Summary
It’s been one of the most remarkable one-way, two-team contests in world sport, but in fairness, there aren’t too many teams in world sport like the All Blacks.
The Wallabies had grounds to believe they were a shot tonight, at home, and with New Zealand coming off some mixed form, despite their convincing results against France, in their recent Test series.
For forty minutes it was a very close affair. Michael Hooper was adamant the home side deserved something more than just the two penalties they got, with New Zealand guilty of slowing the play from attacking opportunities.
Had they gone in 6-0 at half-time, it could have been a fair reflection, on the balance of play; but with 90 seconds to run, the All Blacks had other ideas.
If his players were guilty of some early sloppiness, Steve Hansen and friends were having none of it after the break, as New Zealand tightened the screws, stepped up their domination of the lineout and at the scrum, and with Beauden Barrett finding some world class contributions the floodgates well and truly opened.
Too strong, too organised, and ultimately, too good. Eden Park awaits, in what must surely loom as one of the toughest tasks going round, if the Wallabies are to hope to level this series.
Thanks for your company tonight, that’s all from me.
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A special presentation from Kieran Read post game to fellow forward warrior, Sam Whitelock, on the occasion of his 100th Test.
Read says he avoids the limelight and just gets on with the job quietly. Just quietly, those words equally applicable to the captain, who slid back into this side after an extensive absence of his own, with consummate aplomb.
No word as to the official man-of-the-match, but for mine it has to be this guy.
Best. Lock. In. The. World.
Squeezing the life out of Australian Rugby since 2012.
Some great emails coming in - my early favourite from Thomas Callaghan, simply put:
What happened??
Yep, that’s about the sum of it, if you’re a Wallabies fan.
Steve Hansen tried to start the mindgames pre-kickoff suggesting that given their recent improvement, the Wallabies would be going into this one as favourites. And after 40 minutes, you might almost have thought he was onto something.
But they lifted tremendously after the break, did the ABs, and the Wallabies faltered far too easily at the set piece - at the lineout, in the scrum. Nearly one-way traffic for most of the second half on that front.
Michael Hooper trying to put a brave face on it at full-time. Wished goodluck ahead of the trip to Eden Park, the Wallabies skipper fired back: “I’m a full believer in this team”.
Let’s hope they can get Folau fit.
Your assessment of that one?
How about Brodie Retallick - they call him the best lock in world rugby; but it’s fair to say, almost the best player in world rugby.
Back in black after a spell away with injury, and he hardly missed a beat. So too, the skipper Kieran Read, and another near-faultless showing from 100-Tester Sam Whitelock.
Injury to Israel Folau a huge blow for the Wallabies. But did the All Blacks lift in that second half; or did the Australians just fade?
Full-time: Australia 13-38 New Zealand
And there’s the hooter. It couldn’t come soon enough for those in the crowd in gold, and you’d imagine even more so for those on the field.
If it was a close thing after 40, it was nothing but after 80. Five second half tries as the All Blacks ran total riot.
That’s not the series there, but when stop two on the whistlestop fun tour takes you to Eden Park, welll........
77 min: Another break for the All Blacks, and just for something different, it’s Naholo breaking. But this time he looks inside, and Whitelock doesn’t have the toe to escape the covering defence.
Australia scramble, and it’s the Wallabies with a break! Koroibete one-on-one with Barrett, but he puts it on the toe, and it goes out. Barrett so imposing in the game now, they don’t even want to run at him!
Try! Australia 13-38 New Zealand (Naholo)
74 min: Australia ring the changes and an utterly dejected Michael Hooper leaves the field. He was, as you’ll remember, not too long back from injury, and he looks utterly spent.
My, oh my. Two in two minutes - Naholo, more like na-stroll-oh, as he walks through a very tired Wallabies defence. Some of those tackle-efforts from guys who have only just come on!
That Folau-sized hole at fullback isn’t helping, but he’s waltzed through four attempted tackles, the winger!
