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 0-7 Australia, 14 minutes
A midfield misfire ends that Australian adventure and the All Blacks show off their attacking range for the first time, testing the edges with Beauden Barrett and Will Jordan alternating at first receiver. But Fraser McReight shows his breakdown expertise, timing his contest perfectly after a tough tackle from captain Harry Wilson grants the openside the ruck carrion he loves to feast upon.
New Zealand 0-7 Australia, 11 minutes
All the while, Taniela Tupou has somehow managed to lumber on, the tighthead again performing his duties admirably at the first New Zealand scrum. Will Jordan’s kick travels out of play before wing Caleb Clarke can reel it in.
And the All Blacks are on the wrong side of the officials in these early skirmishes. Sam Cane is slightly harshly penalised having appeared to have got his jackal spot on, grating the Wallabies another chance to enter New Zealand territory.
New Zealand 0-7 Australia, 9 minutes
Nearly something sensational! Boy, are Australia up for it or what? Insipid in the first quarter a week ago, they are running everything here, going from inside their own 22 and cutting New Zealand open. Only an errant, forward pass from Noah Lolesio prevents a promising attack from continuing from coast to coast.
TRY! New Zealand 0-7 AUSTRALIA (Fraser McReight, 8 minutes)
And there it is! Fraser McReight finds a sliver of space to lunge to the line!
The pressure had built and built but it took the clever openside to find the score. McReight had looked a little upright in the carry but he used his deceptive strength to shake his limbs free, enabling him to find a gap between All Black limbs to touch down. Noah Lolesio converts impressively from the left - what a start from the Wallabies!
New Zealand 0-0 Australia, 7 minutes
A strong one-on-one tackle from Caleb Clarke and back to the penalty again they come. This time, Australia tap and go quickly as they seek to convert their early dominance into a try.
New Zealand 0-0 Australia, 6 minutes
Matt Faessler hits the mark and into the drive Australia launch. It runs aground, but a darting Faessler keeps the move alive. Another penalty advantage is coming.
New Zealand 0-0 Australia, 5 minutes
Ardie Savea stalls some momentum with a Herculean heave of a carrier back towards the 22-metre line, and Nika Amashukeli brings the players back for the penalty. Corner or posts? The Wallabies opt for the aggressive choice, turning down points and kicking for a five-metre lineout.
New Zealand 0-0 Australia, 4 minutes
This is a good start from Australia. Large lock Jeremy Williams spins out of a tackle before Rob Valetini and Dylan Pietsch show well in the carry. Penalty advantage is coming as Taniela Tupou lumps to within six metres of the New Zealand line.
New Zealand 0-0 Australia, 3 minutes
The first attempt to set the scrum goes down immediately, Tupou kicking his leg to try and get the movement back. Referee Nika Amashukeli swaps over to his side, suspecting that it may be where the problem comes as they engage again.
Tupou is steady and off Australia go! A canny switch-back play to the blindside sends Andrew Kellaway sprinting into space, and have they managed to score? No, knocked on! Kellaway’s toe ahead was fumbled back by a sliding Beauden Barrett but Jake Gordon couldn’t gather clenaly with the line at his mercy!
New Zealand 0-0 Australia, 2 minutes
Tupou tests the flexion in the joint, strugging to bear his (quite considerable) weight. But he’s going to try to soldier on - out comes the strapping to try and help him continue.
It will be a scrum to restart, which will test just how ready that knee is.
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