Gunnedah-born Wallabies Captain Harry Wilson ran out for his 19th Test and fourth as skipper in the second Bledisloe Cup Test yesterday, but couldn’t deliver the win he optimistically wanted before the game.
Wilson, who debuted in Australia’s last match against the All Blacks in Wellington in 2020, described the game as ‘daunting’, but said the team had a really good prep and were excited about the prospect of breaking the Wallabies kiwi drought.
“It’s really exciting for us, we haven’t won over here in 20 years, and we really want to be the team to do that,” he said before the game.
It was not to be. After the game Wilson said “ultimately, we need a win.”
The All Blacks swept the Bledisloe Cup series with a 33-13 win over the Wallabies, showing their class after an early Australian assault.
The Wallabies led as late as the 40th minute and starved the All Blacks of the ball in a much-improved first-half showing in Wellington on Saturday.
New Zealand flipped the switch after the break, denying Australia even a second-half point.
Australia will finish bottom of the Rugby Championship standings – and by a distance – but their first half on Saturday was possibly their best under Joe Schmidt.
The Wallabies were unrecognisable from the side that shipped three tries in the opening 15 minutes in Sydney, with smart passing and gut-running that put the All Blacks under pressure.
“They played some good footy, man,” All Blacks coach Scott Robertson said.
“They started pretty well, didn’t they, the Aussies, so you’ve got to give it to them.”
Australia should have scored in the third minute when Andrew Kellaway’s kick eluded both Jordan and Beauden Barrett, only for Jake Gordon to fumble a metre from home.
After 14 phases, McReight cashed in to give the Wallabies an eighth-minute lead, duly converted by Noah Lolesio.
The Wallabies’ aggression was made plain by Dylan Pietsch – who impressed on his first Test start – smashing into the towering Rieko Ioane in the hunt for territory.
The All Blacks had barely touched it but replied courtesy of the twinkle toes of Wallace Sititi, who broke through and allowed Reece to go over after 16 minutes.
A Barrett miss and a Lolesio penalty put the score at 5-10, before Jordan broke Harry Wilson’s tackle to race inside and score another try.
Clarke made sure of a half-time lead after another run through the guts in the 41st minute, the scoreboard reading 19-13 at the interval.
The All Blacks had a penalty in front of goal, but opted not to kick because Scott Barrett said they “sensed a moment” to go “for a decent blow, a headshot”.
Robertson said it was “really important … a big swing”, and Schmidt agreed.
“That try just before half-time was a pretty tough blow to take,” he said.
Scott Barrett’s pre-game plea to hold more of the ball fell on deaf ears, with Australia enjoying 68 per cent possession in the opening stanza.
The All Blacks kept their heads after the break, pushing over through substitute Williams just before the hour mark.
Two tries to the good and with Australia’s intensity having faded, New Zealand looked safe but had another box to tick: scoring late points.
Incredibly, the Kiwis hadn’t scored in the final 20 minutes of any of their five Rugby Championship clashes, but Clarke changed that when he stormed over after 64 minutes.
Clarke ended the match in the bin after infringing in an offside position, but it was too late for Australia to reply.
A 31-28 win in Sydney meant the Bledisloe Cup was already in New Zealand’s safekeeping for a 22nd straight year.
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