Barrett adds the extras from the boot - and suddenly, this looks like another bloodbath.
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Try! Australia 13-31 New Zealand (Naholo)
72 min: A few phases for the Wallabies as Hodge takes a settler midfield. But they force the pass!
It’s turned over, and Barrett spots the fullback up in the line. He kicks for the corner - a brilliantly weighted ball, it holds up just over the try line and a flying Naholo comes through to finish comfortably.
We go upstairs to check whether the runner is onside, and he is.
Barrett hooks the conversion effort left. No extras.
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70 min: It’s good! But they’re rebuffed anyway. Play is opening up very rapidly - it’s end-to-end and frenetic stuff.
Ben Smith puts on the toe, but its Beale who cleans up. Australia with it once again.
68 min: Replacement hooker Nathan Harris with his first lineout throw for the All Blacks, and it’s not in straight.
Australia with a literal gift there, and they set the scrum 15m out from the All Blacks line. Imagine if they went in here!
Penalty against the All Blacks. They kick to touch and opt for the lineout - eep, not on tonight’s form!
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Try! Australia 13-26 New Zealand (Maddocks)
It was the skipper Hooper who brought the line up, and he’s rewarded for an intercept. He hands it to some of his flyers, and it’s the fresh man, Maddocks in under the posts.
Foley with a quick drop goal conversion.
Is Lazarus showing signs of life?! Or is this just the last twitches of a Wallabies death-spasm?
64 min: And it’s injury to insult now, as Folau limps from the field, with a suspected ankle injury.
This second half has really opened up. It took 39 minutes for our first try, and now they’re raining in.. because wait for it..
Try! Australia 6-26 New Zealand (Retallick)
Are you not entertained!
When a lock crosses, you usually imagine it’s from close range - but they’ve gone nearly coast-to-coast once again, the All Blacks.
It started with a Retallick turnover, they shifted wide, and a few plays later who should be lurking out wide? That Bond-villian lookalike, and he throws Foley a cheeky dummy, and runs in the try!
Barrett converts. It’s beginning to open up.
61 min: Gee whiz. Now it’s Whitelock with the lineout steal. What’s that - perhaps the fifth or sixth lineout they’ve napped? Winning at lineouts, winning at scrums; it’s almost like they’re dominate the set pieces..
Australia with a bust though, it’s Hodge finding metres down the touchline, but Hooper runs out of room.
The All Blacks launch a rapid counter, and it’s that man Barrett handing off to a newly-arrived McKenzie.
59 min: Australia with the lineout, and Retallick pinches another one. They’ve contested the throws excellently, tonight.
Koroibete spills a loose ball about 20m out from his own line. Ben Smith, just millimetres away from toe-ing that one through as well.
He’s adjudged to be offside, and Foley relieves pressure with a penalty kick for touch.
58 min: Franks off in Test No.99 for Tu’inukuake. Scott Barrett replaces Squires. Alaalatoa comes on for Robertson.
55 min: Dear, oh dear. And now the Wallabies have butchered one!
A great break, it’s Tui with the offload to a freshly arrived Jack Maddocks off the bench. But he fails to find his runner outside him! Play progresses, and it’s Latu about 2m out, but he forces the pass onto the knee of Reece Hodge, and they spill it, literally across the line. Chance begging!
Try! Australia 6-19 New Zealand (Barrett)
How cruel is this? If you’re a Wallabies supporter that is. It’s an innocuous loose ball, and the fly-half beats Genia to it, keeps it on the toe and shows incredible skill to get it over the line before regathering!
And that is perhaps why he’s been voted, twice, the World Rugby Player of the Year - a mercurial individual turn. And they’ve created something from nothing, the All Blacks!
A close up of a dejected Michael Cheika tells it all - and Barrett converts his own try.
