QANTAS WALLABIES OVERPOWERED BY NEW ZEALAND IN BLEDISLOE CUP OPENER
The Qantas Wallabies have suffered a 42-8 defeat to a rampant New Zealand in The Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup opener in front of 65,328 at ANZ Stadium in Sydney tonight.
First half injuries to Matt Giteau (ankle), Matt Toomua (head) and Rob Horne (arm) depleted the home side, while the visitors looked slick from the opening whistle, running in four tries in the opening stanza to take an unassailable 32-3 lead into the break.
Crucially, all three players who left the field injured for the Wallabies – Giteau in the 10th minute, Toomua (30th) and Horne (39th) were all playing at inside centre at the time.
New Zealand, clinical and powerful took full advantage of Australia’s troubles to run away with the match and put a strong stamp on the 2016 Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup.
The men in gold registered first points for the night through a penalty goal to Bernard Foley in the 3rd minute of the match, but from there it was all New Zealand.
Ryan Crotty outpaced three defenders on his way to the tryline, finishing superbly after he found open space off some slick All Blacks passing.
After a pair of penalty goals to stretch the lead out to 13-3, it was Beauden Barrett who tore through the Wallabies defence to score the visitors’ second.
Only five minutes later the All Blacks were in again, after Jerome Kaino charged down a Foley kick and regathered himself to score.
Waisake Naholo finished off some more sublime lead up work to register the New Zealanders’ fourth five-pointer on the stroke of half time.
Down to the bare minimum in available backs and with reserve scrumhalf Nick Phipps occupying the left wing, the Wallabies fought hard in the opening fifteen minutes of the second half before eventually the visitors struck again, this time through replacement hooker Dane Coles.
The Coles try was quickly followed by another on the opposite side of the field to replacement winger Julian Savea, extending the lead to 42-3, where it would stay until Phipps finally broke through for the only try of the night for the Wallabies with just five minutes left to play.
Despite a brave second half effort, conceding two tries to one, the Wallabies never came close to matching their Trans-Tasman rivals as the All Blacks recorded their biggest win over the Australians since 1996 and biggest ever victory on Australian soil.
It was a five-star performance from All Blacks man of the match Beauden Barrett, who orchestrated the midfield masterfully and finished the night with 17 points from a try, three conversions and two penalty goals.
The Qantas Wallabies continue their Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship campaign with a return clash against New Zealand in Wellington next Saturday (August 27).
How it happened:
3 mins: Bernard Foley pen, AUS 3-0 NZL
6 mins: Ryan Crotty try, Beauden Barrett con, AUS 3-7 NZL
16 mins: Beauden Barrett pen, AUS 3-10 NZL
22 mins: Beauden Barrett pen, AUS 3-13 NZL
26 mins: Beauden Barrett try, con AUS 3-20 NZL
31 mins: Jerome Kaino try, AUS 3-25 NZL
40 mins: Waisake Naholo try, Beauden Barrett con, AUS 3-32
HALF TIME
56 mins: Dane Coles try, AUS 3-37
59 mins: Julian Savea try, AUS 3-42
75 mins: Nick Phipps try, AUS 8-42
FULL TIME
New Zealand 42 (Ryan Crotty, Beauden Barrett, Jerome Kaino, Waisake Naholo, Dane Coles, Julian Savea tries; Beauden Barrett 3 cons; 2 pens) defeated Australia 8 (Nick Phipps try; Bernard Foley pen)
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