Key events
39 mins: Australia try to run the ball out of their own 22 but as the passes are spun wide the runners are increasingly isolated and its no surprise when Wright is hauled down and the All Blacks win the counter-ruck through Ioane and McKenzie.
38 mins: New Zealand should have another try! After a kicking exchange Jordan runs the ball into contact on halfway. From the breakdown, McKenzie makes a powerful arcing run that busts through the line and sets him up to provide a try-assist on his inside. Support isn’t close though and McKenzie’s crucial disposal misses its mark and enough gold jerseys flood back to cover. Despite scoring four tries already, New Zealand have butchered at least two more.
CONVERTED TRY! Australia 14-28 New Zealand (Faessler, 36)
The 5m lineout is safe but slow, setting up a weak maul that the All Blacks shove towards the touchline. Then out of nowhere Faessler sneaks off the back, drives through Sam Cane, and drops over the line! Lolesio fades over a superb conversion. It’s raining points in Sydney!
35 mins: Scrum penalty against the All Blacks on their own feed on their own 22. Australia kick to the left corner.
35 mins: The lineout is secured and the maul forms, but it’s slow to begin with and stationary in no time. Dickson implores Australia to use it or lose it. They don’t. New Zealand are awarded the penalty.
33 mins: Both sides trade errors: Wilson at the breakdown, then New Zealand stepping into touch. The game proper resumes on halfway with McKenzie doing much better under a White bomb. Ratima box kicks after slow ball but the chase is ragged and Wright can slalom his way past the first row of chasers and into space. Looking left and right he’s desperate for support, but none is forthcoming so he accepts contact. It works, with the All Blacks penalised on the ground and Australia can kick to the 22 on the left.
32 mins: The scrum holds and Koroibete smashes into Ratima, injuring the New Zealander in the process. Then Valetini has a go – but he spills in contact.
30 mins: McKenzie spills a long bomb under pressure from Koroibete and the Wallabies can build off the back of a scrum just inside attacking territory.
29 mins: The lineout is smooth and the All Blacks spread from left to right. The excellent Jordie Barrett straightens things up and New Zealand are motoring. Ioane and Clarke get involved. But for the second time in quick succession Taylor is at fault on the ground and Australia survive.
28 mins: Scrum penalty to the All Blacks on halfway, against Tupou. New Zealand kick to the 22.
CONVERTED TRY! Australia 7-28 New Zealand (Savea, 25)
No, Australia can’t score another set-piece try. They can, however, contrive to concede a howler of their own. After the lineout was fumbled and New Zealand cleared, the Wallabies tried to attack from deep, but the backline was not connected and after Lolesio fed Paisami the black wave crashed over the gold jerseys like a tsunami. Paisami tried to offload to Koroibete but Reece was too quick, pilfering, darting into space, drawing the fullback, then passing inside to the rampaging Savea to touch down under the posts.
McKenzie makes it four from four.
24 mins: Back come the All Blacks with runners invited to hit the line at speed 30m out. More pressure looks inevitable, but Taylor makes a mess of the breakdown and McReight pounces – smashing a kick into open space that bounces fully 60 metres and into touch! That was amazing! Can the Wallabies snaffle another lineout set-piece try?
21 mins: Australia make a mess of the restart but Ionae is penalised for a croc roll at the breakdown and the Wallabies can clear. But again they can’t secure possession downfield and the All Blacks are back on the front foot. McKenzie kicks from halfway and Clarke plucks it out of the sky like a sentient cannonball! Suddenly New Zealand are inside the 22 and menacing. Ratima engineers half a yard of space in traffic, feeds Scott Barrett, and the big skipper can probably reach over the line! But he opts to pass inside instead and hands the ball to a gold jersey!
CONVERTED TRY! Australia 7-21 New Zealand (McReight, 18)
Australia hit back! With their first meaningful attack of the game McReight crosses following a beautiful lineout set-play. Valetini and White with the trickery, McReight the beneficiary, trotting through the bamboozled defensive line.
Lolesio dabs over an easy conversion.
CONVERTED TRY! Australia 0-21 New Zealand (Clarke, 15)
Australia get to work from the restart with White and Valetini busy. This is promising as the move reaches halfway… Then there’s an interception and New Zealand counter.
With momentum on their side the All Blacks bust into the Australian defence with intent. Runner after runner punches a hole, and the ball is recycled quickly with few bodies committed. There has to be an overlap somewhere. It’s on the left. Jordie Barrett spots it, marshals play his way, and two passes later Caleb Clarke is invited to punch his way through a couple of weak tackles from 15m out.
McKenzie curls another beauty from near the touchline and the All Blacks are rampant!
13 mins: The All Blacks are soon back in control though, securing the breakdown time and again, working their attack on both sides of the ball. McKenzie spots a gap on the right, darts on the angle, and Savea looks to be away on the touchline, but there’s a forward pass in the move and the Wallabies survive.
