Australia v New Zealand LIVE: Result and reaction as All Blacks survive thrilling Wallabies comeback
The Wallabies threatened to pull off a remarkable turnaround but fell just short
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New Zealand survived a thrilling Australia comeback to cling on to a narrow victory in Sydney and continue their stronghold over the Bledisloe Cup.
With both sides looking to salvage difficult Rugby Championship campaigns, the All Blacks started fast and surged into a 21-0 lead as they ran rampant in the first 15 minutes. A further try from Ardie Savea before half-time suggested that Scott Robertson’s visitors would pull clear in the second half to incflict more punishment on a wounded Wallabies side still searching for direction.
But the hosts swelled in the second half, with their bench making a significant impact to swing momentum their way. Keeping the All Blacks to just a single Damian McKenzie penalty after the interval, late tries from Hunter Paisami and Tom Wright moved Australia to within a score as they threatened to produce a remarkable, unexpected fightback.
Yet despite New Zealand losing two backs to the sin bin, there was always just slightly too much for Joe Schmidt’s side to do after their sluggish start. With a second and final Bledisloe Cup meeting of the year to come in Wellington next week, the All Blacks have retained the trans-Tasman prize, as they have done each year since 2003.
Re-live all the action from Sydney in our live blog below:
Team news - New Zealand
Ethan de Groot is fit to return from a neck injury and starts at loosehead for New Zealand, while Beauden Barrett is also brought back into the run-on side. The eldest Barrett brother’s inclusion sees Will Jordan shift to the right wing, and Pasilio Tosi is set for only a second cap as the reserve tighthead.
New Zealand XV: 1 Ethan de Groot, 2 Codie Taylor, 3 Tyrel Lomax; 4 Scott Barrett (capt.), 5 Tupou Vaa’i; 6 Wallace Sititi, 7 Sam Cane, 8 Ardie Savea; 9 Cortez Ratima, 10 Damian McKenzie; 11 Caleb Clarke, 12 Jordie Barrett, 13 Rieko Ioane, 14 Will Jordan; 15 Beauden Barrett.
Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Tamaiti Williams, 18 Pasilio Tosi, 19 Sam Darry, 20 Luke Jacobson; 21 TJ Perenara, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Sevu Reece.
Team news - Australia
James Slipper is in line to surpass George Gregan as the most capped Wallabies player of all-time when the loosehead wins his 140th cap off the bench. Fraser McReight and Hunter Paisami return from injury in the back row and centres respectively, while Nic White and Noah Lolesio form a new half-back partnership with Jake Gordon and Ben Donaldson dropping out of the squad entirely.
Australia XV: 1 Angus Bell, 2 Matt Faessler, 3 Taniela Tupou; 4 Nick Frost, 5 Jeremy Williams; 6 Rob Valetini, 7 Fraser McReight, 8 Harry Wilson (capt.); 9 Nic White, 10 Noah Lolesio; 11 Marika Koroibete, 12 Hunter Paisami, 13 Len Ikitau, 14 Andrew Kellaway; 15 Tom Wright
Replacements: 16 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 17 James Slipper, 18 Allan Alaalatoa, 19 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 20 Langi Gleeson; 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Tom Lynagh, 23 Dylan Pietsch.
Australian rugby chief dismisses talk of one-sided British and Irish Lions series despite record defeat
Australian rugby chief Phil Waugh has dismissed fears that next summer’s British and Irish Lions series could be uncompetitive, insisting that the Wallabies are making “progress” despite a record defeat to Argentina.
Joe Schmidt’s Australia were thrashed 67-27 by the Pumas to continue a difficult Rugby Championship campaign and now face back-to-back Bledisloe Cup encounters with New Zealand.
It follows a pool stage exit from last year’s World Cup under Eddie Jones, who subsequently departed for Japan, while this year has also seen the Melbourne Rebels fold amid financial issues.
Worries have therefore grown that next summer’s tour could lose lustre with Andy Farrell’s Lions strong favourites to sweep their hosts.
But Waugh, capped 79 times by the Wallabies during his playing career believes there is “plenty of time” for Schmidt to arrest the slide and turn Australia around.
Australian rugby chief dismisses talk of one-sided Lions series despite record defeat
The Wallabies suffered a record defeat to Argentina to spark further concern of a one-sided tour next summer
James Slipper set to break caps record
Australia captain Harry Wilson said sending James Slipper home a winner after his record 140th test was a major motivation for the team ahead of their Rugby Championship Test against New Zealand.
Slipper, 35, will surpass George Gregan as Australia’s most-capped player when he comes off the bench as a replacement prop at Stadium Australia in the first of back-to-back tests against the All Blacks.
“It’s a massive motivation for us this weekend, he is a great servant to our game and he’s a great mate to everyone in the team,” number eight Wilson told reporters outside the Sydney Opera house on Friday.
“He’s been such a good person for Australian rugby and I really hope we can do him proud tomorrow.”
Wilson said the players had made up 140th test T-shirts and Slipper had been showered with congratulatory messages from everyone from former Wallabies team mates to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Australia vs New Zealand
It is more than two decades now since Australia last held the Bledisloe Cup, though they arrive with hope of ending that run. Joe Schmidt can welcome back Fraser McReight and Hunter Paisami, two of his best performers this year, while the Kiwi coach has urged his side to focus on the fact that they played relatively well for three halves in Argentina, asking them to forget the second half collapse as the Pumas ran riot a fortnight ago.
The Wallabies are obviously underdogs but their record this year mirrors that of their visitors: won four, lost three.
Australia vs New Zealand LIVE
A very good day to you, and welcome along to The Independent’s LIVE coverage of the penultimate round of the 2024 Rugby Championship. Australia and New Zealand have had a fortnight to lick their wounds after damaging defeats to Argentina and South Africa respectively, and now brace for the first of back-to-back Bledisloe Cup battles in Sydney. Can the Wallabies show signs of life to salvage their campaign? Or will the All Blacks return to full force and cling on to the trans-Tasman prize?
Kick off is at 6.45am BST.
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