Wallabies’ bizarre scheme to get Eden

Island-hopping Aussies raise eyebrows

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika, well aware his side haven’t won at Eden Park since 1986, has planned a left-field approach to breaking the curse next weekend; from Sunday he and his side will be based at Waiheke Island — home to only two rugby fields.

The All Blacks, who have held the Bledisloe Cup since 2003, play the Wallabies at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium tomorrow before the old enemy make the trip over the ditch in the return match.

Cheika, a self-made millionaire through his clothing businesses, isn’t scared to go against the prevailing fashion in order to gain an advantage — although this one is likely to raise eyebrows as usually the only sightings of wallabies on islands in the Hauraki Gulf are the small or midsized macropod variety closely related to the kangaroo.

International teams are generally creatures of habit and like visiting the same hotels, but Cheika is changing things up in a big way with a stint on Waiheke, a 35-minute ferry journey from Auckland’s CBD, and a place with only one five-star hotel. It’s understood that on Thursday they will travel to an inner-city hotel.

The training facilities on the island, home to only about 10,000 residents, are other factors. The Wallabies, who will travel with 31 players plus 15 support staff, need a large gym with suitable weights, plus an appropriate rugby pitch to train on.

A Waiheke Island Rugby Club spokesman confirmed to the Herald he had been in talks with Wallabies representatives, but declined to say for sure whether the team would train at his club’s main ground at Onetangi Sports Park.

For the Wallabies, Eden Park is becoming a real issue. The All Blacks

haven’t lost there since 1994 (to France), although they were held 15-all in the third and deciding test last year by the British & Irish Lions.

And it is a place where the visitors do not perform especially well, a place, indeed, where they have lost 17 times in a row to the All Blacks.

They nearly took the return Bledisloe test last year in Dunedin, only to lose 35-29 in the final minutes.

Two years ago the Australian newspaper looked at the records of five Wallabies greats at the ground in the shadow of Mt Eden: Phil Kearns, John Eales, Tim Horan, George Gregan and Steve Larkham.

Kearns played 67 tests in total and never won at Eden Park — nor did Eales (86 tests), Horan (80), Gregan (139) or Larkham (102).

Eales told the newspaper he was flummoxed by one of the most famous hoodoos in Australian sport.

“I can’t answer that,” the legendary lock replied, when asked about the Australian side’s dismal record there.