All Blacks retain Bledisloe Cup and extend unbeaten Eden Park run after hard-fought win over spirited Wallabies
All Blacks scrum-half Cam Roigard celebrates after scoring a try against the Wallabies.
The All Blacks were made to work hard before clinching a 33-24 triumph against a spirited Wallabies side in their Rugby Championship Test at Eden Park on Saturday.
In a fast paced and entertaining encounter, both sides stayed true to their attacking roots, although the hosts got the rub of the green in the end as they outscored their opponents by four tries to three.
Cam Roigard led the way as he scored a brace while Caleb Clarke and Leroy Carter also crossed the whitewash for the All Blacks. The hosts’ other points came via a penalty and a conversion from Beauden Barrett, while Damian McKenzie also added a conversion and two penalties.
For Australia, Billy Pollard, Harry Potter and Carlo Tizzano dotted down while their other points came via the boot of James O’Connor, who succeeded with three conversions and a penalty.
The victory means New Zealand extend their unbeaten record at Eden Park to 52 Tests while they also retain the Bledisloe Cup for the 23rd successive year.
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The All Blacks were fastest out of the blocks and after an extended period camped inside the Wallabies’ 22 the ball was shifted wide to Clarke, who rounded off in the left-hand corner in the fourth minute.
Fly-half Barrett was off target with the conversion attempt from close to the touchline before O’Connor narrowed the gap with a successful penalty in the eighth minute.
Shortly afterwards, Barrett restored his side’s five-point lead when he also slotted a three-pointer off the tee before the home side took control of proceedings via Carter’s try.
This, after the All Blacks forwards took the ball through several phases close to the Wallabies’ try-line before the right wing barged over from close quarters in the 14th minute.
There was more misery for the visitors five minutes later when Tate McDermott limped off the field with a hamstring injury which meant he was replaced by Test debutant Ryan Lonergan.
10 minutes later, New Zealand were rewarded for their dominance again when Roigard crossed for his first try after making a sniping break from a ruck close to the Wallabies’ posts.
Barrett added the extras which gave his side a deserved 20-3 lead but two minutes later he was also forced off the field due to injury with McKenzie coming on as his replacement.
The visitors needed a response if they wanted something from this game and that came on the half-hour mark when Pollard went over for his try from close range after Fraser McReight and Len Ikitau did well in the build-up.
That score boosted the Wallabies’ confidence as they finished the half stronger and they were rewarded in the 38th minute when Potter crossed for their second five-pointer after gathering a deft offload from Ikitau.
O’Connor added the resulting conversion which meant this match was evenly poised at half-time with the home side holding a slender 20-17 lead.
Australia’s discipline let them down after the interval, however, as they conceded a plethora of penalties soon after the restart and when it was within goal-kicking range McKenzie made them pay and the hosts were leading 26-17 by the 55th minute after he slotted two successive three-pointers off the tee.
Despite those penalties, Australia did not surrender as they launched several attacking forays inside the All Blacks’ half but they were kept at bay courtesy of a resilient defensive effort from the home side.
However, the visitors’ attacking endeavour was eventually rewarded in the 69th minute when Tizzano went over for their third try off the back of a lineout drive deep inside All Blacks territory.
But they suffered a setback shortly afterwards when Potter was yellow carded for a cynical defensive foul close to his try-line. That proved crucial in the grander scheme of things as Roigard crossed for the match-winning try in the 75th minute after Jordie Barrett and Quinn Tupaea combined brilliantly in the build-up.
The teams
New Zealand: 15 Will Jordan, 14 Leroy Carter, 13 Billy Proctor, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Cam Roigard, 8 Wallace Sititi, 7 Ardie Savea (c), 6 Simon Parker, 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 4 Fabian Holland, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Ethan de Groot
Replacements: 16 Samisoni Taukei’ahoo, 17 Tamaiti Williams, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Patrick Tuipulotu, 20 Peter Lakai, 21 Cortez Ratima, 22 Quinn Tupaea, 23 Damian McKenzie
Australia: 15 Max Jorgensen, 14 Harry Potter, 13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 12 Len Ikitau, 11 Corey Toole, 10 James O’Connor, 9 Tate McDermott, 8 Harry Wilson (c), 7 Fraser McReight, 6 Tom Hooper, 5 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 4 Nick Frost, 3 Taniela Tupou, 2 Billy Pollard, 1 James Slipper
Replacements: 16 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 17 Angus Bell, 18 Allan Alaalatoa, 19 Jeremy Williams, 20 Carlo Tizzano, 21 Ryan Lonergan, 22 Tane Edmed, 23 Filipo Daugunu
Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
Assistant referees: Matthew Carley (RFU) and Morné Ferreira (SARU)
TMO: Marius Jonker (SARU)
FPRO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)