Eddie Jones is dreaming of ending Australia’s nightmare Bledisloe Cup drought in a city with happy memories as the Rugby Championship fixture list was confirmed on Friday.
In a truncated schedule due to the Rugby World Cup, the Wallabies will take on the All Blacks at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on July 29 and Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium on August 5.
New Zealand’s Eden Park fortress is off limits because of the women’s football World Cup, giving Jones more than a glimmer of hope.
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“I remember 2001 in Dunedin when we won it, Googy (Justin Harrison) was part of that and the party we had afterwards was fantastic,” Jones said.
“And Steve Larkham is one of our Super Rugby coaches now, was brilliant on that day, the way he manipulated the space against the Kiwis (in a 23-15 win at Carisbrook).
“And that’s a big target for us because if we can take New Zealand we’re in a good position to take the World Cup so we’ll certainly be prioritising that…
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“It’s a ground, Melbourne Cricket Ground, where Australia traditionally play well.
“So if we can get the lead in the series then go to Dunedin then what a fabulous place to win back the Bledisloe Cup. So that’s the picture in my head mate.”
The Wallabies will kick off their campaign against world champions South Africa at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on July 8 (local time).
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“With the Rugby World Cup less than nine months away I know the team will be wanting to get hold of some silverware before then and these matches will provide the perfect platform for this,” Rugby Australia chief executive Andy Marinos said.
“With a new Wallaby coach in charge and being the last coach to have won the Bledisloe Cup, expectations will be high throughout the international series.”
Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup fixtures
Wallabies v South Africa, time TBC, Saturday 8 July at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria
Wallabies v Argentina, 7.45pm AEST, Saturday 15 July at CommBank Stadium, Sydney
Wallabies v New Zealand, 7.45pm AEST, Saturday 29 July at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Wallabies v New Zealand, 12.35pm AEST Saturday 5 August at Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
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