshall / www.photosport.nz
Hooker Codie Taylor was asked if playing the Wallabies still motivated the All Blacks after 22 years of dominance.
"It's Bledisloe, so it's massive," Taylor said.
"We treat this as the second most important trophy to us after the World Cup. We often touch on the times when we didn't have it. There's been past players come in and talk about that and how hard it is to win.
"I'm sure Australia are sitting there looking at this as an opportunity and rightly so for them. But for us, we've got the utmost respect for that trophy."
One of the former All Blacks who never won the Bledisloe Cup is current head coach Scott Robertson. He played for New Zealand between 1998 and 2002, a time when the Wallabies were on top.
That was the longest period the All Blacks have gone without holding the trophy.
Scott Robertson. Photo: ©INPHO/Ken Sutton
Robertson had to relive those not so fond memories in the lead up to this test.
"You reflect on history. That's what shapes you now are the stories and what you've learned from the past," Robertson said.
"The most important thing that we've heard, and we've had past All Blacks talk to us, is around 'it's this year'. This game is the most important one. What's happened before (is irrelevant)."
Robertson is expecting the Rugby Championship leading Wallabies to provide a stiff challenge at Eden Park, despite being big underdogs with the bookmakers.
"Bledisloe, historically they come out throwing it and they'll back themselves. They'll stay deep into the game and that's what we're expecting on Saturday night."
Angus Bell of the Wallabies (centre) celebrates after scoring the match winning try during the 2025 Rugby Championship match between the Australian Wallabies and the Argentina Pumas. Photo: DAVE HUNT
Taylor is also wary of a Wallabies team playing some impressive rugby under coach New Zealander Joe Schmidt.
"They're a really good Australian team. They've had some really tough tests this year and they've shown some resilience and got some pretty good wins. We're expecting exactly that at Eden Park."
Taylor spent a lot of time working with Schmidt while the latter was an assistant coach at the All Blacks in 2022 and 2023. He's also spent plenty of time with Mike Cron, the former All Blacks scrum guru, who is now working with Schmidt at the Wallabies. He can see the impact they've had on the Australian side.
"Two great coaches. I've got a lot of respect for both of them. You can see the way Schmidty likes to play in the way the Aussies are going about their work. Someone like Crono as well, he's had a huge influence on my career. He's finishing up soon, so I suppose it's a thank you and we'll enjoy a beer afterwards but hopefully it's sweeter for us."
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