Victor Matfield believes that the Wallabies have a mental block when it comes to facing the All Blacks, which stems from Australian Super Rugby teams’ struggles.
In past seasons, Australian teams have been routinely beaten by their New Zealand counterparts in the southern hemisphere’s premier club competition.
While they fared decently during the 2026 regular season, the Aotearoa clubs still emerged victorious in 13 of the 20 Trans Tasman ties, which included two one-sided wins in the knockout stages. Seven wins from 20 was down from the 2025 tally, when the Aussies claimed eight wins and a draw, including a Brumbies win over the Hurricanes in the knockouts.
Australia’s Super Rugby struggles
Matfield believes that the inability to regularly pick up wins over New Zealand clubs in Super Rugby has had an impact on the national team, with the Wallabies falling to a 50-19 defeat to the All Blacks after beating the Springboks two weeks prior.
The legendary Springboks lock added that New Zealand were bolstered by the return of Shannon Frizell and Scott Barrett, who improved their performance up front.
“We’ve talked about a few of your Japanese boys coming back. A guy like Frizell is outstanding. Before he went over to Japan, he was your first-choice blindside flanker, and he performed in Japan as well,” Matfield said as he reviewed the Bledisloe Cup clash on the Rugby Rivals podcast.
“That will make a big difference having those big names, big players back in your squad coming off the bench. If you look at Super Rugby as well, the Australian sides struggle against the New Zealand sides. So it’s always going to be difficult for them to come in a Test match and really compete. If they get smashed every weekend by the New Zealand sides, then there is that mentality that they can’t beat New Zealand. So it is tough for them.
“I still think they’re so close to competing. It’s just that physicality, and they tried to play at the tempo of the All Blacks, and unfortunately they just couldn’t stay with the All Blacks. That was an outstanding performance. Again, talking about that DNA, keeping the ball in hand, but when you guys keep the ball in hand, you get momentum the whole time, and you’re dangerous. So it really looked good.”
High ball improvements
Matfield also reserved praise for the All Blacks’ improved aerial game, hailing centre Jordie Barrett and Cam Roigard for the improvements in an area where the Springboks managed to get the better of New Zealand in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series.
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“It’s the first time in a long time that you won that aerial battle,” Matfield said to former All Blacks winger Sir John Kirwan.
“That’s how Australia beat South Africa, and that’s something New Zealand struggled with in South Africa, but they were just outstanding.
“Jordie Barrett was chasing those kicks, and he was outstanding, not just in the aerial battle, but in everything he did in the game.”
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