The Wallabies suffered a Bledisloe Cup black-out in Wellington, blowing another bright start against the All Blacks to fall to a crushing 33-13 loss. The defeat means Australia finish the Rugby Championship last, with one win from six matches and it extends their losing run against New Zealand to nine Tests and 22 consecutive series.
After winning his first three matches as coach, Joe Schmidt’s win-loss record has now slipped to 4-5, with a gruelling grand slam tour of Europe featuring Tests against England, Scotland, Wales and rugby’s world No 1 Ireland his next massive challenge. Australia have improved on his watch but this Test proved there is much yet to do.
His men had lost last week’s Test in Sydney in the first 15 minutes, when their passive defence was shredded by New Zealand’s fast hands and frenzied attack. At Sky Stadium, Australia started with gusto, flying up quickly to turn All Blacks attacking surges into stutters and dominating with great intensity and aggression.
The Wallabies were initially dynamic in attack too – Harry Wilson and Jeremy Williams winning the collisions and Fraser McReight the clean outs. Their enterprise – switch plays, pop passes, chip kicks – looked to have paid off early when Jake Gordon won the race for Andrew Kellaway’s chip but the ball was fumbled over the line.
Power prop Taniela Tupou had been injured with his first carry but had hung tough to stay on. Inspired, Australia kept charging. Twice they strung together 14 phases and three times they spurned three points to chase five. It worked, McReight barging over from a standing start to draw first blood and a 7-0 lead to the visitors.
Desperate to snap a six-game losing streak in Wellington, New Zealand waited for Australia to err and they did. Twice the culprit was Hunter Paisami, pushing one pass and spilling another. Wallace Sititi danced into space and centre Anton Leinert-Brown spiralled a precision pass to Sevu Reece who sprinted down the line to make it 7-5.
Australia extended their lead when Noah Lolesio potted a penalty but it was the home side who next found the stripe, Will Jordan putting on the afterburners to split the line and touch down under the posts and put the All Blacks ahead. The lead remained until Lolesio got another chance to bang over a penalty for 13-12.
But right on half-time, the All Blacks showed enterprise of their own, kicking for touch instead of the posts. They won the lineout and rolled menacingly to the line. Australia defended stoutly for a time but Beauden Barrett and Lienert-Brown conspired to spin the ball wide only to send Caleb Clarke bursting through on the inside for a third try.
At 19-13, the Wallabies had won the half everywhere but on the scoreboard. Despite 57% possession and 52 tackles to New Zealand’s 103, their six turnovers had cost them dearly as the All Blacks made cake from every crumb. But knowing the All Blacks hadn’t scored in the final 20 minutes of any of their Rugby Championship games, Australia had hope.
But first they had to tackle, and keep tackling. New Zealand started the second half the better and only simple mistakes and ironclad Australia defence kept them at bay. Captain Wilson led the rearguard action, bursting off the line and bashing the black line. But it wasn’t enough as Tamaiti Williams crashed over for 26-13.
Down 13-points with half an hour to play, Australia were forced to roll the dice on high-risk plays. But too many stab kicks found neither yardage nor chasers and too often their attempts to attack from within their own quarter, backfired as the All Blacks pounced on loose ball and lax communication. Australia’s penalties mounted.
The Wallabies’ bench had turbocharged their remarkable comeback in Sydney and, having failed to penetrate New Zealand’s half in 20 minutes, Schmidt injected them on the hour mark. But it was too little too late. All Blacks replacement fly-half Damien McKenzie soon sowed havoc and eventually sent Clarke down the line for his double.
The score stayed at 33-13 until the siren, New Zealand toying with the Australians until the merciful final bell as they tried to fix the errors and find the flow lacking so far under new coach Scott Robertson. The men in gold melted in to the turf at full time, having frittered yet another chance to fire a shot on New Zealand soil.
