Summary
Thank you for joining me tonight, and throughout this Rugby Championship as both the All Blacks and the Wallabies enter new eras.
I’ll leave you with Angus Fontaine’s match report and see you back here for the Autumn internationals.
The Wallabies end a chastening Rugby Championship bottom of the ladder with only one victory from six outings, and conceding over 30 points per game on average. Familiar issues remain: individual skill errors, discipline at the breakdown, and in-game management, especially by the halves. But there are promising signs nonetheless.
The front and back rows are Test class. Tom Wright is getting used to breaking defensive lines from fullback. And there have been long spells in recent weeks that have demonstrated a backs-to-the-wall fortitude. But nobody in the northern hemisphere should fear their arrival in the coming weeks. Joe Schmidt still has a lot of work to do.
For the All Blacks tonight Sititi was outstanding, leading the pack, and behind him Barrett added calmness and perfect timing, that had been lacking with McKenzie at the wheel. But the real power in this side is out wide where Clarke, Jordan, and Lienert-Brown were too fast and too powerful for their opposite numbers.
This New Zealand group is still a long way from the finished article though, and they are unlikely to start favourites on European soil in November against England, Ireland, or France.
There’s now a ceremony on the field for Sam Cane on the night of his 100th cap. Beauden Barrett has the mic and is making a speech – a good one – referencing Cane’s broken neck, before handing over an absurd silver schoolboy’s cap, that Cane wears during a speech of his own.
A fittingly chaotic end to a weird old Rugby Championship for these two sides.
The All Blacks started poorly but still managed to bag three blistering counterattacking tries in the first half. Then they controlled the second without putting the Wallabies to the sword.
The Wallabies deserved to be ahead at the break, showing commitment in defence and bravery with ball in hand. But they faded badly after the break, failing to secure territory and finding themselves being put through the All Black meat grinder.
Full-time: New Zealand 33-13 Australia
An even first-half gave way to a one-sided second as the All Blacks secured consecutive victories over the Wallabies. Another Bledisloe Cup sweep for New Zealand.
78 mins: The 14 men in black soon earn a breakdown penalty as Australia make a mess of their latest attacking opportunity. This one is almost done.
Yellow Card! (Clarke, New Zealand, 77)
Wright breaks the line in midfield then chips to the right for Kellaway to slide onto. He’s tackled but in the afters Clarke, miles offside, picks up the loose ball and passes backwards. He is nonplussed as the yellow card is brandished.
76 mins: Brilliant lineout from the All Blacks on halfway sees McKenzie burst onto the long throw then offload inside to Jordan on the tear. Australia stand their ground though and a couple of phases later Paenga-Amosa wins the turnover on the ground.
75 mins: Australia win lineout ball on the 22 then get into one-out phase play. It’s narrow and lacking momentum, and it’s little surprise when Tosi is too good for Kailea at the breakdown.
73 mins: The lineout is secured and the maul forms. The front three holds firm as bodies fracture left and right. A metre from home… and Wilson fumbles! How did the All Blacks withstand that five minutes of defensive pressure?
72 mins: Australia kick to the corner on the left.
71 mins: Australia get another attacking opportunity but they look unprepared for it with McDermott feeding reluctant one-out runners. Eventually the ball is spun to the left where Paisami breaks the line. There’s room to the left and go-forward from the gold jerseys. Back infield and the Wallabies are burrowing like giant golden gophers trying to find the whitewash. Phases 10 to 20 are identical – and there’s a penalty advantage – but New Zealand stand firm. The ball comes out and through hands to the right but Lolesio is pounded and everything grinds to a halt. Phenomenal defence from New Zealand (albeit not always legal).
68 mins: Sam Cane is applauded off the field on his 100th Test. It may yet be his final one on New Zealand soil. Meanwhile Ratima slices a box kick out on the full.
67 mins: Australia finally get an attack as Wilson breaks the line. But there’s yet another breakdown penalty - the fifth in a row for the Wallabies – and New Zealand clear.
