Australia rugby greats Mark Ella, Simon Poidevin and Andrew Slack recall how the side created history in four Tests across the UK and Ireland

The Wallabies flew out for their 2024 tour under a shadow. Australia had lost their past three Tests and five of their past six internationals, running last in the Rugby Championship and losing the Bledisloe Cup for a 23rd consecutive year. But the longest shadow was cast by one of their forebears: the 1984 Wallabies.

This most storied of sides were the first – and remain the only – Australians to win a grand slam, beating England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. It was a monumental achievement that put the Wallabies on top of the rugby world for the first time. A Bledisloe Cup victory followed in 1986, a World Cup triumph in 1991.