The All Blacks took a giant step towards retaining their Rugby Championship title when they clinched a 40-14 victory over the Wallabies at Eden Park on Saturday.
New Zealand started the game level on points with South Africa in the overall standings, and with a 13-point advantage over the world champions, but with them sealing a bonus-point victory ― with a big winning margin ― it means the Springboks will have to beat Argentina by 40 points or more in Durban, if they are to overhaul Ian Foster’s men.
In the end, the All Blacks outscored the Wallabies by five tries to two with Will Jordan, Sam Whitelock, Codie Taylor and Samisoni Taukei’aho crossing the whitewash and they were also awarded a penalty try, while Richie Mo’unga finished with a 13-point haul courtesy of three penalties and two conversions.
For Australia, Folau Fainga’a and Jordan Petaia scored tries and their other points came courtesy of conversions from Bernard Foley and Reece Hodge.
The match started at a frenetic pace with the Wallabies doing the early attacking but they were reduced to 14 men in the second minute when Jed Holloway was sent to the sin bin for taking Dalton Papali’i beyond the horizontal.
The All Blacks were soon on the attack deep inside their opponents’ 22 but the visitors kept them at bay with a solid defensive effort and there were no points scored during Holloway’s stint off the field.
The next 20 minutes was an arm wrestle as both sides battled to gain the ascendancy but the All Blacks eventually opened the scoring in the 22nd minute via a Mo’unga penalty. And shortly afterwards they extended their lead when Jordan found himself in space just outside Australia’s 22 before gliding through a gap in their defence on his way over the try-line.
That try was a shot in the arm for the home side, who continued to build pressure inside Australia’s half and they were rewarded in the 27th minute when referee Andrew Brace awarded them a penalty try. This, after the All Blacks launched a lineout drive close to the Wallabies’ try-line which was pulled down illegally by Dave Porecki, who was also sent to the sin bin for his indiscretion.
The Wallabies needed to respond and they thought they had reduced the deficit on the half-hour mark when Marika Koroibete dotted down in the left-hand corner but his effort was disallowed when television replays revealed that he had a foot in touch in the build-up.
The All Blacks continued to hold an edge and, although they couldn’t build on their lead, they had their tails up with the score 17-0 in their favour at half-time.
All Blacks dominance continues in second half
The hosts continued to dominate after the interval and extended their lead in the 43rd minute when Whitelock crossed for their third try, after barging over from close quarters under the posts.
Mo’unga added the extras, as well as a penalty in the 47th minute, before Taylor crossed off the back of a lineout drive to give his team a 32-0 lead. On the hour mark, the Wallabies finally opened their account when Pete Samu made a break down the left-hand touchline before throwing an inside pass which was knocked backwards by Jordan and Fainga’a gathered before crossing the whitewash.
Despite that score, the All Blacks did not panic and struck back with Taukei’aho’s five-pointer ― scored in similar fashion to Taylor’s off a lineout drive out wide. Mo’unga failed to convert but slotted a penalty in the 76th minute to put more daylight between his team and the Springboks on the Rugby Championship table.
The Wallabies finished stronger, however, and were rewarded with a consolation try from Petaia in the game’s closing stages ― a score which could be significant in the grander scheme of things as it made the Boks’ task a little easier in their upcoming clash against the Pumas.
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