The All Blacks have snatched a pulsating 39-37 win over the Wallabies in the opening Bledisloe Cup Test following a controversial refereeing decision in the final minute of the match in Melbourne.
The Wallabies, leading 37-34, were awarded a penalty in the 79th minute only five metres out from their goal line, with fly half Bernard Foley opting to kick for touch.
Having already warned Foley about delaying tactics, referee Mathieu Raynal judged the Wallabies' playmaker was wasting time as he prepared to send the ball into touch and sensationally awarded the All Blacks a free kick, from which they took a scrum.
The All Blacks won the scrum and sent the ball right, with Jordie Barrett crashing over in the corner after the full-time siren to seal the win.
Raynal was met by a chorus of boos from the sold-out Docklands crowd, with the result ensuring the All Blacks retained the Bledisloe Cup and kept alive their hopes of claiming the Rugby Championship.
The climactic incident came after the Wallabies had fought back from 31-13 down to lead the All Blacks in the shadows of full-time.
Back-to-back tries to Andrew Kellaway and a Pete Samu five-pointer helped the Wallabies level the score at 34-34, before Nic White landed a long-range penalty goal to push the hosts ahead by three points in the 77th minute.
With full-time approaching, the All Blacks were on the attack deep inside opposition territory when Wallabies inside centre Lalakai Foketi forced the late penalty at the breakdown, seemingly ensuring the home side victory.
That was until Raynal made his call on Foley, allowing the All Blacks to snatch the victory.
Earlier, the Wallabies made a poor start, with a misjudged kick-off reception helping the All Blacks enjoy early territorial advantage.
The All Blacks made the most of the opportunity and with the added benefit of back-to-back penalties, they crossed for the opening try in the fourth minute of play.
Samisoni Taukei'aho touched down for the try following a driving maul off a line-out, allowing Richie Mo'unga to convert and establish a 7-0 lead, which he soon added to with a penalty goal.
After conceding the first five penalties of the match, the Wallabies finally won favour from Raynal to earn a shot at the sticks inside All Blacks territory, with Foley – playing his first Test since 2019 — slotting three points from the tee in the 17th minute.
After Kellaway had a try disallowed, the Wallabies were not to be denied with their next scoring opportunity, as Rob Valetini was able to crash over from close range for a converted try to level at 10-10, which was the half-time score.
Discipline proved to be an issue for both sides as the match progressed. The All Blacks lost Dalton Papalii to a yellow card in the 25th minute, while the Wallabies finished the first half without Tom Wright and Darcy Swain.
Starting the second half with 15 players on 13, the All Blacks struck immediately to score inside the first minute after the break.
Taukei'aho finished off a slick attacking movement to add a second try to his tally, before Mo'unga converted for a 17-10 advantage.
Foley cut the All Blacks' lead to four points via a penalty goal, but the Wallabies soon found themselves down a player when Jake Gordon was shown a yellow card.
The All Blacks pounced on the numerical advantage, with Mo'unga slicing his way through the Wallabies defence to score the visitors' third try of the match.
He added the extras to extend the All Blacks' lead to 24-13 and was called upon soon after when Will Jordan collected a Beauden Barrett chip kick on the full to score a brilliant try.
The converted try established the 31-13 lead in the 55th minute prior to the Wallabies' launching their late fightback.
The Wallabies' loss means the All Blacks have held onto the Bledisloe Cup since 2003.
The two sides meet again at Auckland's Eden Park on September 24.
Look back at how the action unfolded in our blog.
Key events
- 'A disgraceful decision': Tim Horan
- 'It lacks a bit of feel for such an important moment in the game': Rennie
- 'Hard one to swallow': Kellaway
- Mooney blasts 'criminal' decision
- 'One of the worst calls I've ever seen': Allana Ferguson
- All Blacks retain the Bledisloe Cup
- Full time: Wallabies 37-39 All Blacks
- 80+1' Try All Blacks
- 76' Penalty Wallabies!
- 73' Try Wallabies
- 67' Try Wallabies!
- 61' Try Wallabies!
- 55' Try All Blacks
- 52' Try All Blacks
- 51' Yellow card Gordon
- 46' Penalty Wallabies
- 41' Try All Blacks
- Half time: Wallabies 10-10 All Blacks
- 37' All Blacks denied a try!
- 36' Yellow card Darcy Swain
- 36' Yellow card Kellaway
- 26' Yellow card Dalton Papali’i
- 26' Try Wallabies
- 21' Wallabies no try!