11 mins: New Zealand straight back on the attack with Australia penalised for an illegal clearance. And off the back of a lineout on halfway the gold seas part once more. Ioane again, this time running diagonally infield from the left, a third early try is there for the taking, the ball goes through hands – but it’s intercepted! That was a vital step by Wright, saving a certain five points.
CONVERTED TRY! Australia 0-14 New Zealand (Ioane, 9)
9 mins: New Zealand secure straightforward set-piece ball, gain little ground off the back so McKenzie hoists a garryowen for Koroibete. That sparks a kicking exchange that sees Jordan crushed by Wilson. The All Blacks pay no mind. Clarke does superbly, to punch through midfield. Ratima is quick to the breakdown and takes the game on himself, jogging into open space, waiting for the support runner to feed for the walk-in try. That support runner is Rieko Ioane on the left.
McKenzie curls over his second conversion of the afternoon, this one a beautiful curler from near the left sideline.
7 mins: Australia win their first scrum feed and attack dangerously from right to left. The ball is passed through hands smoothly and at pace. This is a lovely move… until Koroibete, the final link in the chain, spills the pill. Wallabies 🤝 errors.
4 mins: New Zealand get straight back to work, claiming the restart then advancing from 22 to 22 from right to left, through hands. But Lomax is penalised on the ground and Australia get some respite. Not for long though as a clearing kick is charged down – but play is recalled to the original infringement.
CONVERTED TRY! Australia 0-7 New Zealand (Jordan, 2)
The hosts clear their lines, but not far, and the All Blacks get to work. Metres 40 to 20 are earned slowly moving through the phases from right to left, then Barrett spots a gap on the right edge which sends Australia’s defence into disarray. New Zealand sniff blood, and feed Jordan to burst through on an angle from right to left to streak under the posts despite some despairing last-ditch defence.
Good grief, that is a horror start for the Wallabies.
1 min: McKenzie’s drop-kick catches the breeze and Australia fumble it into touch. The All Blacks win easy lineout ball, McKenzie hoists a bomb that Lolesio drops – backwards. Not a great start for the Wallabies.
Kick-off!
Damian McKenzie gets us under way in Sydney…
TJ Perenara leads the All Blacks in the prematch Kapa o Pango haka.
There have been reports of some train delays on the way into Olympic Park but Accor Stadium looks pretty full, aside from the very top tier of the broadcast stand, as the two teams stand to attention for the Welcome to Country and national anthems.
Australia are wearing their First Nations jersey this afternoon, which has a green design woven into the traditional gold. The All Blacks are in their nightmare-inducing gothic number. Unfortunately this version has an awful stiff white collar, making it look like they’re all wearing black t-shirts over white business shirts. Why mess with perfection?
Belatedly, James Slipper trots out onto the Stadium Australia turf, awarded his own entrance to mark his record-breaking day. Shortly afterwards the two starting fifteens join the veteran prop. It’s all very humdrum.
“Nothing says Rugby is strong in Aus like a 3:45pm kick off!” emails Greg Westwood, tongue firmly in cheek. Try 4pm Greg…
The advertised 3.45pm kick-off time can be charitably described as misleading. I wish sports administrators and broadcasters stopped pulling this stunt.
Englishman Karl Dickson is in charge of today’s contest, and here is talking about the latest law changes for the 2024/25 season. Not everyone in the game is happy with the direction of travel.
It’s a beautiful dry and sunny afternoon in Sydney but a westerly breeze could be a factor when the ball is hoisted to the skies.
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has had a word with the host broadcaster.
The week has been good, great to get back together on the back of a disappointing second half in Sante Fe and iron a few things out. At the same time try to take a few steps forward.
The players have worked hard this week. You can never guarantee anything but we know we have to stay connected well, we have to go after the All Blacks because we can’t wait for them, but at the same time we have to do it in an efficient way because we know how well they play.
Schmidt, a Kiwi, and around the All Blacks set-up before he moved to Australia, was asked about he will motivate his adopted nation against his homeland.
I’m more of the rugby guide, a couple of our coaches spark emotion well. I leave them to do that and I help us get organised and grow our skill set so we can cope against one of the best teams in the world.
The build-up to this Test has been dominated by James Slipper, who will become the most-capped Australian in rugby history this afternoon.
In a generation of decline for Australian rugby, Slipper has stood tall. Unlike halfback Gregan, his domain is the scrum, the most brutally confrontational area of the game. Today, Slipper’s face bears the scars of three decades in the engine room – bent nose, pulped ears, battered brows – but his tough nut is quick to split into a grin.
