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Greg Growden Chief Rugby Correspondent | August 22, 2009
WALLABIES coach Robbie Deans doesn't exactly believe in ''forks in the road'', but how Australia perform in tonight's Bledisloe Cup match will determine whether it's time to stick with the old guard or head in a new-generation direction.
The Wallabies' level of effort will also be crucial in deciding how much of a defining moment the second half of the Newlands Test a fortnight ago was when the squad's young guns came on and almost took the game away from the Springboks, after the tried and true lost their way in the first half.
With just two years to go before the 2011 World Cup, tonight's Test is one of the most important moments in the recent history of the Wallabies.
It is certainly time for results, because in spite of the constant line pushed that the Wallabies are supposedly great at home, their recent record against the All Blacks is diabolical. Since the 2003 Rugby World Cup, the Wallabies boast just three wins from their past 14 Bledisloe Cup encounters. And of the past seven cup matches held in Australia, the All Blacks have won four. Home advantage? Hardly.
It also doesn't get any easier tonight with the return of Daniel Carter as the All Blacks five-eighth, especially as his presence alongside skipper Richie McCaw virtually ensures victory over Australia. They have been side by side in 10 Tests against the Wallabies, and that has resulted in nine triumphs. The only stumble was in Melbourne two years ago.
So much is at stake from 8pm. A win will resurrect Australia's Bledisloe and Tri Nations hopes, momentarily take the pressure off Deans, and give the Wallabies a much-needed confidence jolt following their meanderings in Auckland and Cape Town.
A loss is bound to lead to an important overhaul of the Wallabies machine, forcing Deans to make the hard decision of not waiting until the end of year grand slam tour to farewell certain under-performing senior players.
Several forwards, if they again disappear tonight, will no longer be able to believe a lack of competition will allow them to hold on to their spot, because continual Test losses will demand alterations.
There was a certain sting in what Deans said after the Cape Town loss when he stressed how well the Wallabies went in the second half, and how delighted he was with how his bench players performed.
After losing two players to the sin bin just before half-time, the Wallabies were down by 13 points at the break, but certainly picked up in the second half. Midway during the second half, most of the young replacements - James O'Connor, Will Genia, David Pocock, Dean Mumm, Ben Alexander and Tatafu Polota-Nau - were on and making an impact.
O'Connor and Genia finished among Australia's best, while the others had their moments. It was certainly something encouraging for the future. But that might be the near future. O'Connor is the only one who has since made the starting line-up but there's no doubt several of the others, who are again sitting on the bench tonight, are getting close to participating at the opening kick-off.
Again that excitable former Wallaby Sam Scott-Young came up with the best overview of what this Cup game means, when he told a Queensland newspaper: ''This is a turning-point Test … we've got to go on with our good first-half efforts or the tag of stupid, immature and ill-disciplined when it counts will stick.''
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