New Zealand beat Australia 16-7 at Westpac Stadium in Wellington, thus retaining the Bledisloe Cup and taking a strong step forward to Tri-Nations success. They were full value for their victory as they dominated the match far more comprehensively than the score suggests. The Wallabies were brave in defence, in which the weather was their ally.
Wellington was wet -- not especially windy -- but wet as the rain teemed down, handling was iffish and footing uncertain.
From Stephen Larkham's first kick-off which went directly into touch, the All Blacks had almost total domination of the first half. The Wallabies had one foray into the All Black 22 while the New Zealanders were several times close to the Australian goal-line. In the second half, too, the Wallaby went twice into the All Blacks 22 -- and scored once!
In the first half the All Blacks threw into 18 line-outs, the Wallabies into seven, which is part of the story of getting possession. True the All Blacks lost three but the Wallabies gave up three as well.
In the second half the All Blacks were not penalised at all, while the two penalties which the All Blacks scored both came from some form of foul play. For the first Brendan Cannon punched Keven Mealamu in the face in what looked like gratuitous violence. For the second, just before the end, Stirling Mortlock tackled Tana Umaga high.
After his first failed kick-off, Larkham followed with more flops as the Wallabies appeared unnerved in the absence of George Gregan and in the face of pressure. Larkham may well have had his worst match in the Wallaby jersey. Lost without Gregan?
Both teams, the best ball-handlers in the world of rugby, battled with passing, but the All Blacks more than the wallabies as they tried to attack.
The Wallabies threatened first when Justin Harrison charged down a Mils Muliaina clearance but Doug Howlett saved and Clyde Rathbone was penalised.
That was the best of the first ten minutes.
Muliaina broke past Stirling Mortlock and the move was carried on until Muliaina kicked and Chris Latham saved.
Kees Meeuws, twice penalised at scrums, worked a clever move at a line-out and the All Blacks attacked but lost the ball.
They got a ball they did not deserve soon afterwards when the referee adjudged the Wallabies to have carried over and gave the All Blacks a five-metre scrum but a skidding pass became a scrum which became a penalty and relieved the pressure on the wallabies -- temporarily.
The All Blacks had a good moment from a line-out when Mealamu threw short to Chris Jack who set off with Mealamu to within three metres of the line.
After Daniel Carter had been short with a kick at goal when Phil Waugh stamped on a player some distance from the obvious ball. he goaled one when Al Baxter was penalised at a scrum. Carter later missed one when Bill Young was penalised for playing a man without the ball.
That made the half-time score 3-0 to New Zealand.
The second half was marred by an ugly fight. Cannon punched Mealamu who objected. They were not the only fighters as Justin Harrison, who expressed his dislike for Justin Marshall, and Carlos Spencer also appeared to be doing the punching. In the end both hookers -- Mealamu and Cannon -- were sent to the sin bin, Australia were penalised and Carter made it 6-0.
Twice in the half Chris Whitaker was forced to carry over an All Black grubber. From a five-metre scrum the All Blacks bashed, Joe Rokocoko came from the left and threw a long pass to his right and Doug Howlett had an easy passage to the line. Carter converted. 13-0.
The game looked safe for New Zealand who carried on attacking.
Then the Wallabies had two chances, one slight, one realised, both from kicks.
Lote Tuqiri had a long kick but Howlett got back, Wallabies did not arrive and Justin Marshall cleared.
Then Matt Giteau kicked high and seemingly innocuously. But Rokocoko dropped and slipped to the ground. Mortlock dived onto the ball and surfed over under the bar. Giteau converted. 13-7, but that was that -- the Wallabies had no other chances in the match.
With a minute to go Mortlock was penalised and Carter kicked the straight-forward kick over.
Man of the Match: Brave as Stirling Mortlock was, and hard as Chris Whitaker tried, the Man of the Match has to be an All Black, the question is who. Chris Jack had a huge game, Keven Mealamu was all action and courage, blotted copybook apart, Tana Umaga was always a handful and Mils Muliaina full of life. But our choice was eventually between Marty Holah who was here there and effectively everywhere and our eventual choice brave, strong, decisive Justin Marshall on a night when the scrum-half had to be good.
Moment of the Match: There was the joy of Doug Howlett's try, there was Simon Maling's skidding pass, and there was the unedifying fight. But our moment is Stirling Mortlock's dive onto the ball as he surfed it over in the wet.
Villain of the Match: Brendan Cannon and Keven Mealamu were the men with the yellow cards in which Cannon looked more guilty than Mealamu.
The Teams:
Australia: 1 Alastair Baxter, 2 Brendan Cannon, 3 Bill Young, 4 Justin Harrison, 5 Nathan Sharpe (c), 6 Radike Samo, 7 Phil Waugh, 8 David Lyons, 9 Chris Whitaker, 10 Steve Larkham, 11 Lote Tuqiri, 12 Matt Giteau, 13 Stirling Mortlock, 14 Clyde Rathbone, 15 Chris Latham
Reserves: Jeremy Paul, Wendell Sailor, Matt Henjak, Matt Dunning, George Smith
Unused: Matthew Burke, Daniel Vickerman
New Zealand: 1 Carl Hayman, 2 Keven Mealamu, 3 Kees Meeuws, 4 Chris Jack, 5 Simon Maling, 6 Jono Gibbes, 7 Marty Holah, 8 Xavier Rush, 9 Justin Marshall, 10 Carlos Spencer, 11 Doug Howlett, 12 Daniel Carter, 13 Tana Umaga (c), 14 Joe Rokocoko, 15 Mils Muliaina
Reserves: Jerry Collins, Andrew Hore
Unused: Nick Evans, Craig Newby, Greg Somerville, Byron Kelleher, Sam Tuitupou
Attendance: 38000
Referee: Rolland a.
Points Scorers:
Australia
Tries: Mortlock S.A. 1
Conv: Giteau M.J. 1
New Zealand
Tries: Howlett D.C. 1
Conv: Carter D.W. 1
Pen K.: Carter D.W. 3
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