CONVERTED TRY! New Zealand 33-13 Australia (Clarke, 64)
Back come the All Blacks with Sititi again leading the way. Lienert-Brown hits the line hard, then McKenzie, as space opens up down the left. Australia do well to slow things up – for a while – but McKenzie again injects himself into the attack, sweeping around the line from right to left like an NFL receiver on the move. Brilliant incursion, busting open the Wallabies, and Clarke is invited to run over Kellaway, which he does, Lomu-style, taking a couple of bounces along the deck to eventually reach over and score. Brutal wing play after scintillating creativity from McKenzie.
Barrett slots over two more.
63 mins: McDermott tries to run out of defence but he’s ragdolled. After some slow phase play the replacement scrum-half box kicks clear. Australia have not fired a shot this half.
62 mins: The lineout lacks impetus but Taylor splinters off the wobbly maul to get towards the line. A couple of loose carries are adjudged to have gone backwards as the All Blacks go one-out under the posts. This is just blunt force trauma from New Zealand against the Australian line. Surely it is rewarded… yes! Vaa’i comes up with the crucial drive.
But… the try initiates the TMO, who very quickly informs the on-field officials the attack was a comedy of errors.
To add to the confusion, an Australian was yellow carded later in that phase – but that is now rescinded.
Amidst the chaos, TJ Perenara takes his leave.
61 mins: The maul pounds 10m from the lineout and draws a penalty advantage. Another breakdown infringement sees the referee take Wilson aside and warn him a yellow card is on its way if the lack of discipline continues. The All Blacks kick to the right corner. A sense of inevitability is brewing in the Cake Tin.
60 mins: The All Blacks are starting to assert themselves now, passing short, keeping things simple and straight, inviting Australia to make mistakes – which they reliably do. From the latest the ball is kicked ot the 22 on the right.
59 mins: We’ve had Sweet Caroline, we’ve had Why Does Love Do This To Me, so now it’s time for a Mexican Wave in Wellington.
58 mins: Australia have a rare attacking opportunity after defending for most of the half so far, but it’s over before it’s begun after a cute short lineout trick play is penalised for not being delivered straight.
CONVERTED TRY! New Zealand 26-13 Australia (Williams 56)
Sititi does well in the air to secure the lineout. The maul forms, Taylor splinters, and gets 2m from home. Bodies everywhere as the one-out phases crawl across the uprights. Phase six and Perenara has a dart. The cleanout is quick and Tamaiti Williams has enough room to get low and drive into McReight with enough force to score the try!
Barrett cannot miss and the All Blacks are now 13 points to the good.
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54 mins: For the umpteenth time tonight Jordan threatens to bust the game open, tearing into the line at pace, but he’s scragged 15m from home. The All Blacks recycle down the left and Ioane does well to remain in touch to set up some one-out driving for the corner. But play is quickly halted for the penalty allowing Barrett to dab into touch for the 5m lineout.
53 mins: “That was the best defensive passage of play from the Wallabies under Joe Schmidt” argues Morgan Turinui on the telly.
52 mins: Australia’s scrum does enough to win the feed on halfway but Wilson is soon dispossessed in contact. New Zealand then get into some blue collar phase play to settle things down after all the manic madness. The slow-slow-quick creates room on the right for a flyer – but it’s Taylor on the touchline, so he trundles ot the 22 and accepts contact. Phase 10 and the ball is now on the left edge. Patient from New Zealand, happy to eat up the turf in inches… then Ioane drops a simple offload from Cane, and all that hard work comes to nought.
Both coaches must be tearing their hair out at all the individual errors.
49 mins: Now the Wallabies make a mess of the set piece and the excellent Sititi can drive down the blindside. The kick forward creates chaos on the ground but New Zealand get the benefit of any doubt. Perenara then tries to tap and go… and knocks on. Deary me. This is a wild half so far. Neither side is in sync, and there are errors aplenty.
