A rare Wallabies win over the All Blacks in Brisbane on Saturday night will inspire Australian Super Rugby sides to end their own hoodoo against New Zealand franchises in 2018, Jeff Wilson says.
Australian teams endured a woeful 0-26 Super Rugby record against Kiwi opposition this year, mirroring the Wallabies’ horror run against the All Blacks.
New Zealand have held the Bledisloe Cup since 2003.
But ex-All Black Wilson said if Australia pull off their first win over New Zealand in more than two years, in Saturday’s Bledisloe dead rubber at Suncorp Stadium, the self belief would spill over into the Super Rugby competition.
“I honestly believe if the Wallabies find a way to win this Test match a lot of that will go back to the Super Rugby sides next year,” he said.
“Guys would go back and be like ‘we have beaten the All Blacks, we’ve beaten the top team, there’s no reason we can’t go out and beat Super Rugby teams’.
“There’s no excuse whatsoever. They are good enough on their given day to beat the New Zealand sides.
“They just have to find belief and confidence and a way to play for the full 80 minutes.”
Wilson – who played 60 Tests for the All Blacks – looked forward to what Australian teams could produce in the new-look 2018 Super Rugby competition.
Only four Australian teams will feature next year after Western Force were cut along with South Africa’s Cheetahs and Southern Kings.
Japan’s Sunwolves replace the Force in Australia’s conference in the 15-team format and Argentina’s Jaguares have joined the South African conference.
“I am really excited about next year’s Super Rugby competition because we are getting back to a quality group of teams,” Wilson said.
“We are reducing numbers, building depth particularly for Australia and South Africa, it’s exactly what we needed to see.”
Super Rugby title-winning Crusaders coach Scott Robertson dismissed the suggestion that Australian teams weren’t competitive but agreed something had to be done to reverse their fortunes.
“One of our toughest, most physical games this year was against the Brumbies,” Robertson said.
“(But) there needed to be a change and they have made the change in Australian rugby to give themselves a bit of depth.
“They have made a big step. Hopefully it is the right one to give themselves a future and depth in their squads.
“Now it’s a chance for them to start again so we will see what happens next year.”