Stephen Larkin: Former Wallaby ahead of the Bledisloe Cup clash with the All Blacks

The Wallabies look like a different team in 2025, currently leading the Rugby Championship following split results against the Springboks and Argentina. 

They’ll be looking to put on a dominant showing against the All Blacks and breach the Fortress, ending a 31-year unbeaten run in the process. 

Stephen Larkin, a former Wallabies Five, was part of the last Australian side to claim the Bledisloe Cup back in 2002. 

He joined D’Arcy to give an Australian perspective ahead of tonight’s clash at Eden Park, offering some insights into what they may do to try defeat the All Blacks.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk ZEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
For They're here and then now we are going to
climb into the fun and games of the Bledisloe Cup
match tonight. Let's get an ossy perspective now Wallaby first
five eight format, Wallaby first five EIGHTE. Stephen Larkham, he
was part of the last Wallaby side to actually take
the Bledderslope two thousand and two.

Speaker 3 (00:33):
Wow.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
He joins us now to talk about the Wallabies and
what they may look to do against the All Blacks
the evening. Good morning, Steven morning.

Speaker 3 (00:42):
How are you very well?

Speaker 2 (00:44):
And I'm presuming or happy too. You've got a big
day ahead of you. You've got a bit of Test
match rugby and of course the Brumbies are running two
in a separate competition, so she's all hands on deck.

Speaker 3 (00:54):
Yeah, certainly an exciting day. I think when the Bledisloe
comes around for any Wallabies fan it's a big event
on the calendar. And yeah, unfortunately we've got a game
at five o'clock in time, and the game over there
is at three o'clock, so we'll be in preparation mode.
Tests kicking off and we'll have to catch it up

(01:14):
after our game.

Speaker 2 (01:15):
A lot on this fexsture, predominantly because the Wallabies have
been playing so well, the championship is so tight. Like
the local bookies over here only putting Ossie a round
about four eighty five dollars. That represents really good money,
because I think there's a lot more to this Australian
team than maybe people I'm given them credit for. What

(01:35):
do you believe they've got.

Speaker 3 (01:37):
Yeah, we've certainly seen improvement. I think Joe's done an
amazing job in creating a really good base culture within
the team, and I think the fundamentals of our game
are really strong at the moment. If you look at
the Rugby Championship so far, we've had some really good
performances two games. The last two games we sort of

(01:57):
let ourselves down getting off to a slow start, but
we've finished strongly and then obviously an amazing went over
in South Africa again spring box. So yeah, we're certainly
seeing more consistency in the team. And oh yeah, I'm
just looking forward to watching this game because I think
both teams are fairly evenly matched.

Speaker 2 (02:16):
Let's look at the strengths of the Wallabies. Where would
you put them? You see the fundamentals are going well,
where do you think this team are excelling at the
moment on the park?

Speaker 3 (02:26):
Well, the combination, I think just working out. This new
combination if you look at Lenny Ikatau and Joseph Akuso
Sully in the center, is still a relatively new combination,
but every game they're getting better and better. I'm excited
by the back three. I think Corey Tool is an
outstanding player and every time the ball goes near him,
everyone gets excited. On the other wing, you've got Harry

(02:47):
Potter who has been a standout in Super rugby, and
then at full whack you've got Max Jorbanson who is
a special talent, very young still, but a special talent already.
So yeah, I think if you look at the back
line first, it's sort of exciting from a Wallaby specs
give're a Welly fan perspective. It's exciting to know that

(03:09):
we've got such talent in the back line and a
dangerous attacking back line. And then I think the forward
pack is well balanced. I think we can't coming back
in shaws, but the scrum because that's certainly going to
be a big battle for us.

Speaker 2 (03:21):
When you look at that back line, one of the
outstanding parts of that all that standing isn't good, but
it stands out is the relative inexperience out the back.
Do you see that as being a heel.

Speaker 3 (03:33):
Of all Steve in experience at the Test level. But
these guys have played Super now for a number of years.
They've played at Eden Park in Super Games and yeah,
I guess the Test arena is a step up and
the environment, the atmosphere at Eden Park is going to
be very intense for a Test match, but you know,
the guys have been there multiple times over the last

(03:53):
couple of years. So like I said before, I think
it's it's the combination with one another that is exciting
and that is being developed particularly through this season.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
Australian team lightly do you believe to the hammer the
high balls considering the relative problems that hill Blecks have
had under those towering kicks.

Speaker 3 (04:12):
Yeah, we've actually been quite successful with the contestable kicks
as well. I think Max Jorgenson has been really good
when he's been on the wing chasing those kicks. South Africa,
you know, traditionally are very good with the aerial contests
and I thought we won that in our last game
against them, and then likewise with Argentina. Yeah, yeah, they

(04:33):
certainly cause a bit of trouble for the All Blacks
with their high ball kicking. Yeah, it's certainly part of
the game, but I don't think it's as big a
part of the game compared to say Argentina or the
spring box for us. But I think Harry Potter's quite
good under the high ball. We've seen Corey tool with
his speed, but he's also quite dynamic getting off the
ground with the kickoffs, So I think it'll be a

(04:55):
factor in the game. I don't know if the Wallabies
will be going out there specifically trying to target it, though.

Speaker 2 (05:02):
Where do you see Scott Robertson's biggest issue from two
weeks it's about he's got to look at a number
of aspects of the game to clean up. But is
there anyone that stands out to you when you saw
the game? Okay, that is a problem that needs to
be addressed. Like if you were coaching them, Steve, what
would you do.

Speaker 3 (05:19):
I think it's consistency, isn't it. It's kind of what
we're chasing here, it's making sure that their performance for
the eighty is more consistent, and yeah, probably not panicking
when things go the wrong way. You know. The thing
that we would always go back to is just allowing
our players to play with one another for another eighty

(05:41):
minutes and hopefully that puts them in a better position
to be more consistent.

Speaker 1 (05:45):
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