It was a 36-0 drubbing of Australia last year that extended New Zealand's grip on the Bledisloe Cup to 17 years, but Dave Rennie is aiming to reverse those results - and he hopes to have plenty of opportunities this year to do it.
The new Wallabies coach, currently isolating in New Zealand after returning from Scotland, told 1 NEWS exclusively today he has his eyes set on October for a Bledisloe Cup showdown against the All Blacks despite the current travel restrictions in place due to Covid-19.
“You'd like to think that come October both countries will be accessible and we can play in our own bubble,” Rennie told 1 NEWS.
While October 10 is firming as the date for a Wellington Test, Rennie could not confirm any details of the other matches.
He did add however that there could be “up to four Bledisloe Cup games”.
In the meantime, Rennie is more focused on getting his wider squad ready for a Test resurgence.
“The attitude is we've got to work hard,” Rennie said.
“What we know with the All Blacks teams - incredibly fit, highly skilled - and that's where we want to be but we're seventh in the world at the moment and we need to be performing at a higher level.”
It's been a challenging time for Rugby Australia with the resignation of Raelene Castle as CEO, player unrest at paycuts and Rennie himself volunteering for a pay reduction to help with financial issues created by the global pandemic.
But for all the problems currently facing Australian rugby, Rennie is keener than ever to be on deck.
“I love it on the grass and I've done a lot of work on the computer over the last three months and itching to get back out on the field.
“When I get there I'll make sure I spend a lot of time around the Super Rugby sides.”
Rennie said don't expect him to dictate terms at Super Rugby level though.
Instead, he believes communication with the clubs will be key and they should run their own campaigns.
He added he’s confident that the players know his expectations and they'll be Test ready when it counts.
“Our competition will go a little longer and go closer to that Test series,” Rennie said comparing the Australian Super Rugby competition to New Zealand’s edition.
“It does mean we get a little bit less time together as a group to implement things but we still think it's enough time and that's why we're trying to have a strong connection to Super teams now.”
As for the prospect of a first Test in charge being against the All Blacks, Rennie proved his current isolation hasn’t blunted his humour.
“Nice, easy start, isn’t it?”
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