Match report
Australia 20 - New Zealand 37
The All Blacks reign supreme. They will surely be back in Yokohama again a year from now in the World Cup final.
The Wallabies played well in the first half and though lacking possession and territory were just 17-10 down at half-time. A strong start to the second half could have brought them right back into the game ... but when Barrett scored New Zealand’s third try just before the hour mark any chance of comeback looked forlorn. When Latu got a yellow card seven minutes later it became mission impossible for Australia.
The better team won. And in rugby, the All Blacks are generally the better team.
New Zealand make it clean sweep in the Bledisoe Cup
Final score in Yokohama: Australia 20 - New Zealand 37.
78 mins: howler of a conversion, which is small mercy for the Wallabies. Australia 20 - New Zealand 37.
Try to New Zealand
77 mins: Ioane scores. What a talent this young man is. Australia 20 - New Zealand 37.
Updated
77 mins: Latu is back on the pitch after his yellow card banishment.
Try for Australia
75 mins: strong run and try from Folau, quickly converted by Foley, who has now scored exactly 600 points in Test matches for Australia. Australia 20 - New Zealand 32.
73 mins: some sloppy play from the All Blacks. Like they care. They’re going to win anyway. Australia 13 - New Zealand 32.
72 mins: eight minutes to go. The Wallabies need a miracle, but it’s not going to happen. Australia 13 - New Zealand 32.
Updated
70: Barrett misses the conversion. Phipps is on for Genia. Australia 13 - New Zealand 32.
Try to the All Blacks
69 mins: Folau tried to pass, but failed. Ben Smith caught it, ran like the clappers and scored. Australia 13 - New Zealand 32.
Updated
67 mins: Australia 13 - New Zealand 27 and Australia are a man down.
Yellow card for Latu for the retaliation. He’s off.
Taylor shoved Latu first.
66 mins: Tolo Latu throws an open hand at Codie Taylor’s face.
Updated
65 mins: great run from Kerevi that has ended in a scrum to New Zealand after a knock on.
64 mins: there is a Mexican wave in a game between Australia and New Zealand being held in Japan. Internationalism at its best.
62 mins: they’re into the final quarter in Yokohama and the Wallabies are running out of ideas and time.
60 mins: that was Barrett’s sixth try against Australia this year. A new record. And he converted, naturally. Australia 13 - New Zealand 27.
Try for New Zealand
59 mins: Barrett runs 35 metres to score. Great try.
58 mins: Naivalu out and Kerevi in for the Wallabies. It’s Fijian for Fijian.
57 mins: good work from Pocock earns a penalty for Australia.
53 mins: Barrett scores another penalty and restores the All Blacks’ margin. Australia 13 - New Zealand 20.
52 mins: Hanigan is off and Dempsey is in for the Wallabies.
51 mins: Beale is limping. Hopefully that’s just a temporary blip.
50 mins: quite scrappy in Yokohama at the moment, Australia 13 - New Zealand 17.
If any of you are wondering about the World Series, it’s Red Sox 2-2 Dodgers at the top of the 17th. It’s an epic. I’m glad to be blogging a game where draws are allowed.
47 mins: Foley scores the easiest of penalties, right in front of the posts. Australia 13 - New Zealand 17.
46 mins: Rob Simmons got over the line, but he was on his back. No try.
44 mins: someone’s green boot is on the pitch, but it’s not distracting the Wallabies, who’ve made a strong start to the second half. Australia 10 - New Zealand 17.
Second half is under way
Can Australia pull off an unexpected win?
Michael Cheika is upbeat in talking up how well the Wallabies defended in the first half. Keep it positive, Michael.
The stats don’t lie. This shows how much New Zealand are dominating, but still, there’s only a converted try in it.
前半終了。二17-10豪。 #ラグビー #rugbyjp #jrfu #RWC2019 #NZLvAUS #地球最強ラグビー pic.twitter.com/N2vrLW0VH0
— masi．yama (@xavi88er88) October 27, 2018
40 mins: Bernard Foley converts on the stroke of half-time. It’s Australia 10 - New Zealand 17.