New Zealand XV
Scot Robertson originally made four changes to the side that left South Africa empty handed with Beauden Barrett, Will Jordan and Caleb Clarke all returning in the backs, and Ethan de Groot in the front row. However, just an hour from kick-off Beauden Barrett was withdrawn through illness meaning Jordan shifts to fullback, Sevu Reece comes in on the wing, and Harry Plummer joins the bench, from where he will make his Test debut.
“We have selected an experienced team which has combinations that have played some of our best rugby this season,” All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson said. “The Bledisloe Cup is so revered by both of these teams, we are expecting a classic showdown against our Australian rivals.
“We have acknowledged the rich history of the Cup this week as a team and recognise that history does not bestow any rights. The Bledisloe Cup is always hard-earned and each year is its own chapter in the Bledisloe story.”
1. Ethan de Groot, 2. Codie Taylor, 3. Tyrel Lomax, 4. Scott Barrett (c), 5. Tupou Vaa’i, 6. Wallace Sititi, 7. Sam Cane, 8. Ardie Savea, 9. Cortez Ratima, 10. Damian McKenzie, 11. Caleb Clarke, 12. Jordie Barrett, 13. Rieko Ioane, 14. Sevu Reece, 15. Will Jordan
Impact: 16. Asafo Aumua, 17. Tamaiti Williams, 18. Pasilio Tosi, 19. Sam Darry, 20. Luke Jacobson, 21. TJ Perenara, 22. Anton Lienert-Brown, 23. Harry Plummer
Australia XV
Joe Schmidt has taken an axe to the Australian backs following the second half shemozzle in Santa Fe. Fraser McReight’s return in the back row is the only change to the pack, but there’s another new halves pairing with Nic White and Noah Lolesio reconnecting, Hunter Paisami is in the 12 jersey as he returns from injury, and Tom Wright is recalled at fullback, shifting Andrew Kellaway onto the wing.
There’ll be plenty of attention on the replacements bench too with prop James Slipper on track to surpass George Gregan as the most-capped Wallabies player of all time.
1. Angus Bell, 2. Matt Faessler, 3. Taniela Tupou, 4. Nick Frost, 5. Jeremy Williams, 6. Rob Valetini, 7. Fraser McReight, 8. Harry Wilson (c), 9. Nic White, 10. Noah Lolesio, 11. Marika Koroibete, 12. Hunter Paisami, 13. Len Ikitau, 14. Andrew Kellaway, 15. Tom Wright.
Replacements: 16. Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 17. James Slipper, 18. Allan Alaalatoa, 19. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 20. Langi Gleeson, 21. Tate McDermott, 22. Tom Lynagh, 23. Dylan Pietsch.
The Wallabies have been give Buckley’s chance of regaining the Bledisloe Cup. But as Angus Fontaine writes, that might not be an entirely lost cause.
This most Australian of phrases traditionally conveys a state beyond hopelessness but closer inspection shows convict William Buckley, who escaped in 1803 and was given up for dead, actually defied the grim predictions to survive 30 years in the wild.
Angus Fontaine sifted through the wreckage of Santa Fe.
The second-half absence of Bell and lock Nick Frost hurt the Wallabies, with scrum veterans Allan Alaalatoa and James Slipper, in his record-equalling 139th Test, badly exposed in defence and discipline. Even powerhouse winger Marika Koroibete, 32, was made to look ordinary, forced into touch at full tilt and guilty of fumbles and missed tackles.
Preamble
Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of Australia v New Zealand in round five of the 2024 Rugby Championship. Kick-off at Accor Stadium in Sydney is 3.45pm AEST.
Also at stake is the Bledisloe Cup, with the Wallabies requiring a victory to retain any hope of ending the All Blacks’ 21-year stranglehold on the trophy. Since New Zealand secured the cup in 2003, the best Australia have mustered is six drawn series, most recently in 2019.
The All Blacks are on a seven-Test Bledisloe winning streak, and the smart money is on that run extending to eight. New Zealand are eager to restore pride after suffering a pair of narrow defeats in South Africa, and Australia are, well, not very good. The All Blacks are ranked third in the world as they rebuild under new coach Scott Robertson. The Wallabies are languishing in ninth, roughly equidistant in rankings points between the All Blacks and… Portugal.
Mistakes of the regrettable Eddie Jones era are still being rectified as Joe Schmidt fully comes to terms with the task facing him. The amiable Kiwi began with a hat-trick of wins (unconvincing, but wins nonetheless) but has since seen his rotating cast of auditionees hammered mercilessly by the Springboks and humiliated by the Pumas.
The All Blacks, with three defeats in their past four matches, are by no means an unstoppable force, but they have a trio of Barretts and some of the most exciting players in world rugby to call upon. Robertson has yet to find the special sauce with the national team, but it is surely only a matter of time for the superstar coach that made the Crusaders near-unbeatable in Super Rugby.
If you’d like to get in touch while I’m on, please fire all communication to [email protected].