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5o min: Oof. They’ve just shown a replay of that one-on-one strip from Naholo. Koroibete’s knees had hit the ground before the winger stripped him. By the letter of the law, that’s a penalty. Could that prove a big post-game talking point??
48 min: Scrum midfield, and Naholo is back to his feet.
Kepu back on the field after a blood bin - and they’ve been penalised at the scrum once more. What is that, four, five scrum penalties?
Barrett kicks for metres. Both sides contemplate shuffling their packs, as already we see some tiring bodies.
46 min: They’re starting to really find their feet, the ABs - with Barrett increasingly prominent. He puts it on the toe, and scampers down the touchline, but it’s into touch.
They win it back, New Zealand, but a loose pass, and now it’s Foley with a break! He puts it on the toe for Koroibete, but he’s completely isolated, with nobody around him.
A flowing counter-attack, but it finishes with a forward pass.
Meanwhile Naholo is in real trouble, he’s receiving treatment - what a breakneck few minutes!
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Try! Australia 6-12 New Zealand (Goodhue)
Big play. Amazing, All Blacks running rugby!
The Wallabies were hot on the Kiwis line. Koroibete isolated one-on-one with his Fijian-born opposite number Naholo, who strips, and immediately launchs a counter-attack.
Barrett sends it through the hands, and they’ve gone 90m here - with the youngster Goodhue putting it under the sticks.
Barrett with the conversion, and having started brightly, the Wallabies are straight back on the back foot!
42 min: Good metres from Coleman who drives, Folau joins the backline but his pass doesn’t find his outside runner and the All Blacks clear their line.
Beale with a quick lineout to Haylett-Petty and Australia look to attack once again.
Second half!
Beauden Barrett puts us back in business in Sydney.
Both sides exchange kicks, but Hodge’s booming effort gains valuable metres. A shanked effort at the back for the ABs and Australia feed the first line out.
So! Australia leading, albeit it only just.
A fair contrast to the Bledisloe opener this time a year ago, where if memory serves correctly the All Blacks had already run in 40 points, and the ritual one-way procession had already been effectively completed.
Your thoughts on that half? Key influencers? Key contests? Areas of hope for both sides?
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Half-time: Australia 6-5 New Zealand
Well, another small mercy from Barrett. In fairness, that was a tough kick, but the 2016 & 2017 World Rugby Player of the Year wouldn’t be happy heading into the sheds with 0/2 next to his name.
A tight, tough and high intensity first 40, but you’d have to say; perhaps a slightly sloppy showing from the visitors?
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Try! Australia 6-5 New Zealand (A. Smith)
Classic All Blacks! Less than a minute to play, and Ben Smith dodges the tackle of Tui to find a gap, he plays off to Naholo, who finds Aaron Smith backing up inside, to score.
Kick to come - imagine after all that good work, the Wallabies could be trailing at the break!
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38 min: They opt for the three, this time. But Barrett misses!
Sheesh. Could you imagine the ABs going in at half-time being held scoreless?
36 min: It’s a third penalty against the Wallabies at the scrum - Kepu has gone off with a head knock, and it’s youngster Jermaine Ainsley into the action.
Apologies, he wasn’t in our squad list - a late call up there, with Tupoa injured I believe.
His father was an All Black. Fun fact.
34 min: Aaron Smith with the scrum feed, and they probe the Wallabies right-side defence.
And after a near flawless first thirty in his return to the national side, big Brodie Retallick has knocked on, and the Wallabies congratulate each other.
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31 min: Australia clear their lines one again, this time through Beale.
It’s an All Blacks lineout about 15m inside the Wallabie’s half. The run a set piece but it’s well countered midfield. Barrett throws the dummy, but is pulled down. Quick hands and a fast backline move once again, but it’s deep, and they lose territory.
First time they’ve built some phases, that’s 10 now, Barrett prominent, dictating play, but Coleman with an important tackle.
Ball knocked back, but Ioane regathers. Kepu down in backplay.
