All Blacks crush Wallabies 43-21 in Sydney to sweep Bledisloe Cup
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- New Zealand beat Australia 43-21 in Sydney on Saturday.
- Six first-half tries gave the All Blacks a 36-7 lead at the break.
- The win sealed a two-match Bledisloe Cup sweep for New Zealand.
New Zealand beat Australia 43-21 in Sydney on Saturday. The All Blacks scored six tries in the first half. The win sealed a two-match Bledisloe Cup sweep.
The Bledisloe Cup is the trophy for Tests between Australia and New Zealand. New Zealand had already kept the cup after last week. The Sydney Test was still a big game.
Australia wanted pride back. New Zealand wanted a clean sweep. New Zealand got it.
What happened
New Zealand started fast. The All Blacks scored four tries in the first 26 minutes. They led 22-0 before Australia could respond.
The crowd watched a one-sided first half.
Josh Moorby opened the scoring on the left edge. Beauden Barrett crossed next after a strong run from Peter Lakai. Lakai then scored himself after a short pass near the line.
The lead grew fast.
Rieko Ioane came on very early. Quinn Tupaea left the field in the second minute. Tupaea failed a head injury check.
Ioane took his place and scored. A lineout steal from Fabian Holland set up the try. Will Jordan passed to Ioane on the left wing.
Ioane ran in untouched.
A try is worth five points in rugby. A conversion after a try is worth two points. New Zealand kept adding both.
Australia finally scored near the half-hour mark. Declan Meredith passed in the tackle. Jeremy Williams ran onto the pass and scored.
The home fans had hope at last. That hope did not last long.
Williams went to the sin bin two minutes later. The sin bin means ten minutes off the field. The referee ruled him offside.
New Zealand used the extra man at once. Wallace Sititi crashed over for the fifth try.
Barrett then picked off a pass from Max Jorgensen. He ran 70 metres to score his second try. It was his 48th try in the black jersey.
New Zealand led 36-7 at half-time. The game looked over.
The second half started the same way. Moorby faked a pass inside. He strolled over untouched for his second try.
New Zealand led by 36 points. Australia then fought back with pride.
Tom Wright scored for Australia on the right wing. Jorgensen made the break that set it up. Filipo Daugunu added a third try in the 66th minute.
A clever line dropout from Wright started the move. The crowd of 73,399 cheered the late fightback. Australia won the second half 14-7. But the first-half gap was too big.
New Zealand finished the game with 13 men. Samisoni Taukei'aho went off injured late. New Zealand had already used all its subs.
Chay Fihaki made his All Blacks debut in the second half. He was then carded for a head-on-head tackle. His debut ended on the sideline.
New Zealand still held on for the win.
The final score was 43-21 to New Zealand. The All Blacks scored seven tries in total. Moorby and Barrett scored two each.
Lakai, Ioane, and Sititi scored one each. Damian McKenzie kicked four conversions. Australia scored three tries through Williams, Wright, and Daugunu.
Ryan Lonergan kicked three conversions.
Why it matters
The result made it two wins from two in this series. New Zealand had already won 50-19 in Auckland last week. That win kept the Bledisloe Cup in New Zealand hands.
The Sydney win made it a clean sweep.
The win streak now stands at 13 straight Tests. New Zealand have not lost to Australia since 2020. The cup has stayed in New Zealand for a 24th straight year. The old rivalry now looks one-sided.
Australia must find a way to close the gap.
The first half was the whole story. New Zealand scored six tries before the break. Australia could not hold the ball for long spells.
New Zealand were faster and sharper at every breakdown. Australia showed skill in the second half. But a slow start against this team is fatal.
New Zealand captain Codie Taylor praised the first half. He said he was proud of the boys. He said the team backed up last week well.
He called the first 40 minutes awesome.
Australia captain Harry Wilson was blunt. He said he was gutted. He said giving the All Blacks a head start is tough.
He said the display was not good enough. He said the group must be a lot better. He called the series very disappointing.
He said the team must regroup.
Injuries also hurt both teams. Jordie Barrett pulled out before kickoff with a tight calf muscle. Tupaea left early with a head knock.
Fihaki's debut ended with a card. Taukei'aho left injured late. New Zealand still won by 22 points.
For more on the Wallabies, read how one Wallabies winger chose Fiji for the World Cup. Sydney hosted another big game on the same day, as Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers shared the points. In the other rugby code, Australia and New Zealand opened the Rugby League World Cup.
What happens next
New Zealand now head north. On November 8, the tour starts against Scotland at Murrayfield. The All Blacks will take form and confidence with them.
They scored 93 points across two Tests against Australia. Their attack looks sharp.
Australia face hard questions first. The team must regroup after two heavy losses. The coaches must fix the slow starts.
The players must show more fight from the first whistle. Wilson said the group must be a lot better. The next Tests will test that promise.
The Sydney crowd saw both sides of this Wallabies team. They saw a weak first half and a brave second half. The task now is clear.
Australia must play a full 80 minutes. New Zealand showed what that looks like.
The Bledisloe Cup stays in New Zealand for another year. The All Blacks leave Sydney with a sweep and a streak. The Wallabies leave with lessons and a long flight north.
The next chapter comes in Europe.
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