Will rugby paradise be regained at Eden Park?

In times of uncertainty and carnage, retreat to your fortified stronghold.

And so it is that the wobbliest All Blacks team of the modern era returns to Eden Park, a ground where their undefeated record stretches so far that most of the players running on to the park tonight were wearing nappies the last time the side lost on this soil (back in 1994, before the game was even professional).

None of the players were born when the Wallabies last beat the All Blacks here (that one was in 1986, before the sport had its own World Cup).

The weight of that history must hang heavily over the players — it surely can’t be the atmosphere of the Sandringham venue that drives the All Blacks’ undefeated streak. The concreted tunnels of Eden Park are largely soulless and songless when the All Blacks go about their work.

A passionless people make for a dour sports crowd. All Blacks fans are seldom rugby followers — we’re generally in it just to tick off the wins. This is why the losses and ensuing uncertainty of this season have been unsettling for the ardent followers of the team.

Welcome to the world of being a regular sports fan, not just an All Blacks fan.

Even in this season of unique disarray, defeat tonight at Eden Park would be a standout disgrace. The stronghold must stand solid.