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Bledisloe Cup 2020: Australia 5-43 New Zealand – as it happened

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Sat 31 Oct 2020 07.04 EDTFirst published on Sat 31 Oct 2020 03.45 EDT
Richie Mo’unga of the All Blacks dives over to score a try.
Richie Mo’unga of the All Blacks dives over to score a try. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
Richie Mo’unga of the All Blacks dives over to score a try. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

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Summary

In the immortal words of Samuel Beckett: “The sun rose on the nothing new, having no alternative”.

The All Blacks have won the Bledisloe Cup, for an 18th (90th? Umpteenth?) time. In country Australia tired farmers will contemplate more blood sacrifices to forgotten gods; but this might yet need more than just chicken or goat’s blood.

A series that started with such promise - the tied Test of Wellington - where the Wallabies were literally just inches away of a historic win on NZ soil, through the booming penalty attempt of Reece Hodge that faded onto the post.

In fairness tonight, they were never anywhere near it. From Daugunu’s early brain explosion and subsequent yellow card, to a constant litany of handling errors. The All Blacks offered plenty of sloppiness of their own, but the difference was the territory and the amount of time ball-in-hand. And of course, ruthlessness. From broken play. On the counter-attack.

The halves pair of Smith and Mo’unga were back to their mercurial best. Steering their backline; cajoling their forward pack. The Wallabies debutants tried manfully, but were boys against men. Still - a big learning experience for a lot of these young players, and just the hint of steel in Dave Rennie’s voice tells you that they’ll be a lot, lot better next week in Queensland.

Thanks again for you company - New Zealand: Bledisloe champions, once more!

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So - if you’re just joining us - one to remember for ABs fans; one perhaps to forget for Wallabies supporters:

Dave Rennie chats post-match. “Any positives there, Dave?” the very Australian commentary team beseeches. “Third-twenty”. It was indeed a lot better than the first half, you’d have to say - but even that’s generous from the Australian coach.

“The game’s still pretty simple and it’s still about go-forward. And that’s where the All Blacks are impressive. We’ve got a long way to go - we’re disappointed with tonight; we’re better than that.”

The skipper Sam Cane is handed the Bledisloe Cup - he raises it aloft, telling the world’s media he’s looking forward to “filling it up with a few fizzies” (Steinlager that is, if you were unclear).

Great scenes as the All Blacks squad celebrate an 18th Bledisloe Cup win. Well deserved and worthy winners!

We hear from the captains post-game.

“We’re hurting a lot from that,” says skipper Michael Hooper.

“It was great to be back home, we love playing here, but we need to get back to the game plan.”

Sam Cane ambles over, blood streaming down his face.

“The first half, wasn’t anything special, but we capitalised on their mistakes.”

Is it a relief to win his first Bledisloe as skipper? “Oh, it’s more than a relief. It’s incredibly exciting.”

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Full-time: Australia 5-43 New Zealand

And that’s all there is! Koroibete - one of those who can hold their head high for Australia tonight - arrows for the corner, but it’s called a knock on.

No try; no redemptive closer; no avoiding the headlines: a record defeat - the biggest ever win by New Zealand over Australia.

Rieko Ioane helps himself to a five-pointer. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
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80 min: The hooter sounds but the Wallabies chance their arm for one last push. Can they salvage some pride?

79 min: Yellow card! It’s direct contact to the head, but the player was falling into the tackle, so red would have been harsh, you’d say.

And - does that give the Wallabies the chance at least to avoid a greatly unwanted record?

79 min: Penalty against Frizzell who collects Petaia. Ouch - it’s a nasty swinging arm that might have shed some teeth. It doesn’t appear to have been malicious, but it’s very dangerous.

78 min: So, that spot quiz answer tells me 43-6 was the biggest ever winning margin for New Zealand over Australia. Hello.

76 min: The Wallabies chance their arm - you can’t fault the intention. Just the execution. And as they cross inside the All Blacks 22m: another handling error.

And New Zealand look to settle things down, and then contemplate a long-range raid.

Try! Australia 5-43 New Zealand (B. Barrett)

74 min: And some wild celebrations - any sense of resolve from the Wallabies is now flapping in the wind. Not too much to that, but a very nice line from the fullback who joins a set play and arrows through the Wallabies defence.

Two more from Mo’unga, and maybe now those record books might be in danger.

Try! Australia 5-36 New Zealand (Ioane)

72 min: It’s another training ground setpiece - the quick feed, the hook, the ball to No8 who pops for the flying winger on the blindside. Ioane, no mistake as he flies over with the superman dive!

Mo’unga with a tough proposition from the touchline - and he slots it perfectly. Lovely kicking from the fly-half.

