All Blacks no longer see Wallabies as a threat?

REACTION: If there's ever a sign the Bledisloe Cup has lost its edge, it's that the Wallaby coach is being backed by New Zealanders.

Joe Schmidt has experience coaching against the All Blacks, as Ireland's head coach from 2013-2019, but has never done so in New Zealand.

As he prepares to break fresh ground at Wellington's Regional Stadium on Saturday, the Wallabies' third Kiwi-born coach says he's been embraced by locals.

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"Lots of people saying 'good luck'," Schmidt said of his reception back home.

"Walking down the street the other day, a couple of different people just stopped me and wished the Wallabies luck."

Perhaps that's because Kiwis, who notoriously enjoy a crack against their bigger brothers, no longer see the Wallabies as a threat.

A string of poor results including the 2023 World Cup debacle means Australia sit 10th in the world rankings.

The Bledisloe is gone for a 22nd-straight series and with one match remaining, Schmidt's side cannot finish anything but last in the Rugby Championship standings.

The last Wallabies side to taste victory over the All Blacks across the Tasman was a few generations back, in 2001 at the now-defunct Carisbrook Stadium in Dunedin.

It's a common refrain among All Blacks fans while they're happy to hold the Bledisloe, they would perhaps enjoy a bit tougher competition from the Wallabies.

"I would like to think it's New Zealanders being polite," Schmidt said of his reception in New Zealand, before seeming to forget he was now coaching the enemy.

"I'm a polite New Zealander and I'm wishing the Wallabies luck, funnily enough," he said, catching himself.

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Schmidt said Australia's long record of underachievement "had not been mentioned at all", but Jake Gordon - recalled to the starting XV - said it was a driving force without being spoken about.

"It has to be motivating," Gordon said.

"We're not thrilled with where we're at. We are a new group with plenty of debutants this year and we've found that we've made some improvements in our game, but definitely not where we want to be at the moment."

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