The All Blacks claimed a decisive 33-13 victory over the Wallabies, completing a Bledisloe Cup sweep in an impressive display of rugby.
The match began with a strong start from the Wallabies, who took an early lead of 10-5 following Fraser McReight’s try in the seventh minute. The All Blacks quickly responded, with Sevu Reece scoring from a break by Anton Lienert-Brown. Noah Lolesio added a penalty for Australia, but Will Jordan’s solo effort put the All Blacks ahead at 12-10 just after the first quarter.
The Wallabies maintained their physical approach, allowing Lolesio to kick another penalty before the All Blacks took charge, with Caleb Clarke scoring just before halftime to give his team a 19-13 lead.
In the second half, the All Blacks controlled the game, scoring through Tamaiti Williams in the 55th minute and Clarke again ten minutes later, increasing their lead significantly. Despite the Wallabies’ efforts, they could not penetrate New Zealand’s defense as Sam Cane celebrated his 100th Test match with a win.
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt expressed frustration over losing possession in the second half, noting that while the first half showed promise, they failed to capitalize on opportunities.
Captain Harry Wilson reflected on the team’s improved performance but acknowledged the need for better results, stating that finishing the tournament this way was disappointing.
The final score saw the All Blacks clearly dominant, underlined by their impressive tries and solid performance.
All Blacks 33:
Tries: Reece, Jordan, Clarke 2, Williams
Conversions: B. Barrett 4/5
Wallabies 13:
Tries: McReight
Conversions: Lolesio 1/1
Penalties: Lolesio 2/2
Teams:
Wallabies: Tom Wright; Andrew Kellaway, Len Ikitau, Hunter Paisami, Dylan Pietsch; Noah Lolesio, Jake Gordon; Harry Wilson (capt), Fraser McReight, Rob Valetini; Jeremy Williams, Nick Frost; Taniela Tupou, Matt Faessler, Angus Bell
Replacements: Brandon Panega-Amosa, Isaac Kailea, Allan Alaalatoa, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Langi Gleeson, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Josh Flook
All Blacks: Will Jordan; Sevu Reece, Rieko Ioane, Anton Lienert-Brown, Caleb Clarke; Beauden Barrett, TJ Perenara; Ardie Savea, Sam Cane, Wallace Sititi; Tupou Vaa’i, Scott Barrett (capt); Tyrel Lomax, Codie Taylor, Ethan de Groot
Replacements: Asafo Aumua, Tamaiti Williams, Pasilio Tosi, Patrick Tuipulotu, Luke Jacobson, Cortez Ratima, Damian McKenzie, David Havili
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
Assistant Referees: Karl Dickson (England), Damian Schneider (Argentina)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (France)