All Blacks v Wallabies: Winners and losers as pressure eased on Scott Robertson but Aussie skipper must ‘rein it in’ amid officiating furore
All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson and Wallabies captain Harry Wilson.
Following a 33-24 victory for the All Blacks over the Wallabies at Eden Park on Saturday, here are our winners and losers from the Rugby Championship clash.
Winners
Scott Robertson
The All Blacks boss was under severe pressure going into this clash but the head coach saw that relieved as his side overcame the Wallabies at Eden Park. Had they lost, the knives would have been out but, given that they managed to keep their record at the Auckland ground intact and also retain the Bledisloe Cup, it was a successful day for the 51-year-old.
Robertson primarily stuck with the XV that were annihilated by the Springboks, with the most of the changes either injury-enforced or key players returning from injury. The only tactical alteration came on the wing with Caleb Clarke coming in and it certainly made a difference as they dominated the aerial battle. New Zealand’s head coach will be frustrated that a fast start gave away to an impressive Wallabies response, but his replacements did the job and they deservedly secured the win.
Cam Roigard
A sublime return to the Test arena from the scrum-half, who showed what the All Blacks have been missing with a stunning display. Roigard’s speed around the fringes, sharp service and nose for the try-line were all exceptional as the hosts retained the Bledisloe Cup.
His box-kicking was also on point, giving his chasers opportunity to put pressure on the Wallabies back three and, as a result, New Zealand dominated the opening 25 minutes. Even when Australia responded, Roigard kept his composure in the second period, finding one 50/22 and also going over for the match-winning try. Hopefully he can stay fit and have a lengthy stay in the team.
Tom Hooper and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto
Grouped together because in essence they did very similar jobs. Without Will Skelton and Rob Valetini, the Wallabies needed someone to bring that ballast and these two did it very effectively at Eden Park as they continually won collisions.
Hooper has impressed massively this season and performs well at either lock or blindside, and has very much cemented his place in the 23. As for Salakaia-Loto, he only returned to Test rugby against Argentina but this performance should see him stay in Joe Schmidt’s thoughts, even when Skelton returns.
Ryan Lonergan
Making your debut at Eden Park in the pressure cooker of a Bledisloe Cup Test is certainly not the easiest task but, credit to the scrum-half, who filled in nicely for the injured Tate McDermott. His service perhaps could have been slicker but he certainly did not let the Wallabies down on his international bow.
Jordie Barrett and Ardie Savea
Two players who have been absolutely key for the All Blacks this year and they showed why on Saturday. The latter has always been a leading light for New Zealand but the former has stepped up another level since his return from Leinster.
Savea’s performance will also add to the debate around the captaincy given that his performance level did not dip having been handed the responsibility. While there were a few discipline issues, particularly around the attacking breakdown, the All Blacks back-rower did not get on the wrong side of the referee Andrea Piardi, who appeared to get frustrated by Harry Wilson.
That perhaps led to New Zealand getting the rub of the green in the second period with the Wallabies on the receiving end of a couple of harsh calls. Depending on the severity of Scott Barrett’s shoulder injury, Robertson may have a decision to make going forward.
Quinn Tupaea
He came on as an injury replacement for Clarke early in the second half and hit the ground running as he delivered a solid attacking performance in which he kept the Wallabies defenders on their toes with some fine runs.
Despite playing out of position on the wing, Tupaea was in the thick of the action as he was always looking for work and finished the match with 50 metres gained from seven runs which included one clean break and two defenders beaten. One of Tupaea’s highlights was when he combined with Jordie Barrett to set Roigard up for his second try.
Losers
James O’Connor
He’s had such a good return to international rugby that it is a shame he produced this stinker at Eden Park. O’Connor’s general play was fine for the most part and was a reason why the Wallabies came back into the match, but he also made big errors at critical times and that let the visitors down.
Two penalties failed to reach touch and another kick, this time from the restart, went out on the full, as the fly-half handed momentum back to the All Blacks on too many occasions. O’Connor has definitely had much better days this year.
Taniela Tupou
After catching the eye with some impressive performances in the Wallabies’ series against the British & Irish Lions, the 29-year-old has been blowing hot and cold in the Rugby Championship and it was more of the latter in this encounter.
Although he was solid in the scrums, he was ineffective as a ball carrier and gained little momentum on attack. It was a similar story on defence where he only made four tackles before being replaced by Allan Alaalatoa, who made his presence felt in the latter category as he finished with 10 hits made.
Harry Wilson
His on-field performance was once again excellent, save for a few infringements – including two no-arm tackles – while he is a well-respected leader among the squad, but he really needs to rein it in when speaking to the match officials. The Aussies were irritated by the officiating of Piardi during the match but he needs to learn to control the emotions.
Just like Wilson did during the British and Irish Lions series and the Argentina clash two weeks ago, his frustration got the better of him, particularly in the first half, and you wonder whether that harmed them as the game went on as some 50/50 calls were given to the All Blacks after the break.
Billy Proctor
The Hurricanes stalwart has been the All Blacks’ first choice outside centre in seven out of the eight Tests they have played this year but he once again made little impact on attack. He was much better on defence but does Robertson think he’s doing enough to retain his place?
Proctor’s direct duel against Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii was expected to be one of the highlights of the game but neither delivered the goods with ball in hand and after Tupaea shone when he entered the fray off the bench, it could result in him taking Proctor’s spot in New Zealand’s run-on side when these sides meet in their rematch in Perth next weekend.
Injury woes
It was an attritional contest, leading to a number of players unfortunately being forced off. It began with McDermott, who appeared to suffer a hamstring injury, before the All Blacks sustained a series of issues, headlined by Beauden Barrett looking in some pain as he went off after 26 minutes.
That was followed by prop Ethan de Groot being replaced after half-an-hour while fellow front-row starter Tyrel Lomax was in discomfort with his wrist and was eventually substituted. It was also a shame to see Clarke go off after such a positive return to the side, which included an early try. We hope all of them are not serious and they can return soon.