48 mins: New Zealand bungle another lineout, then there’s a knock-on, a nothing kick from Paisami, and it all ends with Lolesio belting a penalty to halfway.
47 mins: The All Blacks come again through Perenara but Kellaway does magnificently with the strip in the tackle. It is chaotic out there this half.
46 mins: So close for the All Blacks! From the lineout Australia go side to side from right to left leaving Pietsch isolated. He tries to kick ahead but can only find Jordan’s bread basket in the defensive line. He returns with intent, chipping ahead for either himself of Ioane, but the ball just wobbles into touch in goal. The Wallabies breathe a sigh of relief.
45 mins: New Zealand go back on the attack from the lineout on the left. Play stalls again so Barrett launches a skyscraping garryowen. The chase isn’t fast enough to disrupt the mark, then Clarke is penalised on the ground and Australia clear to halfway.
44 mins: Australia’s scrum holds firm and the Wallabies run out of their 22 from right to left. Wright then dabs forward a nothing chip and chase and the dangerous Jordan returns it with interest. New Zealand are soon 30m from home and Barrett dabs over the top for Jordan to fly onto. Gordon is well positioned and defuses the danger, kicking clear. Finally, Alaalatoa replaces Tupou.
42 mins: Tupou is in the wars again, this time having work done on a shoulder stinger. He battles on, packing down into the first scrum of the half.
42 mins: Williams takes a superb restart mark but Australia get no go-forward and Lolesio is forced to kick long. The All Blacks are soon into enemy territory with the excellent Sititi to the fore. Play stalls around the 22… then Lomax drops a sitter. That’s a poor individual mistake.
The teams are coming out for the second period, the list of players including Taniela Tupou, who remains active despite looking like he was going to be ruled out after twisting his knee in the opening minute.
Half-time: New Zealand 19-13 Australia
In keeping with this weird and wonderful Rugby Championship, that was a half full of points, some blistering tries, and arguably the better side behind at the break.
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CONVERTED TRY! New Zealand 19-13 Australia (Clarke, 40)
The lineout is secured but the maul takes an age to form. The Wallabies do well initially, but then there’s a second maul – and a penalty advantage. New Zealand exit to the right through hands. It’s expansive and risky and requires Reece to step back in from the right to straighten up. Barrett then makes the move staccato infield, dovetailing with Lienert-Brown to send Clarke bursting through the broken line and under the posts!
Barrett adds the extras well after the half-time siren.
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40 mins: Barrett kicks to the left corner instead of taking the easy three points on offer…
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39 mins: Australia again try to run out of their 22 from the restart, not once, but twice! Bell eventually accepts contact to set up some slow phase play before Gordon box kicks. Jordan accepts the mark then Barrett and Clarke up the tempo. Penalty advantage on the drive as Reece steps in from the right wing. Sititi bunts into the line, then Lienert-Brown follows suit as the attack reaches 10m. Barrett is orchestrating this superbly, but momentum stalls, a pass goes astray, and the advantage is accepted.
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PENALTY! New Zealand 12-13 Australia (Lolesio, 37)
Lolesio dabs Australia back in front from under the dot on the crossbar. They deserve it.
36 mins: The lineout is secured, just, allowing Valetini to crash into the line at serious force. there’s a penalty advantage on the play as the attack reaches 10m from home. Lolesio loops a pass wide for Kellaway to expose his ribs and claim but the winger does his job. From right to left the drive gains impetus. Into the left corner and we’re in one-out drive territory again. Can McReight repeat his earlier try? Nearly! Held up over the line and play is recalled to the earlier advantage.
34 mins: Australia win a scrum penalty on halfway for the All Blacks disengaging. Tupou (yep, still on) receives the back pats as Lolesio kicks to the 22.
33 mins: No harm done for the Wallabies though as Clarke knocks on in contact. This is an oddly out of sorts All Blacks with ball in hand.
32 mins: Australia decide to attack behind slow ball 30m from their own line. It works! Wright steps off his right infield and breaks through the line! Then he throws a needless Hail Mary of a pass to his outside that is nowhere near his winger and dribbles into touch.
