Matt Giteau: 13 Hall of Famers in the All Blacks side that beat the Wallabies
Now he has revealed just how good the All Blacks side that beat the Wallabies in the 2015 Rugby World Cup final really was, saying 13 of its starting 15 were Hall of Fame material.
Giteau joined former All Black Brad Weber and George Harper Jnr on Inside the Black Jersey, fresh from recording the KOKO (Kick Offs and Kick Ons) show, where he sits alongside fellow former Wallabies Adam Ashley-Cooper and Drew Mitchell.
Reflecting on that final, Giteau was full of praise for the All Blacks line-up he came up against.
"Back then I reckon out of the 15 players that were starting, 13 of them will make the Hall of Fame. It was a crazy team that they had," Giteau said. "They just knew how to close out a game. They knew how to win."
Then came the caveat. "I don't like giving anyone New Zealand too many compliments. So, they were good, they were too good. That's it."
WATCH: Can the Wallabies win back the Bledisloe? Matt Giteau has his say
Giteau's career brought more than 100 Wallabies caps, three Rugby World Cup tournaments including two finals, and three European Cups. He said that 2015 final loss stung far more than the 2003 final defeat to England, because he knew it was his last shot.
Still, he doesn't see himself as a source of heartache for New Zealand fans. "We never won a Bledisloe," he said. "We lost the last World Cup game I played. We lost the final to them. So, if anything, they should love what I did for their country."
Giteau was upbeat about the current Wallabies under Les Kiss, who is unbeaten in five Tests with four wins and a draw. The latest was a 42-38 win over the Springboks in Perth, where Australia held on despite being reduced to 11 players.
"Other than if they won that game against Argentina instead of drawing, it's a perfect start for him," he said. "It's a good start for a lot of young players that got capped under Joe Schmidt, but they were in and out, and now they've shown a bit more consistency under Les."
He singled out halfback Ryan Lonergan. "You're now starting to see the benefits of him consistently playing every week."
Despite the confidence, Giteau was measured about Saturday.
"We would love, obviously, if Australia were able to go over there and get it done. It would build so nicely for that second week," he said. "All Blacks are an unbelievable team and playing at Eden Park makes it even more challenging.”
As for life on the KOKO show, Giteau said it keeps him connected to the game. "We get here a bit early, talk a bit of rubbish, and then we get to talk about a sport that we love. It's a pretty good gig."
The invitation goes both ways, with Brad Weber set to join the KOKO show next week. Who walks in with the bragging rights will depend on what happens at Eden Park.
All Blacks v Wallabies, 10 October 2026 at Eden Park, Auckland. Limited tickets available HERE. The second Bledisloe Cup Test follows in Sydney a week later.