Try to Australia
39 mins: Sefa Naivalu scores! Australia 8 - New Zealand 17.
38 mins: Folau seems to have some ankle difficulty. That would be very bad news for the Wallabies.
Try to All Blacks
35 mins: Kieran Read scored just as I pressed send on that last post! And Barrett converts. Australia 3 - New Zealand 17.
35 mins: five minutes to go in the first half, a time when NZ are typically lethal.
Bernard Foley is having a great game and has already made a couple of try-saving tackles.
Squire’s try:
Great pass by SBW and the line from Squire is just as good. #NZLvAUS pic.twitter.com/4KOPuWuw4l
— Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) October 27, 2018
29 mins: better defence work from the Wallabies today, but they’re still behind to a better team. Australia 3 - New Zealand 10.
25 mins: Barrett restores NZ’s margin with a long distance penalty. Australia 3 - New Zealand 10.
First points for Wallabies
21 mins: penalty from way out and Beale scores. Australia 3 - New Zealand 7.
19 mins: almost halfway through the first half and the game has slowed down after the try and conversion. Australia 0 - New Zealand 7.
The expected crowd is around 50,000 today, which, if it happens, would make it the biggest ever attendance at a rugby match in Japan.
If you’re wondering about Winx, she won. Of course she did.
12 mins: Barrett converts. Australia 0 - New Zealand 7.
Try for NZ
11 mins: Liam Squire gets it over. Australia 0 - New Zealand 5.
Updated
8 mins: scrum to NZ. All Crusaders front row for the All Blacks and all Brumbies front row for the Wallabies.
6 mins: Good tackle from Will Genia to prevent a try that wouldn’t have counted anyway was Foley was taken out by NZ just before it.
3 mins: Kick from Scott Barrett relieves the pressure on NZ.
Updated
2 mins: Dane Haylett-Petty came close in the left corner, but just lost control before grounding the ball. No try. Five metre scrum.
Bledisoe 3 is under way!
Fine start from Folau and Australia.
Wallabies looking resolute as New Zealand pump themselves with the haka.
And the All Blacks are now taking up their positions for the haka.
Jay’ed in now singing the New Zealand anthem. But everyone knows the haka is the real preparation for the men in black.
Updated
Sarah Alainn is belting out Advance Australia Fair right now. And we just got a bit of the players (some of them anyway) singing it too. They chose well in making professional sport, rather than music, their career choice.
Updated
Not rugby, but I loved this from today. Former Irish football international Andy Keogh has slammed Usain Bolt for having ‘a touch like a trampoline’. Burn!
And here come New Zealand, on a sunny afternoon in Japan.
The Wallabies are on the pitch in Yokohama. No sign of the All Blacks yet.
Updated
The Wallabies are No 7 in the world rankings. A win or draw would take them up to 5th. Well, that’s something to aim for.
And the All Blacks:
GAME DAY! Where in the world will you be watching the All Blacks vs Australia?
— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) October 26, 2018
📅 Saturday 27 October, 7pm (NZT)
🏟️ Yokohama International Stadium, Japan
📝 https://t.co/Cp8AshZHgT
📺 @skysportnz (NZL)
🏉 #NZLvAUS pic.twitter.com/CcB2oN86Vj
The Wallabies line up:
#BREAKING l Your #Wallabies team to face the @AllBlacks in the third #BledisloeCup Test at @NissanStadium.
— Qantas Wallabies (@qantaswallabies) October 25, 2018
LIVE on @FOXSportsAUS and @tensporttv at 5pm AEDT on Sat 27 Oct.
READ: https://t.co/udXAAwDo8K#NZLvAUS #GoldBlooded pic.twitter.com/OMpevznhvw
Updated
Preamble
What to say that might be remotely positive? Can Australia keep New Zealand to a low margin win, or will it be another massacre? Forgive my pessimism, but nothing about today is pointing to a Wallabies win. Nothing.