30 mins: Australia’s defensive line is flying out, allowing New Zealand to pick their way through gaps as Barrett times his passes superbly. The Wallabies do enough to scramble and the All Blacks are still not connecting in sync, so the attack doesn’t go anywhere, despite lots of noise and energy. Ikitau is then caught high claiming a chip ahead, but the penalty goes New Zealand’s way for an earlier Tupou infringement.
But Barrett doesn’t find touch! Excellent work from Pietsch in Australia’s left corner defensively.
28 mins: Frost slaps away the lineout! Play returns to an arm-wrestle on halfway.
26 mins: Then New Zealand are awarded a penalty after the lineout and clear downfield.
24 mins: Australia go back on the attack and a poor clearing kick gives them lineout ball on the 22. Again the attack is narrow and Lolesio and Ikitau both do well to avoid being turned over on the ground. The drive enters phase 10 without gaining territory, the attack moving laterally from right to left. Phase 14 and Valetini is now almost on the left touchline… phase 15 and Tupou is bundled into touch. Superb defence from the home side, another example of how Australia lack cohesion in the halves and an ability to change momentum when Plan A doesn’t work.
CONVERTED TRY! New Zealand 12-10 Australia (Jordan, 22)
New Zealand win a breakdown penalty in their own half and kick to the left. A nifty lineout set-piece sets up some go-forward and one phase later Will Jordan just carves his way through McReight and Wilson like they’re crash test dummies and scores to the left of the posts. That was alarmingly easy from an Australian perspective, but brilliantly clinical from the All Blacks.
Barrett, who timed the assisting pass to perfection, slots the extras.
20 mins: The All Blacks take out the Australian in the air from the restart so thr Wallabies can kick long downfield. The New Zealand lineout pinches possession but the chain of passes from left to right isn’t crisp and eventually the ball ends in touch. This is a poor start from the home side.
PENALTY! New Zealand 5-10 Australia (Lolesio, 19)
From the restart Tupou (somehow sill on) stays strong over the ball, denying Sititi access, resulting in the Wallaby being unfairly levered away from the contest.
Lolesio makes no mistake from 35m out on the angle.
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TRY! New Zealand 5-7 Australia (Reece, 17)
Australia win lineout ball on halfway and then go through a series of aimless narrow one-out drives. New Zealand turn it over and in the blink of an eye Sititi is dancing and Leinert-Brown is sent throw a narrow gap and into space. He then spirals a majestic pass on his outside to Reece’s chest, allowing the All Black winger to dash along the line, goose step away from Wright’s ankle-tap, and over for five points. One shot is all they needed. Blistering counterattacking rugby.
Barrett misses the conversion attempt from the right.
15 mins: New Zealand win their first scrum feed and Reece carries towards halfway. Taylor takes them into attacking territory then there’s a sharp snipe down the left, the short side. Into the 22, the All Blacks are motoring – then McReight wins a vital breakdown penalty! Who is this team in gold, and what have they done with the Wallabies?
13 mins: New Zealand slow play down at the ruck and after Gordon finally extracts it and spins the ball to the right Paisami coughs it up for the second time in quick succession. The All Blacks can’t capitalise in broken field. The home side have yet to get going.
12 mins: More Australian ball movement, this time from right to left, allows Pietsch to lengthen his stride. The attack drifts infield and the All Blacks are penalised for hands in the ruck. The Wallabies are a team on a mission.
10 mins: New Zealand kick long and Australia almost break through from the restart! The Wallabies take risks on their own 22, sending the ball through hands to the right. Ikitau straightens up, breaks through the lines, finds the offload on his inside, but the desperation to find the score sees the ball go to ground on halfway instead of the ball carrier accepting contact. Bravery and ambition from the visitors. This is an impressive start from the team in gold.