70 min: Turnover! And New Zealand looks to tear away, another fabled ABs counter attack. It was nice stuff to put Ioane into a gap before Paisami picks him out well, defensively. The long pass to the touchline is wobbly though, and it’s put down by Papalii.

69 min: So! A chance for some open play - the ABs spread left. Can we build some sets? Nope. There’s a penalty against Sotutu. And Australia kick for touch.

68 min: McDermott gets his first chance to run with ball-in-hand. Sam Cane is down in back play after a head/shoulder clash with Wilson. He’s a bit groggy, the skipper. And that’s the end of the shift from Wilson. There haven’t been too many bright spots tonight for the Wallabies, but this kid - I really like the look of him. He’s replaced for another debutant, fellow Queensland Red, Fraser McReight.

66 min: And on comes Rieko Ioane. Don’t think for a second that he’s not eyeing a five-pointer as well.

A ball out the back, but Scott Barrett drops it cold. Sloppy stuff from the ABs as well. Simmons with a tasty tackle - there’s still plenty throwing themselves around out there, from both sides.

64 min: But - as we’ve seen so often tonight, the opportunity is quickly snuffed out for the Wallabies, but credit some decent defence from the skipper Cane.

Reece Hodge ambles on - that’s the end of the shift for Lolesio. You’d have to say, despite the try, not quite the dream debut, but perhaps one that will fire the youngster to better things.

62 min: A raft of penalties to either side. This has “post-Global pandemic we’re all a little rusty” rugby written all over it.

There’s a tackle off the ball, and Hooper shows his frustration exhorting referee Ben O’Keefe for a yellow card. “That was cynical!”, he fulminates.

He has to settle for a penalty - and they kick for touch to set up a chance at the line from not far out.

Penalty! Australia 5-29 New Zealand

That bends fiercely off the boot, but shapes nicely back and over the dot. Three extras added - he’s been tidy from the boot (and pretty handy ball in hand, you’d have to say).

And on comes Tate McDermott - a third Wallaby debutant. Not the scoreboard he would have hoped, but still time for the scrum-half to try and effect that.

58 min: And on comes Laumape. Do you reckon he’ll fancy a try tonight? I’m chalking one in already.

Wilson gets caught in the middle of bodies, but isn’t able to roll away. It’s an easy penalty award, that - and Sam Cane says, let’s have a look at the three points.

56 min: We reset for a scrum, not far from halfway. A decent push initially to the Wallabies, but the ABs push back, and Tupou is penalised for pushing up and raising the scrum. Ach, right intent, but perhaps wrong execution.

54 min: Scrum penalty earned by Taylor and friends. “Tongan Thor” Taniela Tupoa comes on with Faisani also replacing Simone.

Both sides shuffling their benches - it is after all that stage of the contest.

Good work from Daugunu on this occasion, who gets himself well placed over the ball and forces a penalty for Australia.

It’s been stop-start stuff tonight. Can either side string a few sequences?

52 min: Deary me. Lolesio with two running options, and he splits Hooper and Wilson, and throw a near un-regatherable ball for the “gun from Gunnedah”, who puts it down.

You have to say - they’re looking more like the error-riddled Wallabies of Game II, not the (relatively) well-disciplined unit of Game I.

49 min: Sheesh, there really are some turnovers in this one. If you’re any of the sides watching on from the northern hemisphere you’d definitely think this is a match involving the world’s No7-ranked side; but you might wonder that it also contains the All Blacks.

Nic White tries the sharp response down the short side and crafts a clever chip and chase - but it’s straight into touch.

47 min: And it’s the ABs front line that goes down! A huge penalty win for the Wallabies forwards, who clear their own lines courtesy a clearing kick to touch.

Paenga-Amosa finds the new man Simmons with the lineout - a chance to spread the backline, but after a few broken/indifferent plays, it’s the veteran Whitelock who stands over Haylett-Petty and earns the penalty for not releasing. Can’t coach experience.

46 min: Coles tries a quick throw from the lineout, but it’s not in straight. And that’s his last action as Cody Taylor and Alex Hodgman trot on for NZ.

Scrum feed for Australia - it’s a big push from the All Blacks, but they don’t earn a penalty. Instead a reset as both sides stand up.

45 min: A break in play as the second-rower Salakaia-Loto suffers what appears a nasty knee twist. He tries to run it off, but can’t.

Rob Simmons sees early action off the bench. LSL shakes away tears - that’s a real blow to the Wallabies.

Try! Australia 5-26 New Zealand (Lolesio)

42 min: HELLO. They started the first half with a stupid inexperienced yellow card. They start the second, the Wallabies, with a fine passage of play.

