Andrew Slack: All Blacks choking - you've got to be joking

I was up very early on Wednesday morning to play in a Bledisloe Cup golf game between a motley bunch of All Black and Wallaby has-beens. (Incidentally, there is among the locals who won that battle a feeling that a degree of irrelevance has now been attached to the result of tomorrow night's Suncorp Stadium clash, although we accept others may feel differently).

When I hopped into the car at sparrows to travel to the course, I turned on the radio, and the first thing I heard was a very loud and opinionated announcer pronouncing that "the All Blacks are the greatest chokers in world rugby".

I immediately wondered two things. First, how can these early morning radio people sound so "up and at 'em at 6am", and second, how could this bloke, who is neither a sports announcer nor a rugby fan, really feel qualified to comment on the All Blacks?

I have no answer to the first question, and to the second, I suppose the fact is that everyone is entitled to an opinion.

I did shudder when I heard him say it with such certainty, and offered a quick Hail Mary that no 2006 vintage All Black was awake early in their Hilton Hotel bunker and listening to middle-aged radio.

I feel reasonably safe on both counts that the prayer would have been answered.

So, back to our golden-tonsilled garrotter. Is there any foundation to his pronouncement or was he just trying to stir the pot in the pre-match media circus?

Let me say for starters I detest the word "choker", perhaps because I know a thing or two about choking.

In 1984, at the Sydney Cricket Ground, the Wallabies won the first test of a three-match Bledisloe Cup series 16-9 and 20 minutes into the second test at Ballymore enjoyed a 12-nil lead, which in those days was a far more substantial margin than today. To cut a depressing story short, the All Blacks went on to win 19-15 and took the decider 25-24 at the Sydney Cricket Ground a week later.

One of the members of the Wallaby pack that sorry day in Brisbane told me some time later that despite the fact there was still an hour to go in the game, when we reached that 12-nil lead he was picturing himself doing a lap of honour around Ballymore after the game, with the Bledisloe Cup raised above his head.

I admired the courage of his admission, and we then debated whether such thoughts came under the heading of stupidity, inexperience or choking. Whatever answer we came up with, there was a firm belief among Australian players of the era that if you beat the All Blacks you did so because you earned the victory.

They were never ever going to hand it to you just because the pressure had got to them.

In the years since, the All Blacks have lost a World Cup final in extra time, lost an unloseable semifinal in 1999, put in probably their worst performance of the year in the 2003 semi and lost Bledisloe Cup matches in the last second to the boot of John Eales and the power of Toutai Kefu.

Clearly the pressure pendulum has done some swinging over the years, but does what's gone before have any relevance to what's about to happen? If the '84 Wallabies were guilty of choking, when and how did Australian rugby teams suddenly learn not to? Do the scars of failed World Cup campaigns, played with quite different personnel to the current crop, afflict this year's All Blacks as they prepare for battle?

I don't believe either team in tomorrow night's match will be haunted by past demons. The Wallabies' poor season last year means they are still searching for that unequivocal self-confidence top sides need to portray when under the pump, but there appears to be an acceptance within the Australian camp that they are a work in progress and major miracles aren't expected immediately.

But they will not accept mediocrity and whatever the scoreboard says, it would be very un-Wallaby like if there are signs of the cue being put in the rack before the fulltime whistle, and it is safe to assume none of George Gregan's troops will have the energy or time to consider post-match celebrations while still being confronted by Richie McCaw and co.

As for the All Black skipper and his men, it is hard to envisage them being tormented by failings of recent predecessors. Will Dan Carter or Chris Jack in any way be affected by what occurred in Britain seven years ago or even at Telstra Stadium in 2003? I doubt it.

Being accused of choking is hard to accept, but those teams of the past who have failed to measure up in the big moments can only grimace and bear it. The scoreboard has provided the verdict.

Tomorrow night's match will be won by one side, not lost by the other.

* Andrew Slack played seven tests against the All Blacks, helping to engineer three victories as captain.