CONVERTED TRY! New Zealand 0-7 Australia (McReight, 8)
Gordon has a dart. Then Williams. Play is camped in this left corner. Can a gold jersey find the final few inches in the collapsed jenga pile of bodies? Yes! McReight dives over the mass of bodies, and is too strong for Savea for the opening score of the match. Richly deserved for the Wallabies.
In perfect kicking conditions Lolesio curls over the conversion nonchalantly from the left wing.
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7 mins: The penalty is kicked to the left corner. Williams pouches the lineout, Faessler peels off the maul and nears the line. Tupou, Bell, and Gordon all try to burrow through. Penalty advantage so the play is spun to the right again, but again that allows New Zealand to reset defensively. Play is called back for a Cane offside and the Wallabies tap and go from 5m out.
5 mins: Back come the Wallabies from the drop out, getting into nine tight phases down the left. There’s a penalty advantage on the drive so Australia spin the ball infield. New Zealand reset and advance their defensive line, so play is called back for a Taylor offside. The visitors on the front foot early.
3 mins: That scrum is reset, as Tupou looks nervously to the touchline. At the second time of asking the Wallabies hold their own and off the bakc Kellaway bursts down the blindside like a jackrabbit. A blistering sortie from the ginger winger, chipping and chasing over Clarke and towards the goalline. It’s a race – Gordon wins! But he can’t touch the ball down! Oh dear! A black jersey touches down to concede the drop out, but that was a massive let off. The Wallabies should be in front.
2 mins: Tupou is being strapped up but his right knee does not look in good order. He twisted under bodies during a low drive. Nonetheless, he packs down for the opening scrum of the night.
2 mins: The kick-off is deep. New Zealand grind a maul to the 22 then Perenara box kicks. Australia claim the mark easily and get to work on halfway. But three phases into a promising drive and Taniela Tupou is in agony on the floor. Play is stopped as the attack threatens to steamroll over him. This looks like an ugly knee injury.
Kick-off!
Noah Lolesio gets things under way in Wellington…
TJ Perenara leads the haka, for what might be his final time on New Zealand soil. Plenty of fire and brimstone in the delivery but Australia were stoically impassive.
God Defend New Zealand is sung beautifully by the Wellington crowd. It came through with a haunting choral effect. Excellent stuff.
During Advance Australia Fair the camera cuts to four visiting middle-aged fans wearing matching gold lamé suits. Never change rugby.
The All Blacks give centurion Sam Cane the honour of running out on his own, and he receives a standing ovation, bringing the Wellington crowd to life. The rest of his teammates follow behind.
The home side are match ready, top to toe in black. The visitors are wearing what look like Helly Hansen sailing jackets on top of their gold jerseys and green shorts,
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Harry Wilson walks his side out of the change rooms and onto the turf to a muted smattering of murmurs and boos.
Tonight’s referee is Georgian Nika Amashukeli. He’s officiated matches featuring both of these sides already this year, during tours from northern hemisphere opposition.
On the telly, Justin Harrison has compared New Zealand’s record in Wellington to… the curse of Oedipus.
It’s been a glorious spring day at the southern end of New Zealand’s North Island, with clear skies and mild temperatures. And it’s about as still as it will ever be in a city nicknamed windy. Perfect conditions for Test rugby.
Curiously, the ground affectionately known as the Cake Tin has not been a happy hunting ground for the All Blacks. They have suffered three defeats (to Argentina, South Africa, and Ireland) and recorded two draws (against South Africa and Australia) in their last five matches in the capital. Mind you, the Wallabies haven’t beaten New Zealand anywhere on enemy territory since 2001.
As the two sides go through their drills Joe Schmidt is prowling around the Wallabies barking out encouragement. You sense from the outside Australia are targeting this match as the one that kickstarts a new era.
There’s half-an-hour or so before kick-off. You might prefer to spend that time following the closing stages of the AFL grand final.
