It’s the summit that all teams, from World Cup champions to stacked British & Irish Lions squads, have tried to climb for the last 31 years: defeating the All Blacks at Eden Park.
This week, Joe Schmidt’s improving Wallabies will break out the crampons and attempt that same climb to end New Zealand’s 51-match unbeaten run at their spiritual home.
Watch the Wallabies tackle the All Blacks live and on-demand via Stan Sport.
It’s a challenge Max Jorgensen, who wasn’t even alive when the Eden Park run started, happily admits the Wallabies are fully aware of.
“Everyone knows about it,” he said to reporters on Tuesday.
“It's pretty known within the group and it really gives us a good opportunity this weekend to go out and win it back.
“It's always been a massive rivalry, the Bledisloe Cup. Watch it growing up, [I] always dreamt of playing in something like the Bledisloe Cup, and if given the opportunity, it would be awesome.”
Jorgensen has lit up the Australian rugby scene over the last twelve months, with electric tries against the British & Irish Lions, Fiji, England, Argentina and South Africa.
However, the 15-capped Wallaby has still not faced Australia’s oldest foe, and it is an opportunity the 21-year-old is excited to take on.
“I think [it’s] all the Bledisloe's growing up,” Jorgensen responded, when asked about what the fixture means to him.
“It's such a big game. Every game counts and if given the opportunity this week at the play-in, it would be a dream come true.
“Yeah, it's definitely a challenge, but it's an exciting one.
“I think for our group, coming back off a couple of games as a team to get the opportunity to play at Eden Park against a team like the All Blacks, it's always cool.
“They're a world-class team, they've always been good and always will be.”
The All Blacks are fresh off a 43-10 loss to the Springboks, and with the return of Codie Taylor and Patrick Tuipulotu, expectations are growing that the side will produce a classically ruthless New Zealand reply.
However, Jorgensen believes his side are far from reaching their ceiling, even after achieving victories against the Springboks, Pumas and the Lions.
“There's a lot of stuff we're still working on as a team,” Jorgensen explained.
“Last week, we let Argentina get away with it in the first 40 and then we ended up coming back in the last 40 there, but we want to really do that for 80 and put on a good performance.
“I think it's ultimately becoming an 80-minute team, putting in an 80-minute performance that we can really be proud of.”
