Ex-All Black hoping for a Wallabies win

Brisbane: Brad Thorn has warned the Wallabies they must conquer the ferocious desire within the All

Blacks to never hand back the Bledisloe Cup if they are to take the first step towards redressing 14 years of lopsided history.

The dual code titan’s message that there are “no dead rubbers” for the

All Blacks painted the magnitude of tonight’s challenge at Suncorp Stadium even though the Wallabies don’t have to contend with injured ace Beauden Barrett.

The cup, of course, is already gone in this year’s series but Wallabies boss Michael Cheika is adamant this Test can be a signpost to bigger things “with a battle both sides will remember.” Thorn is a little uneasy about being the spokesman for trans-Tasman rugby when he’s the new Queensland Reds coach helping to drive Australian rugby as well as one of the All Blacks who first put Lord Bledisloe’s silverware under lock-and-key in 2003.

“I wish them (the All Blacks) well and I’m wishing the same for the Wallabies. It’d be good to see the Wallabies get a win,” Thorn said.

Thorn’s tilt to the Aussies was more general goodwill than a Saturday night prediction.

He saw how hard the team was driving when invited to a camp in Newcastle in July and he’s mentored youngsters like forward Lukhan Tui, whose bullocking charges will be unleashed from the bench tonight.

“You’ve seen them improve with each outing and there was a game there for them to have in Dunedin,” Thorn said.

“They’ve got to front up again. If they have enough belief, care about each other enough and play good footy, they are in with as good a chance as the All Blacks.”

Thorn won 13 of his 17 Tests against the Wallabies, won the Bledisloe in 2003, defended it four times and the exhilaration never got tired.

“During my time in the jersey, it was about keeping it because I didn’t want to be in the All Blacks team that handed it back over to the Wallabies,” Thorn said.

All Blacks skipper Kieran Read has said the same thing and he’ll strive for another “Blackout” year with Lima Sopoaga as the new helmsman at No.10.

“You saw the Irish beat the All Blacks (for the first time) last year and you saw the (Richmond) Tigers in the AFL (win a grand final for the first time since 1980),” Thorn said. “When those long stretches happen it makes it even better when you get that win.

“At some stage they (the Wallabies) definitely will and it will be one of those great sporting moments because it’s a pretty cool feeling when you raise that cup and sip some lemonade or whatever out of it.”- Herald Sun