- 18' Penalty Wallabies
- 10' Penalty All Blacks
- 4' Try All Blacks
- Kick off
- All Blacks make two changes
- Wallabies team news
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Live updates
By Simon Smale
Wallabies lose a heart-breaker
OK, we'll wrap things up here.
It was a stunning, extraordinary Test match, and that's without the incredible finale.
The Wallabies lost, but the rumblings over the controversial refereeing decision by Mathieu Raynal will go on and on.
Thanks for being here with myself Simon Smale and my colleague, Luke Pentony this evening.
The Wallabies will have another chance to beat the All Blacks and break a 36-year hoo doo when they travel to Auckland next week.
However, they'll have to wait another 12 months to have another shot at the Bledisloe.
Good evening.
By Simon Smale
Discipline hurt the Wallabies
When is Rennie going to wake up to the fact that you cannot win games at this level if you can’t keep 15 guys on the pitch for 80 minutes
- Todd Watkinson
That's a good point Todd.
The Wallabies were poor with their discipline. Again.
By Simon Smale
You win some you lose some with decisions
The ref was a total bunny. Even though the decision made at the end was utter rubbish, so was Kellaway’s try off a forward pass from Foley. Got to get rid of refs like this from the game…
- Tim
That was a forward pass, you're right, Tim, so perhaps things evened out in the end?
By Simon Smale
'A disgraceful decision': Tim Horan
Tim Horan is not holding back.
"I thought it was a disgraceful decision from the referee," he tells Stan Sport.
"I thought he cracked under pressure.
I reckon you could have another 15 referees, bit referee from world rugby that would have taken that calmly and wouldn't have been awed by the experience.
"There's 90 seconds left in the game and he cracked under pressure, in one of the biggest games here in Australia.
"It's a disgraceful decision and World Rugby need to look at it.
"The big referees make decisions at that late part of the game and are calm about it. I just thought it was a disgraceful decision and I think everyone in the stadium and watching probably thinks the same thing.
He continues.
"We've been in big Test matches where referees are calm under pressure in the last couple of minutes.
"It was a terrible decision.
"I actually thought he refereed pretty well in the game but he cracked under pressure in the last 90 seconds.
"It was a terrible decision.
"People were stunned.
"Even if that was against the All Blacks I wouldn't agree with the decision."
By Simon Smale
What just happened?
We got played a bit of the audio there, although the full explaination was talked over by the Stan hosts, which is disappointing to put it mildly.
Here's what we got.
Foley talks to his pack.
"Ten," referee Mathieu Raynal says.
There's a pause.
Foley looks behind again and gets ready to kick.
The whistle blows.
"I told you, I told you," Raynal says.
"But time is off," Foley says.
Another blow of the whistle.
'Time off," Raynal says.
"I will explain it," Raynal says as Wallabies crowd around him.
"Time off. Time off," Raynal says again as players all crowd together.
"No, can I explain it?" Raynal says.
"TIme is off, I'm about to kick it," Foley says as White comes in.
"I said first, we play. Then I time off," Raynal says.
And that's where we're talked over.
Iain Payten of the SMH has this handy,. second-by-second guide though
By Simon Smale
'It lacks a bit of feel for such an important moment in the game': Rennie
Here's Wallabies coach Dave Rennie on Stan Sport.
"I'm gutted for our men because I reckon we deserved better.
"It was a hell of a game of footy.
"We got a couple of yellow cards and found ourselves 31-13, so to get ourselves back in front showed a lot of character and it's a disappointing way to lose it."
Rennie says that he has listened to the audio of the incident and spoke to Bernard Foley.
"What we knew was the time was out and he told the boys to play, to play, but the clocks stopped, so there's no real urgency to do that, yeah, I dunno, it lacks a bit of feel for such an important moment in the game and so, kick it out and lets play out the last couple of minutes.
"I reserve comment on that," he says when asked whether it's the worst thing he's ever seen.
"It's a tough one to take."
By Simon Smale
'Hard one to swallow': Kellaway
Andrew Kellaway has been speaking to ABC Sport too.
"First time I've seen that in rugby," he says.
"Well done to the ref on knowing the rules I suppose.
"Hard one to swallow, that."
By Simon Smale
Mooney blasts 'criminal' decision
ABC Sport commentator Phil Mooney is not impressed.
"I really am speechless. I've been watching rugby for a long time, and I've never seen that penalty given. Ever," he says.
"I'm sorry, but that's criminal."
