The All Blacks have mauled the Wallabies to put one hand on the Rugby Championship, belting an ill-disciplined Wallabies 40-14 in the second Bledisloe Cup Test at Auckland's Eden Park.
With the Bledisloe Cup already in the bag, the All Blacks embarrassed the Wallabies, threatening a record-breaking defeat at 32-0 with 20 minutes to play.
Late Folau Fainga'a and Jordan Petaia tries spared those blushes, as the Wallabies failed to halt their 36-year losing streak against the All Blacks at Eden Park.
Will Jordan, Sam Whitelock, Codie Taylor and Samisoni Taukei'aho touched down for the hosts, with a first-half penalty try underscoring the Wallabies' lack of composure in the Auckland cauldron.
After pleading for discipline from his side, Wallabies coach Dave Rennie must have fumed to have one of his forwards in the sin-bin in the third minute.
Jed Holloway, who broke the All Blacks line in the opening minute, was yellow carded for spear-tackling Dalton Papali'i 60 seconds later, his enthusiasm turning to recklessness.
The Wallabies kept the All Blacks out while undermanned — holding up Ardie Savea over the line — and grew in confidence once parity was restored.
Marika Koroibete's kicking game was on, and the Wallabies lingered long in the All Blacks' 22, struggling only to finish.
Frustrated for 21 minutes, Richie Mo'unga put the first points on the board with a short-range penalty.
Aaron Smith's bullet passes set Jordan free soon after, the winger surging past a diving Petaia for the first try of the night.
The All Blacks' second was less elegant, with referee Andrew Brace awarding a penalty try and ordering David Porecki to spend 10 minutes on the sidelines for collapsing the maul.
Still, the undermanned Wallabies fought, with Koroibete denied a try for stepping on the line under the watchful eye of touch judge Mathieu Raynal, who as referee broke Australian hearts with a late time-wasting call on Bernard Foley in last week's 39-37 loss in Melbourne.
For that miscalculation, Foley was booed with ball in hand all night.
Down 17-0 at half-time, the Wallabies defence fell apart after returning to the field.
A fortuitous TMO call brought Whitelock the All Blacks' third try, with the power of the home side's mauls sending Taylor and Taukei'aho over for their fourth and fifth of the night either side of Fainga'a's face-saver.
Jordan Petaia, on early in the night after a shoulder injury to Lalakai Foketi, scored in the 82nd minute for another consolation.
The result means the All Blacks have given themselves a shot of defending their Rugby Championship title, needing South Africa to win by fewer than 39 points against Argentina on Sunday morning AEST to claim the tournament crown.
The Wallabies, with two wins from six in the championship, will lick their wounds before turning their minds to their Northern Hemisphere tour.
AAP
