\u201cAt this stage, this will be the last year I\u2019ll be playing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Slipper said his body is still feeling good, but after 15 years on the road, and with a family in Canberra, it\u2019s time to unpack the suitcase once and for all. The 2027 World Cup in Australia was \u201cway too far away\u201d to hang on for.<\/p>\n
The agonising part of hanging up the Test boots may turn out to be sooner than that, and based around the fact Slipper believes the current Wallabies will go on to beat the All Blacks at Eden Park.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s fair to say that\u2019s probably my last chance at winning at Eden Park, for the Wallabies in that case,\u201d Slipper said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do think this group is definitely a group that can do it. I think the improvement we\u2019ve seen in this group over the last 18 months has been really positive for our group and for rugby in Australia. I think we\u2019re trending in the right way. We\u2019re just probably not getting as many results as we want and consistent results.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn terms of the base of the game and what we want to see, we\u2019re seeing. That\u2019s probably what\u2019s pleasing the most. We\u2019re going into the game really confident that we\u2019ve definitely got the ability, but how do we execute on the night? That\u2019s probably our biggest thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
After all the struggle, would it be slightly disappointing to be watching a Wallaby win at Eden Park from home? \u201cNah, I\u2019ll cheer, no matter where I am.\u201d<\/p>\n
Slipper said found being in the spotlight for milestone games \u201ca little bit awkward\u201d but had treasured the fuss made by his teammates and family around his 150th cap.<\/p>\n
\u201cHugely humbled and proud. The boys got around it during the week, and the fact that no one\u2019s done it before in Australia made it a little bit more special, for lack of a better word,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI had a video message from both Sam Whitelock and Alun Wyn-Jones. They\u2019re the two players that have played over 150 games. That was really special. Lots of family and friends.<\/p>\n
\u201cVideo message from back home, my daughters. It was a bit personal. It was a really good touch. It wasn\u2019t over the top this week, which is nice. I\u2019ve had worse weeks, put it that way.\u201d<\/p>\n