By Simon Smale
More thoughts on the decision
He was warned early about delaying tactics not the ideal way to lose for any team and not the ideal way for any team to win but we will take it just like you would
- Al kiwi 52
Here's the view from across the ditch.
By Simon Smale
'I just think it's disappointing': Foley
Bernard Foley is speaking to Stan Sport now.
"We were just understanding the lineout call," he says.
"The ref said time off, and he sped it up.
"I just think it's disappointing how good a game that was, yet we're talking about the referee."
By Simon Smale
What did the referee do?
The referee may have a job to do but what exactly was his job in that instance? I saw a man about to kick the ball when the ref blew his whistle. What’s the difference with a conversion kick, when players take different amounts of time to kick?
- J
J, and plenty more of you, are pretty peeved with the referee.
The referee was telling Foley to kick the ball and get on with things essentially.
He ruled that Foley did not do so.
Players kicking a conversion have 60 seconds to kick the ball, including lining it up.
The kicking for touch is more arbitary, but I think the telling point for me was seeing Lalakai Foketi screaming at Foley to kick it before he was pinged.
They knew, the Wallabies were just taking too long.
By Simon Smale
The All Blacks are presented with the Bledisloe Cup
Make that 21 years of hurt...
At this stage, I'm stunned they even take it out of their trophy cabinet.
By Simon Smale
'A classic Bledisloe Cup game'
James Slipper is speaking again.
"That was a classic Bledisloe Cup game," he says.
"We are on the wrong side of the result but I'm super proud of how we played tonight. Once again, I have to give credit to the ABs, once again.
"For our boys, this one is going to hurt but we will go again next weekend in Auckland."
Sam Cane also says that it was a classic.
"A lot of carnage. A lot of injuries, including both skippers," he says.
"What are classic Bledisloe Cup match. To win on the buzzer, we are delighted."
By Simon Smale
'One of the worst calls I've ever seen': Allana Ferguson
Allana Ferguson just called the decision to award a free kick to the All Blacks at the end, "one of the worst calls I've ever seen from the ref".
By Simon Smale
'The most gutting way to finish a game': James Slipper
Here's Wallabies skipper James Slipper, who left the field at half time with a calf injury.
"Absolutely gutted. I actually don't know what to say. We really wanted to put in performance tonight and we just fell short there.
"That's probably the most gutting way to finish a game, in my opinion.
On that late call.
"It's hard to see it from where I was on the bench.
"We were confident. We felt like we had momentum in the last 20 minutes.
"The All Blacks are a good team. When you play the All Blacks you have to make everything count and take your opportunities. Everything in that last 20 minutes was in our hands.
"We blew it.
"We've got to back up next week.
"I think it's going to take a while to get over this one.
By Simon Smale
'It could have gone either way': Whitelock
Here's Sam Whitelock, All Blacks captain.
"It was an amazing game," he says,.
"Both teams had a never say die attitude. I don't know how many times the lead changed there at the end, but both teams have momentum at different stages, it could have gone either way."
At the end, he says both teams wanted to "stay nice and calm, nice and clinical and the boys did that."
On the attrition rate of the match.
"If you look at both sides, there's a lot of ice, there's people on crutches, there's guys with headaches, it is always physical and hard and we saw again tonight.
"It's quite good this game is on Thursday, we will need time to rest, both sides I think.
"We're looking forward to playing them in Auckland."
By Simon Smale
Jed Holloway: 'The referee has a job to do'
Jed Holloway is speaking on Stan Sport.
It's his first Bledisloe.
"Super disappointed, just like every Australian is here," he says.
"They were really good. Such good contest. Amazing to be part of it."
On that finale.
"We had the momentum. Just disappointing we couldn't put it to the corner and make a contest there.
"The referee has the job to do. to ref the way he sees it, that's what he saw and we were not good enough to front up there.
"Props to New Zealand. They were great, they are a world class team and have been for 20 years.
"We have to go back to the drawing board now."
By Simon Smale
Gutted Wallaby fans
Absolutely gutted!
- Pa
I'm sure you're not the only one Pa.
By Simon Smale
Full time: Wallabies 37-39 All Blacks
I don't know where to begin.
Mathieu Raynal has been booed off the field.
He'll be the centre of all the post match discussions, make no doubt about that.
Nick White was stopped from taking to the referee afterwards.
It's not the last we'll hear about it.
It was a remarkable Test match though, one for the ages.
But, after 80 minutes of exhilarating rugby, the All Blacks have come from the dead to win a thriller.
