A perfect stage to say farewell to Eales

Australia's skipper has one last chance to rub All Black noses in the dirt - and he's looking forward to it, ROBERT LOWE reports.

SYDNEY - Wallaby skipper John Eales, who ends a distinguished decade-long international career tonight, says his final test could not have come against more appropriate opponents.

Eales, 31, will be making his 85th test appearance and his 55th as captain when he leads the Wallabies on to Stadium Australia.

The Queensland lock, nicknamed "Nobody" because "Nobody's perfect," is generally regarded by Australian fans as the greatest player and leader in Wallaby history.

His captaincy has coincided with the Wallabies capturing the 1999 World Cup, becoming Tri-Nations champions last year, defeating the Lions for the first time in a series this year, and winning six of the past eight tests against New Zealand.

Eales is the most capped lock in test history with 83 appearances (two of his early caps came at No 8) and one of only five players to win the World Cup twice.

Thanks to his extraordinary talent for kicking goals, he is the only Australian forward to score more than 100 test points. His 173 points place him fifth on the Australian all-time list.

His finale before a crowd of 91,000 will be the 18th time he has come up against the All Blacks, and he said meeting the traditional foes would be a special way to finish.

"It's pretty appropriate," he said. "You're never going to get a harder game than against New Zealand, and to be a Tri-Nations decider on top of that adds that little bit extra."

While Eales deflected questions about the best players he had played with or against, or the toughest opponents, he did say that a test against the All Blacks always had an added dimension.

"From an Australian point of view, there is no game each year where there is a stronger focus," he said. "All Australians know how strong the All Blacks are.

"Therefore every win we get against them - and over history there haven't been as many as they have got against us - is savoured."

Eales said no single transtasman test in particular stood out for him over the past 11 years, but he nominated three series:

* 1992, when Australia won 2-1, but three points were the most that separated the teams in any of the tests.

* 1998, when the Wallabies achieved a 3-0 whitewash after having lost the previous seven tests against the All Blacks.

* Last year, when New Zealand won a thriller in Sydney 39-35, only for Eales to kick a late penalty to guide his side to a 24-23 victory in Wellington to retain the Bledisloe Cup.

"The 2000 series was something that was particularly special. The two matches that were involved were quite extraordinary. The one at Stadium Australia was the most memorable game I've been part of," he said.

The archetype of the modern lock, with his height, athleticism, ball skills and goalkicking, Eales made his test debut against Wales in 1991.

He went on to become a member of Australia's victorious World Cup campaign later that year.

He said he knew at the end of the 1999 World Cup that the 2003 tournament would be too far down the track for him.

"At the end of the day, it was the mind. I just knew that it was time to move on," he said. "The body is capable of going on a bit more, but I always thought I wouldn't go on to 2003. For various reasons, I decided it was not the right thing to do."

Eales was looking forward to soaking up what is bound to be an emotional night and admitted that he would have mixed sentiments when it was all over.

"I'll miss the feeling of being part of the Wallaby team and striving your best to represent your country," he said. "You're always under a lot of pressure, but that's what makes it exciting."

Halfback George Gregan, tipped as the favourite to take over as skipper, was confident the Wallabies could keep a lid on emotions associated with Eales' retirement.

"Everyone is aware of it, but it hasn't been discussed as a team," Gregan said. "We went through this last year with Jason Little and David Wilson. We're just focused on doing the right thing on the field."

Former Wallaby coach Rod Macqueen believed Australia could not have won two World Cups and other major trophies without Eales' contribution.

- NZPA