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Wallabies confirm Thursday Bledisloe test as well as a unique venue to play Springboks
By AAP
The Wallabies will play their first mid-week Test in 28 years, attempting to wrest back the Bledisloe Cup from the All Blacks on a Thursday night in Melbourne.
The trans-Tasman rivals will meet on September 15 at Marvel Stadium with the embattled code avoiding a clash with AFL and NRL finals.
The prized trophy will be contested in a two-match series, meaning Australia need to beat holders New Zealand in both games.
The second Test will be played at Auckland's Eden Park on Saturday, September 24.
The last time Australia and New Zealand met in a mid-week Test was on a Wednesday night in Sydney in 1994, when halfback George Gregan pulled off a match-winning tackle on Jeff Wilson to secure a Wallabies victory.
The Bledisloe Cup, which is part of the Rugby Championship, leads a busy schedule of internationals for Australia's men's and women's teams.
The Wallaroos are preparing for the World Cup in New Zealand later this year and will host the Black Ferns as part of a historic double header at Adelaide Oval on August 27.
Their match precedes a Wallabies clash with South Africa, which is the hosts' first Test in South Australia since 2004.
Contesting the O'Reilly Cup, the Wallaroos will also take on New Zealand at Orangetheory Stadium in a stand-alone fixture in Christchurch on August 20.
Rugby Australia also announced a NSW Test between the Wallabies and South Africa, with the venue to be confirmed, and two away Tests against Argentina in August.
Brisbane, Perth and Sydney are already hosting the incoming series against England in July.
2022 Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup Fixtures
* Wallabies v Argentina — Saturday, August 6, Kick-off TBC, at Estadio Malvinas, Mendoza
* Wallabies v Argentina — Saturday, August 13, Kick-off TBC, at Estadio del Bicentenario, San Juan
* Wallabies v South Africa — Saturday, August 27, Kick-off TBC at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
* Wallabies v South Africa — Saturday, September 3, Kick-off TBC at TBC, NSW
* Wallabies v New Zealand — Thursday, September 15, Kick-off TBC at Marvel Stadium, Melbourne
* Wallabies v New Zealand — Saturday, September 24, 5:05pm AEST at Eden Park, Auckland
2022 O'Reilly Cup Fixtures
* Wallaroos v New Zealand — Saturday, August 20, 5:05pm AEST, Orangetheory Stadium, Christchurch
* Wallaroos v New Zealand — Saturday, August 27, Kick-off TBC, at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide.
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Latest Comments
Vaai is finally having his breakout year getting comfortable and showing great form at lock, and there are form players and experience all across the backrow, why on earth would you drop him to 6. Ridiculous
Go to commentsSo far, the All Blacks have won 8 matches out of 11 this year. That is a near 73% win rate. AB fans and, I assume, the team itself are not content with that and have everything to play for with the remaining 3 tests this year.
Their historical average is something like 77% these days and, although some years will always be better than others it is not likely to drop that dramatically to 70% any time soon. There is too much historical inertia on the stats. It is like saying Ireland’s form of the last 10 years or so is likely to reverse a historical average of 48% wins soon. It just isn’t.
Moreover, when you say they are ‘doomed’ to a 70% flatline are you not just assuming that Ireland will beat them again? How did that work out for you last time?
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