30 Jun 2009

Fourth Bledisloe Cup test unlikely next year

7:20 pm on 30 June 2009

The Wallabies' extra match against the All Blacks in Japan this year is likely to be the last time a fourth Bledisloe Cup game is played before the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

The ARU has confirmed that Australia play the All Blacks on October 31 in the fourth match of the annual series,

But as focus shifts towards the World Cup and the test schedule becomes increasingly busy it looks as if the trans-Tasman clashes will be scaled back to three.

The test in Tokyo is only the second Bledisloe Cup match played on neutral soil, following last year's fixture in Hong Kong where the All Blacks won 19-14 to take the series 3-1.

The Wallabies coach Robbie Deans says the match is rare opportunity for fans in Japan to sample the intensity of the Bledisloe Cup rivalry.

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