'without Afl And Nrl, The Wallabies Wouldn't Lose A Game'

Third Test: Australia v British and Irish Lions

Date: Saturday 2 August Venue: Accor Stadium Kick-off: 11:00 BST

Coverage: Live matter commentary and post-match study connected BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC iPlayer and online

It's been 1 of nan hottest topics of speech successful Australia during this Lions tour. How overmuch does rugby national matter here?

The truth it is simply a number athletics successful Australia is thing new. The Wallabies are utilized to fighting for their spot successful a congested sporting landscape.

But pinch nan National Rugby League expanding, Australian Rules Football baked into nan cloth of society, and nan Wallabies struggling to seizure nan hearts and minds of a fickle public, it feels arsenic though nan athletics is nether unit for illustration ne'er before.

There is hope, however.

Hope successful some nan mean and agelong term, pinch nan 2027 and 2029 Rugby World Cups coming down nan track. When you facet successful nan Lions circuit and nan Brisbane Olympics successful 2032, it is simply a aureate decade.

And successful nan short term, nan stirring backs-to-the-wall capacity successful nan 2nd Test successful Melbourne showed location is plentifulness of life successful Wallaby rugby.

"We are adjacent upwind fans successful this country," explains Australian awesome Michael Hooper, speaking to nan Rugby Union Weekly podcast successful nan protector of nan Sydney Opera House.

"We emotion a victor and we emotion supporting teams that show up pinch what we spot arsenic being Australian and that's showing up pinch a spot of grit, showing up and being competitive."

For Hooper, consistency is now key. For excessively agelong nan Wallabies person flattered to deceive, losing matches and losing fans. The MCG capacity needs to beryllium a statement successful nan sand. Sydney this play matters.

"I deliberation they've shown that they tin execute connected nan biggest shape successful our country," adds Hooper.

"Probably a disapproval is, and this was a disapproval during my clip done nan Wallabies, is nan inconsistencies that we have. We're capable to laic retired a really bully performance, past a not truthful bully performance.

"What we want to spot successful nan adjacent 2 years [before nan World Cup] is conscionable a accordant improvement, a inclination upwards, and you don't spot these valleys and troughs we person seen complete nan past decade and a bit.

"You are a very fortunate subordinate if you get to person a location World Cup, and these guys are going to get to do that."

Queensland Reds adjunct coach Jon Fisher has been moving successful Brisbane for nan past 18 months arsenic he forges an awesome coaching profession pursuing a playing travel which included stints astatine London Irish, Northampton, and Bristol.

He says national manages to conflict its area remarkably good considering nan competition. There are 16 master teams from Australia successful nan NRL, while location are 18 pro teams successful nan AFL. This is compared to 4 master rugby national franchises.

"In my experience, from what I spot time to day, Australian rugby national is successful awesome health, erstwhile you are connected nan crushed present and you acquisition nan existent reality of nan [size of the] AFL and rugby league," he tells Rugby Union Weekly.

"The nine crippled present is successful rude health. You conscionable person these 2 different sports that are thicker successful nan humor [of nan Australian sporting public].

"There are a batch of reasons why it's challenging for nan Wallabies, of people it is. But pinch nan value of subordinate they person sewage - and yes they don't person nan extent of South Africa, France aliases England - location is nary logic why they can't beryllium a force.

"The mentality will displacement astatine immoderate point."

There is nary doubt, however, that galore of nan best, biggest and astir skilful athletes astatine nan grassroots don't extremity up playing rugby union.

"If you spell down to nan Gabba aliases nan Suncorp Stadium and watch nan Brisbane Broncos aliases Brisbane Lions play, you spot successful this state nan magnitude of talent playing those 2 sports," Fisher explained.

"There are 50 to 100 guys playing successful nan AFL and rugby convention who if they were brought up successful nan bluish hemisphere would beryllium playing rugby union.

"It's a terrifying prospect. If rugby convention and AFL didn't beryllium successful this country, I deliberation nan Wallabies would beryllium difficult pressed to ever suffer a game."

Prop Nick Stiles played done a aureate era of Wallaby rugby astatine nan move of nan century, including successful each 3 Tests successful 2001 arsenic Australia hit nan Lions successful 1 of nan awesome series.

He has since enjoyed a storied coaching and guidance profession successful Queensland, Japan, and pinch nan Melbourne Rebels.

"It's a monolithic threat to nan early of rugby, nan money nan AFL and NRL have, to target nan younker and get nan kids good earlier they go a rugby fan," he explains.

"That's what we are uncovering astatine nan moment."

The deficiency of hype astir this Lions series, and nan deficiency of belief successful Australian rugby from apical to bottom, was manifested successful a meek first-Test showing successful Brisbane, a root of vexation for erstwhile Wallabies for illustration Stiles.

For each nan talk of improvement and progression, and semipermanent building, location is simply a nagging emotion this Lions circuit has been a missed opportunity for nan athletics here.

"When nan Wallabies do win, and they get connected winning runs, you tin conscionable spot nan power of nan fans arsenic they travel retired and support nan team," added Stiles.

"I americium concerned astir what nan ramifications of a whitewash will person to nan Australian fan. There has been truthful overmuch build-up towards this aureate generation.

"This is simply a model we person to get right. We person sewage to drawback it. That is nan interest if this is simply a whitewash."

But contempt nan flatness of nan circuit matches, and nan deficiency of fervour compared to rugby hotbeds for illustration South Africa and New Zealand, location is small uncertainty nan Lions will beryllium backmost successful Australia again.

The money generated, nan unthinkable stadiums and nan greatness of Australia arsenic a sporting state each guarantee this.

"I deliberation nan bully point pinch rugby is that history is important," Stiles says.

"I cognize there's been a spot of talk astir nan Lions not coming backmost successful 12 years, but I conscionable deliberation that there's excessively overmuch history progressive for that to autumn away.

"So I don't spot that happening astatine all. It's excessively large a beast for it to autumn distant successful 12 years' time."

The circuit belatedly exploded into life successful Melbourne, an epic lucifer successful a magnificent stadium, pinch talking points and contention aplenty. And while this Saturday whitethorn beryllium a dormant rubber, location is plentifulness connected nan line.

The Lions are hopeless to seal their bequest and make history by winning 3-0, while nan Wallabies person small clip to discarded if nan aureate decade is going to propel nan athletics backmost into nan nationalist consciousness by 2027.

"If you get to put connected your country's colours. It ever matters," adds Hooper.

"I emotion this state and nan passion that it has for sport. There is nary mobility this state is quiet for athletics and quiet for athletics astatine nan highest level.

"[The 2027 World Cup] is 1 of nan biggest events successful nan world and we get to person it present successful 2 years, and you can't thief but get swept up successful that."