Retiring Wallaby desperate to break Bledisloe drought

Wallabies captain Stephen Moore is desperate to get his hands on the Bledisloe Cup for the first time before he ends his test rugby career.

Moore has four months left at the international level after announcing this week he would retire from test rugby at the end of this year and from Super Rugby after the 2018 season.

The 120-test veteran has tasted victory over the All Blacks just five times in 27 matches and is keen to do as much as he can to restore Australia’s international rugby reputation before he moves on.

The best and most satisfying way to do that - as unrealistic as it might sound after a nightmare Super Rugby season from local sides - would be to end the country’s 14-year series drought against New Zealand.

Moore made his green-and-gold debut in 2005, meaning he missed Australia’s last Bledisloe Cup triumph by two years.

The bullish hooker believed this year’s Wallabies were on track to compete with the All Blacks this year owing to coach Michael Cheika’s intensive fitness camp this week.

‘‘That’s one of the ultimates in our sport and for our team. We know the size of the challenge and that’s why we’re here training hard,’’ Moore said.

‘‘We want to give ourselves the best chance to do well.’’

The series begins on August 19 at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, with game two in Dunedin a week later before a potential decider in Moore’s home town of Brisbane in October.

Moore said players were aware they were the only ones with the power to put smiles back on the faces of Australian rugby fans.

‘‘We have the capacity to change the view of rugby, via the vehicle of the Wallabies,’’ he said.

‘‘That’s meant a lot to me in my career whenever we’ve been able to achieve that. It’s one of the great things about playing for your country.’’