New Zealand v Australia LIVE: Result and reaction after All Blacks finish Rugby Championship with impressive win
New Zealand 33-13 Australia: The hosts controlled the contest after a fast Wallabies start to secure back-to-back Bledisloe Cup wins
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New Zealand ensured a strong finish to their Rugby Championship campaign as they secured an impressive 33-13 win over Australia in Wellington.
Having fought off a late Australian comeback in the first Bledisloe Cup meeting in Sydney last week, the All Blacks controlled the contest as they returned to home soil despite a fast Wallabies start. The visitors flew out of the blocks thanks to a try from Fraser McReight, but could not sustain their effort and failed to add a second-half point to the 13 accumulated before the interval.
The hosts, meanwhile, went from strength to strength as they answered a few questions after a series of second-half collapses in their campaign. Two tries from Caleb Clarke helped power them into an unassailable advantage as their attack began to click, but it was their defensive strength that made certain of victory with Sam Cane, becoming the 13th All Black to reach 100 caps, impressive as he played his final Test in New Zealand.
Both sides were simply playing for pride this weekend as they sit third and fourth respectively in the Rugby Championship table, with neither able to win the tournament. South Africa and Argentina meet later on Saturday to decide the destination of the title.
Re-live all the action from the Rugby Championship clash in our live blog below:
New Zealand 26-13 Australia, 58 minutes
Lukhan Salakaia-Loto was very good off the pine last week and Joe Schmidt turns to his replacement lock here after the latest lineout mishap. Can he inspire another stirring Australian fightback?
TRY! NEW ZEALAND 26-13 Australia (Tamaiti Williams, 56 minutes)
And the mighty Tamaiti Williams ensures they do so again!
Too much power from the replacement prop, bashing the front door down after his forward cohort had beaten it virtually off its hinges. A simple conversion from Beauden Barrett and the All Blacks have opened up their first significant lead of the evening in Wellington.
New Zealand 19-13 Australia, 55 minutes
Australia deal with the maul threat but as New Zealand explore the fringes, the visitors are penalised again. The All Blacks usually make the most of this sort of situation...
New Zealand 19-13 Australia, 53 minutes
A half-charged down clearing kick from Australia briefly causes chaos in the New Zealand backfield...but Will Jordan, as ever, has the cool hands and calm head to collect and turn the situation to his advantage, surging into space!
Into the 22 he goes, and New Zealand are awarded a penalty. Beauden Barrett prods it to the corner.
New Zealand 19-13 Australia, 52 minutes
But after 14 phases, a Sam Cane offload is knocked on by Rieko Ioane as the centre tries to gather at his shoelaces.
A change in the New Zealand front row: Ethan de Groot off, Tamaiti Williams on.
New Zealand 19-13 Australia, 51 minutes
New Zealand play with patience and poise on halfway, picking their moment. Codie Taylor provides momentum with a rumble up the right touchline, and sharp handling from Wallace Sititi and Ardie Savea keeps the movement rolling as the phase count goes into double figures.
New Zealand 19-13 Australia, 49 minutes
That Australia lineout is beginning to wobble again, as it did last week. New Zealand win the ball in the air again as Matt Faessler’s throw goes awry.
That’s Faessler’s last act, with Brandon Paenga-Amosa replacing him. The opportunity to make the change comes courtesy of an overly-hasty TJ Perenara, who fumbles his own quick tap in a slightly embarrasing manner. He attempts to blame referee Nika Amashukeli for obstruction, but the official gives him short shrift: “I was stood over here, and you took it there,” he snaps back at the moaning scrum half.
New Zealand 19-13 Australia, 47 minutes
Excellent defensive scrambling again from Australia, TJ Perenara stripped of possession after the scrum half surges into the 22. After the All Blacks steal a lineout, Fraser McReight makes sure of no progress by forcing Beauden Barrett to go off his feet in a hurried clearout of the contesting flanker.
New Zealand 19-13 Australia, 46 minutes
Will Jordan is almost granted a golden opportunity for a try, Dylan Pietsch trying to kick past the All Blacks full-back but watching it bury in his midriff. There’s just about enough cover from Tom Wright to prevent Jordan from galloping into the corner, and the rest of the Australia backfield scrambles well to watch Jordan’s own kick tumble into touch in goal.
New Zealand 19-13 Australia, 44 minutes
A clever bit of play from Jake Gordon, making totally certain that Will Jordan does not take a Beauden Barrett chip with a well-timed, just about legal nudge of the chasing full-back.
Taniela Tupou’s race is, unfortunately, finally run. Allan Alaalatoa replaces him in the Wallabies’ front row.
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