Franks turns it over, and Polata-Nau goes on an unlikely bust! Good cover from Read, and he draws the error from Genia, who forces the pass.
Key passage - very good defence from the Wallabies, after almost 20 phases.
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29 min: They play for the corner - Read working well to offload for Retallick. They look to play quickly wide, Barrett with a looping cutout pass, but Naholo runs out of room!
Bundled into touch, about 2m short of the line. Good scrambling defence from the men in gold.
28 min: Rodda wins the lineout! Haylett-Petty claims the knockback, and brings it back to the field of play. Foley clears, but only 20m or so under close defensive attention.
Can they hang on again here, the Wallabies?
25 min: It’s another scrum penalty against Australia, Kepu pinged for the collapse this time. Early concerns for the Wallabies front row, they’ve done that twice now.
Another useful opportunity for the All Blacks - they’re about 20m out; but Folau intercepts a lose ball. We return for an advantage played.
Read decides to kick to touch rather than take the three. Here we go!
23 min: Half a break for the All Blacks, they’re about 10m into the Wallabies’ half. And another turnover - Barrett unable to reel in an offload, and it’s ball to ground. A dangerous moment, but well defended by Folau.
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21 min: Turnover - Kane with strong work again to pinch it. Unbelievable work from Koroibete on his own sideline; he’s claimed a bouncing ball from Barrett’s kick, and flung the pass back to a teammate without going into touch. Balletic, you would say!
Hodge clears with another booming effort.
Penalty! Australia 6-0 New Zealand
Bernard Foley with the shorter ranged effort, and it’s successful from almost dead in front.
Squires was the man infringing there, losing his feet while attempting to grab the ball. Hooper argues the toss with Jaco Peyper - but you really can’t build the case for a penalty try, even if they’ve gone close twice, for only the six points.
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17 min: Australia with it, about 20m out. They swing it through the hands. Coleman steadies it about 5m out from the line. They build the phases, but the All Blacks defend steadily.
It’s slowed right down as Whitelock almost steals it, but is cleared out by Hooper. Genia’s trying to get his forwards over, but it’s very slow.
Penalty against the All Blacks, for slowing the play.
15 min: And they’ve got out again, Australia! Hodge has just cleared that 50m - what a boot this lad’s got. Now we’ve got concussion concern on Hodge.
A loss ball is almost recovered by Folau, but his flicked pass to Koroibete is adjudged to have gone forward.
Has this been uncharacteristically sloppy from the ABs? Or should the Wallabies defence receive the credit?
12 min: Lienert-Brown comes into the fray, replacing Crotty.
Australia clear their lines, and it’s the ABs with it midfield, around halfway. Smith with a half-break and offloads to the new arrival. Penalty against the Wallabies, Foley offside.
Big opportunity here, offensive line out about 5m out.
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11 min: Concern here for Crotty - he’s stayed down after heavy impact. He’s suffered a sickening head clash with his own teammate, Goodhue.
It was a set play from the scrum, but they’ve overrun it. Crotty with the ball behind him, he never really recovered it, and as he was seeking to regain possession he’s struck heads with the youngster.
That could be his night - a disappointing loss for the seasoned campaigner, who’s sadly had such a history of head knocks.
Penalty! Australia 3-0 New Zealand
No mistake from Hodge. He was about 40m out and that one’s sailed beyond the dead ball line. Distance really won’t be an issue tonight, irrespective of the wind conditions.
The All Blacks kick off, and it’s a big hit by Sam Kane that sees Tui spill it. Hard to catch and run when the defence is coming in that hot.
Big chance for the Kiwis here, with a scrum feed inside the 22.
8 min: Returning skipper Kieran Read now penalised for losing his feet while attempting to pilfer. They do take the shot at the sticks this time, the Australians, and it’s Hodge who’s given the responsibility ahead of Foley.
6 min: Robertson penalised as the Wallabies’ scrum collapses - Franks with the first win of that particular battle - but now Australia’s pinched it at the line out.
