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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Your support makes all the difference.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 12-10 Australia, 33 minutes
Australia score the first real point at scrum-time, Angus Bell forcing Tyrel Lomax back on the loosehead side as Taniela Tupou anchors on the tight. Nika Amashukeli initially urges the Wallabies to use it but the referee subsequently pings the All Blacks for disengaging. Down towards New Zealand’s 22 Australia kick.
New Zealand 12-10 Australia, 31 minutes
There has been real physicality about this opening half-hour, and none of the attacking enthusiasm from Australia has waned. Tom Wright sparks something from deep with delicious footwork but his pass at the end of his gambol is rather less pretty, wayward and skipping out of play.
New Zealand 12-10 Australia, 30 minutes
Barrett misses touch with the penalty, anyway, as Dylan Pietsch cleverly leaps to keep the ball in play. Codie Taylor will instead throw a lineout from level with where Barrett kicked after Pietsch’s solid clearance.
New Zealand 12-10 Australia, 29 minutes
Beauden Barrett picks his runners out of the All Blacks line, hoping that the forwards can punch through. When they fail to, it’s wider they go, Rieko Ioane and Sevu Reece combining for a half-break before the latter’s untimely slip.
A penalty to New Zealand, though Len Ikitau is down and in pain after copping a stray arm to the face from Barrett. Will the TMO have a look? Barrett had chipped and chased and not quite got there, and it appears his actions have been deemed legal.
New Zealand 12-10 Australia, 26 minutes
A strong defensive set from New Zealand to back that try up. Australia work through 14 phases but gain all of five metres, with Taniela Tupou eventually bundled into touch as he tries to plow over Rieko Ioane and Sevu Reece.
TRY! NEW ZEALAND 12-10 Australia (Will Jordan, 23 minutes)
Scintillating from Will Jordan!
He really is some finisher. There appears little on as an arriving Jordan is tossed a somewhat aimless pass by Beauden Barrett at the line, but the full-back, as he always seems to, apparates into space, two steps off his left foot taking him past a clutching Harry Wilson and Fraser McReight.
From there, it’s academic: 35 tries in 37 Tests for a remarkable player.
New Zealand 5-10 Australia, 21 minutes
Wallace Sititi was a menace to Australia’s lineout last week and he’s back again to cause problems this, the springy six up at the front to prevent Australia setting a platform. In the visitors’ next attacking movement, Tyrel Lomax wins a breakdown penalty as the All Blacks just begin to stabilise themselves defensively.
PENALTY! New Zealand 5-10 AUSTRALIA (Noah Lolesio, 19 minutes)
And Noah Lolesio is on the money as Australia extend their advantage.
New Zealand 5-7 Australia, 18 minutes
But that’s a coach-killer from the All Blacks. Straight from the restart, a bionic Taniela Tupou somehow latches over the top of a ruck and draws a penalty for Australia. This is remarkable from Tupou, who looked to be done for the day with that knee issue inside 60 seconds.
This time, Australia will kick for goal.
TRY! NEW ZEALAND 5-7 Australia (Sevu Reece, 16 minutes)
What a way to answer! Vintage All Blacks!
Ardie Savea poaches posession just inside his own half, and then it is all about the work of his back row chum Wallace Sititi. We haven’t seen too much of the young blindside as a pure carrier in his breakthrough campaign but he shows off some of the skills that so caught the eye for the Chiefs in Super Rugby, a vicious in-to-out move breaking the ankles of poor Matt Faessler, exposed in a bit of space.
Through a gap Sititi rushes with Anton Lienert-Brown providing good support. Lienert-Brown has a pick of two men outside him and elects for the quicker of them - Sevu Reece has enough toe to outrun Len Ikitau to the corner.
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