Twenty-two years.
It's been 22 long years since the Wallabies last lifted the Bledisloe Cup aloft in 2002; Youtube and social media had yet to take the internet by storm, Eddie Jones was Wallabies coach and loved by the public, Steven Bradbury claimed Australia's first winter Olympics gold medal, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Lord of the Rings: The Twin Towers were in cinemas and colour was just starting to take over mobile phones.
They're the same tired historical facts that get pedalled out every year as the record Bledisloe drought continues to grow.
For some within the Wallabies squad there is no memory at all of the Wallabies holding the Bledisloe, Max Jorgensen and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii born after the All Blacks won the Cup in 2003. For many others the memory of Matt Burke's after-the-siren penalty to reclaim the Bledisloe in front of a packed Stadium Australia are fading.
Even longer than the Wallabies Bledisloe Cup drought is, of course, they're 38-year winless record at Eden Park. Not one player in the current squad has ever witnessed victory at the All Blacks' fortress -- not even this journalist was alive when the Wallabies claimed a 22-9 victory on September 9th, 1986. But it's a drought that must come to an end if the Wallabies are to taste Bledisloe Cup victory.
Since 1986 just one other team has won on the hallowed turf. France, courtesy of a Jean-Luc Sardourny try, claimed a 23-20 victory in 1994.
Since then 51 teams have entered the fortress. Just one has claimed a draw, the British & Irish Lions in 2017, not one has come out victorious.
It will take something special, from a special group, to get the job done. Who says this Wallabies group can't be it.
We've already witnessed history over the last 12 months. Last year the Wallabies ended their nine-year winless run at Twickenham as they claimed their first win over England in nine Tests, and of course, last month they ended a 62-year drought at Ellis Park, Johannesburg, with an incredible come-from-behind victory to stun the Springboks.
They were magnificent in Sydney in the torrential wet as they dismantled the Lions in their third Test and were minutes away from claiming the second in Melbourne. They competed to the final whistle in Cape Town and claimed an incredible after-the-siren win over the Pumas in Townsville.
Already this young group has shown they have guts and confidence. But they've also demonstrated consistency isn't there quite yet.
They were their own worst enemies in Sydney against the Pumas just a week ago, they failed to get out of first gear in the Lions opener in Brisbane and were more than shaky in their victory over Fiji in Newcastle in June.
No Rob Valetini or Will Skelton is a body blow for Joe Schmidt and his Wallabies, and makes their task even harder, while Nic White's 'John Farnham' extended retirement tour has finally come to an end.
All three have been important game drivers for the Wallabies over the last three months and have been unafraid of getting in the face of their opponents, while White has brought an edge to a backline juggling inexperienced playmakers, and it's clear what must be done and who must step up in their absence.
A talismanic leader for the group Harry Wilson has led the charge for the Wallabies so far this year. A workhorse who racks up tackles and carry metres he'll be required to do so yet again while also dictating terms at the collision. Tom Hooper and Fraser McReight too must shoulder the load and get in the face of their All Blacks opponents. Nick Frost can't go missing in battle either with his lineout knowledge imperative against a New Zealand outfit struggling at set piece. Meanwhile, Jake Gordon returns to the set-up and must take the game on from the opening minute.
A fast start is imperative for the group -- especially as the All Blacks enter the contest stinging from their record defeat to the Springboks -- while their even faster finish certainly has the capability of wiping out a New Zealand team that has struggled to close out matches over the last 12 months.
While the Wallabies head to Auckland with plenty of hope and ambition, they also enter with nothing to lose. The same cannot be said for their opponents who will be feeling the weight of their nation with an Eden Park record, Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship title all on the line. The hot seat has just dialed up a notch for Scott Robertson.
Poor finishes, ill-discipline, a clunky attacking structure and a set-piece that has just been ripped to shreds: the All Blacks have plenty of questions hovering over the group. There's no doubt they're vulnerable, but like any wounded animal, they're ready to lash out with a swift turnaround the only certainty to relieve the pressure off the group and Robertson.
But as we've seen over the last year it takes special moments from special players to create special memories. From Jorgensen's try in the final moments against England at Twickenham, Suaalii's intercept try against the Springboks in Johannesburg or Len Ikitau's no look pass to Angus Bell for the winning try in Townsville. The Wallabies are certainly not short on special.