Australia XV
Joe Schmidt has also made minimal changes to his Wallabies XV, retaining the same starting forward pack, while exploring new combinations in the backline. The quest to find a workable halves partnership sees Nic White make way for Jake Gordon, while a wrist injury to Marieke Koroibete sees Dylan Pietsch come in on the wing. The record breaking James Slipper hasn’t recovered from the knock he sustained last weekend, so Isaac Kailea comes onto the bench, where he is joined by Ben Donaldson and Josh Flook.
The result is an inexperienced XV, with just 394 Tests between them and just one man – Taniela Tupou – with more than 50 caps. All but one All Black in the starting XV has at least 20 Tests under their belt.
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. Jake Gordon, 10. Noah Lolesio, 11. Dylan Pietsch, 12. Hunter Paisami, 13. Len Ikitau, 14. Andrew Kellaway, 15. Tom Wright.
Replacements: 16. Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 17. Isaac Kailea, 18. Allan Alaalatoa, 19. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 20. Langi Gleeson, 21. Tate McDermott, 22. Ben Donaldson, 23. Josh Flook.
New Zealand XV
Scott Robertson has named an unchanged pack, but behind it there are significant alterations. The Damian McKenzie experiment has been put on hold, for now, with Beauden Barrett returning to the 10 jersey, and alongside him will be the sympathetically recalled TJ Perenara. Elsewhere, Anton Lienert-Brown comes in for the injured Jordie Barrett.
Both Perenara and former captain Sam Cane (who today becomes just the 13th Kiwi to reach 100 caps) are likely to turn out for the All Blacks in New Zealand for the last time. They are both off to play club rugby in Japan next season, making them ineligible for selection.
“This will be a particularly special night for Sam and TJ and the boys will put in a performance that honours their contribution to this team,” Robertson said. “As a Wellington man and the most-capped Hurricane of all time, we know that TJ is a crowd favourite in the capital and we look forward to him expressing himself on the field in front of friends and whanau at home.”
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. TJ Perenara, 10. Beauden Barrett, 11. Caleb Clarke, 12. Anton Lienert-Brown, 13. Rieko Ioane, 14. Sevu Reece, 15. Will Jordan
Impact: 16. Asafo Aumua, 17. Tamaiti Williams, 18. Pasilio Tosi, 19. Patrick Tuipulotu, 20. Luke Jacobson, 21. Cortez Ratima, 22. Damian McKenzie, 23. David Havili
Angus Fontaine tried to get his head around last weekend’s unlikely nail-biter in Sydney.
New Zealand butchered seven tries in an hour, four with arrogance or ineptitude and three when the TMO found tiny errors in the lead-up. It was the three tries they did score and the 21-0 lead they amassed in the first 15 minutes that snuffed the Wallabies comeback before it began, paving the way for an embarassingly clumsy Kiwi victory.
Preamble
Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of New Zealand v Australia in the final round of the 2024 Rugby Championship. Kick-off at Sky Stadium in Wellington is 7:05pm local/5:05pm AEST/8:05am BST.
The battle for the Bledisloe Cup is over for another year, and neither side can win the Rugby Championship, so context for today’s trans-Tasman clash is mainly vibe based.
Are the Wallabies really awful (second-half v Argentina/first-half v All Blacks) or are they an exciting work in progress (first-half v Argentina/second-half v All Blacks)? Has Scott Robertson unlocked something magical with the mercurial Damian McKenzie running the show (blowing the Wallabies away inside 10 minutes in Sydney) or is the risk/reward simply too great for the fine margins of Test rugby (countless blown try-scoring opportunities letting Australia off the hook and back into the contest).
However you choose to view it, it’s likely to be fun.
This has been a wild southern hemisphere season. The All Blacks have conceded 25 points per game on average this Rugby Championship; the Wallabies 36! The leading try-scorers are Argentina. The Springboks are likely to win the lot despite only briefly hitting top gear and treating the competition as a squad-building exercise.
I’ll be back with squads and more shortly. If you’d like to get in touch while I’m on, please fire all communication to jonathan.howcroft.casual@theguardian.com.
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