Australian Rugby desperately needs to regain the Bledisloe Cup in order for the public to truly believe the rhetoric the Wallabies, are back on par with the All Blacks.
Having not had their hands on trans-Tasman rugby's supreme prize since Rueben Thorne lifted the Cup at Eden Park in 2003, Australia has often fought a strong battle off the field, but rarely measured up once the whistle blew.
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There appears to be a shift in momentum however given how close the Wallabies came to toppling the All Black reign in 2017.
After copping a hammering in Sydney, Michael Cheika's side outplayed Steve Hansen's mob for a fair chunk of the final two tests, winning the third in Brisbane,
Had it not been for a Kieran Read piece of brilliance that led to Beauden Barrett scoring with time up in Dunedin, the focus this week would be on the All Blacks seeking revenge.
Veteran Australian rugby commentator Gordon Bray has been calling Australia vs New Zealand tests since the 1980's and remembers the good times fondly.
Bray is confident this edition of the Australia side can get the job done, but he's not the one that needs convincing. The must prove their worth to the Australian sporting public in order to fully turn the corner.
"The public has to be convinced and just at the moment they are not convinced even though Australia won the last time out at Suncorp Stadium," Bray told Newshub.
"Australia has been on the receiving end of All Blacks wins since 2003 and I think there is a real skepticism and cynicism about the Australian rugby team.
"There is a lot of competition from the other codes so they want to see action and not words.
"It's about finishing in front of New Zealand on the scoreboard.
"That's the challenge they face.
"Personally, I think they can do it, but we all know the All Blacks have those extra two gears to fall back on if things aren't quite going their way."
But Bray also feels that the relevancy of the Bledisloe Cup as a prestigious international trophy is at stake.
Bray believes a Wallaby win would not only spark a momentum swing in Australia but also peak the interest of the New Zealand public given how much beating Australia means to Kiwis.
"The Bledisloe Cup needs Australia to win it back," Bray told Newshub.
"I have been calling Bledisloe Cup tests for since 1980 and I remember the Mark Ella inspired Wallabies smashing the All Blacks in that series.
"Things were tight during the 1980's and then of course we had the Rod McQueen era of the 1990's, early 2000's when we won five years in a row. That was Australian rugby at its Mount Everest.
"It's been pretty gloomy as a contest since."
Bray has heard it all before. The pre-match confidence that Australia often wear on the outside only to run into an indistruttibile All Black forcefield on the park.
But Bray believes this Wallabies side can back up the talk.
"My expectation is that the Wallabies are going to front up," Bray said.
"They have had a great preparation and I think they are going in there with a strong belief they can win the game.
"I am a little hesitant in saying that because we have been here before but I think they are the real deal this time around.
"I think following the All Blacks model of having hat trial match has helped in their preparation immensely.
"I also think Australia has unearthed some young talented forwards with genuine grunt and abrasion and a lot of that credit lays with Brad Thorn."
Thorn coached the Queensland Reds in Super Rugby, and despite mixed results the Reds forward pack spent more time on top of their opposition than vice-versa.
Bray believes Thorn's ruggedness is starting to sink itself into the Wallabies camp.
"Look at guys like Lukhan Tui, Taniela Tupou and Izack Rodda all from the Queensland Reds - they have that real hard Brad Thorn edge to their play," Bray said.
"That will transition into the rest of the pack.
"Then you take the influence of a guy like Mick Byrne, the long time skills coach of the All Blacks. Now he is in his third season with the Wallabies you are seeing that precise passing, the line running, the ball skills all improving and falling into place.
"Real positives for Australian rugby."
Newshub.