Just me or a few uncharacteristic errors from both sides early on? A touch of rust? Or nerves?
4 min: First penalty to Australia - Naholo pinged for a dangerous tackle on Folau. Cheika and Hooper call for perhaps a sterner punishment, but it’s one of those that gets out of control, rather than being malicious, and no lasting damage done on the fullback.
They kick to touch, but like the ABs, the Wallabies turn it over cheaply, and the momentum is lost.
Curious that the Wallabies didn’t take the three points there? They do have Reece Hodge in the side, and he’s got a prodigious range on his boot.
2 min: First penalty of the game, it’s that man Retallick, returning to the national side who earns his side the early reprieve, Polota-Nau pinged for not releasing.
The All Blacks win the lineout and run their first set play, but they’ve turned it over and Genia kicks deep. Barrett replies, but he doesn’t find touch. Folau’s first involvement, and the Australians run it midfield.
Kick off!
Bernard Foley gets us underway, he kicks deep and flying through is Koroibete with a huge first tackle. The All Blacks to bring out from their own line.
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He doesn’t start tonight, but sheesh, doesn’t TJ Perenara lead a phenomenal haka. Sends shivers up and down your spine - this iconic feature of world rugby.
Jaco Peyper is our referee tonight, and without further ado - we’re almost ready to get underway!
The respective teams are as follows:
Australia:
(15-1) Israel Folau, Dane Haylett-Petty, Reece Hodge, Kurtley Beale, Marika Koroibete, Bernard Foley, Will Genia; David Pocock, Michael Hooper (capt), Lukhan Tui, Adam Coleman, Izack Rodda, Sekope Kepu, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Tom Robertson.
Bench: Tolu Latu, Allan Alaalatoa, Taniela Tupou, Rob Simmons, Pete Samu, Nick Phipps, Matt Toomua, Jack Maddocks.
New Zealand:
Ben Smith, Waisake Naholo, Jack Goodhue, Ryan Crotty, Rieko Ioane, Beauden Barrett, Aaron Smith; Kieran Read (capt), Sam Cane, Liam Squire, Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Owen Franks, Codie Taylor, Joe Moody.
Bench: Nathan Harris, Tim Perry, Karl Tu’inukuake, Scott Barrett, Ardie Savea, TJ Perenara, Damian McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown.
Good evening/afternoon/morning etc! A fine day to you, from wherever you’re following this coverage.
We’ve just had a welcome to country, and we’re all set for anthems in Sydney.
Early days, but “God Defend New Zealand” is off to a better start than at that infamous rugby league Test in the United States a few years back. If you don’t know it, ask your good friend Youtube/Google. What a treat. Yet I digress.
Preamble
To clumsily paraphrase a certain former England footballer, “Rugby’s a simple game. Thirty men chase a ball for 80 minutes and at the end, the All Blacks always win.”
So here we are, at the opening game of this 2018 Rugby Championship, with the all-conquering All Blacks stepping boldly into the Wallabies backyard and looking to deliver the first blow in this year’s Bledisloe series. Is there any point in wasting the next couple of hours of our lives, when the result it so glaringly obvious?
Well, while recent Kiwi dominance over their trans-Tasman rivals needs little explanation – the Wallabies have managed just two wins and two draws in their last 19 Tests against the All Blacks – the last time this pair met, in Brisbane in October last year, it was the Wallabies who tasted victory (albeit to end a seven-game losing streak).
And Gary Lineker was proved wrong at the recent Fifa World Cup in Russia, when the unbeatable reputation of Germany – the subject of the above famous quote – was left in tatters. So could it be time for the Wallabies to buck the trend in Sydney?
Probably not, to be honest, but it might be fun to watch. Strap yourselves in, and feel free to get in touch during the course of the game, using the details above. Thoughts on the tosh I’ve just spouted, rugby in general, or tonight’s game itself are more than welcome.