Petaia gets round his opposite number, and Goodhue is beaten, before an inside ball finds the debutant, crashing through the bodies - and it’s a first ever try for Noah Lolesio!

It’s a pretty average conversion attempt from the youngster - he stabs at that and Australia pass up a getable two points. Still: they’re on the board, the home side.

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Second half!

40min: And we’re back! Once more into the fray etc.

The ABs kick off and there’s a few settling phases for the Wallabies. Beauden Barrett flies high to claim a White kick; before ABs knock on and Petaia gets his first chance to pin the ears and run at the line!

Martin Turnbull has written in:

Hi Richard, this is rather abysmal from the Wallabies. Do you know the biggest AB winning margin against the ‘woeful Wallabies’?

Eep. I should know this off the top-of-my-head; I’m pretty certain they equaled it last year. Let us know, you rugby anorak/cognoscenti.

I’d ask: “Your thoughts on that first 40?” But a quick glance below the line let’s me know that in no uncertain terms.

“I honestly cannot remember a top tier side defend this badly in years”.

“Well that was an embarrassment.”

“This is a massacre.”

Ahhh. I feel one again the warm glow of Wallabies disappointment. Always best after the merest flicker of fleeting hope (Game I).

Half-time: Australia 0-26 New Zealand

And that’s all she wrote. A much-needed chance for the Wallabies to regroup.

Nic White at half-time expresses the primary emotion as “frustration”. “No disrespect, but we’ve haven’t made them even do a real lot. It’s our own mistakes”.

A heroic effort needed from Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper if he’s to lift his troops. Photograph: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images
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39 min: ABs, ball in hand just inside their own half. Some decent contacts from the Wallabies as Paenga-Amosa lines up a hapless man in black.

But it’s a harrowing error from Daugunu - as the ball sails straight through his arms; off the boot and ricochets perfectly (of course) into the waiting arms of Mo’unga!

He’s away through the middle, but good cover at the back, a little slip, and then a tiny handling error as he attempts to offload spares the Wallabies further embarrassment.

36 min: Petaia with the dropped ball in the contact. ALB - a comparative veteran of 40+ caps - lines him up expertly.

Some running repairs on the skipper Cane, who gets the white toilet paper headband treatment.

34 min: Simone takes on the line - and he’s lost the ball in a one-on-one strip. My, it’s not been the debuts from him and Lolesio that Rennie would have hoped for.

In fairness there’s some scrappiness from both sides as NZ turn it straight over, before Lolesio kicks for the corner, but just rolls it dead in-goal.

22m restart, ABs.

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33 min: NZ win a throw against the feed - it’s all going ABs. But a relieving penalty spares the blushes and gives Australia a chance to kick for the sideline; settle down, and try and play ball in hand.

32 min: So here are some championship minutes for the Wallabies. They don’t have too many “old heads” out there - but they’ll need them to regather and marshall the troops now, because this is starting to look like it could slip dangerously into a rout.

Try! Australia 0-26 New Zealand (Coles)

30 min: They contest the lineout at two, Australia but it leaves them susceptible to the drive. The big ABs forward pack consolidates and powers - and over they charge; and who’s underneath it all: the veteran Coles!

He deserved a try earlier, perhaps. And now he’s got it!

Mo’unga slots the conversion nicely - right over the dot.

29 min: Peels of excitement from the crowd - it’s another loose ball, and they canter with ruthless precision into counter-attack mode. Goodhue kicks for the corner, and Lolesio is isolated and doesn’t release. Clarke looms over him - penalty New Zealand!

Try! Australia 0-19 New Zealand (Mo'unga)

27 min: Hello. Did somebody say broken play? Loose balls in midfield - against the ABs?!

It’s a lovely little chip over the line and it’s a flying Richie Mo’unga who regathers and runs untouched to the line.

No mistake from the same player with the boot; 2/3 and two more added.

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25 min: Daugunu forces the round the corner offload - but it’s into touch. He threw a few in game one that didn’t stick. You wonder if the Australian skills coaches would think: why not, back yourself; or...

24 min: So. What can the Wallabies muster now? A fine take from Haylett-Petty before Hooper earns some metres up the guts. Daugunu looks to take on Clarke down the touchline; but the second-capper is good enough to put him into touch.

A bit of extras there afterwards as well - what a contest that is looking to be for the next 56 minutes.

Australia 0-12 New Zealand (Mo'unga)

21 min: It’s a training ground special! The ABs get Mo’unga one-on-one with the big Wallabies hooker Paenga-Amosa. He drops the razzle-dazzle, the twinkling toes, and he’s round and in in the corner for a try! Lovely move from the All Blacks.

It’s a decent attempt from the touchline with the boot, but the conversion attempt just slides across the face; unsuccessful.

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