All Blacks sink ill-disciplined Wallabies at Eden Park

REPORT: The All Blacks kept their hopes of bagging the Rugby Championship title, beating the Wallabies 40-14 at Eden Park on Saturday.

Just  10 days after securing the Bledisloe Cup for the 20th consecutive year, the All Blacks produced a dominating performance at Eden Park.

*To recap all the action CLICK HERE!!!

Ian Foster’s men rushed to a 17-0 lead at the break and added three tries in the second stanza – threatening a record-breaking with at 32-0 with 20 minutes to play.

For Australia, it is another outing that left them with more questions than answers.

The Wallabies scored two tries, however ill-discipline – which saw them receive two yellow cards – overshadowed their performance.

Will Jordan, Sam Whitelock, Codie Taylor and Samisoni Taukei’aho touched down for New Zealand, with a first-half penalty try underscoring the Wallabies’ lack of composure in the Auckland cauldron.

Late Folau Fainga’a and Jordan Petaia tries spared the Wallabies’ blushes, though rarely in their 22 years of Eden Park pain have Australia been further away from victory.

After pleading for discipline from his side, Australia coach Dave Rennie must have fumed to have one of his forwards in the bin after just 124 seconds.

Jed Holloway, who broke the All Blacks line in the opening minute, was yellow carded for spear-tackling Dalton Papali’i 60 seconds later, his enthusiasm turning to recklessness.

The Wallabies kept the All Blacks out while undermanned – holding up Ardie Savea over the line – and grew in confidence once parity was restored.

Marika Koroibete’s kicking game was on, and the Wallabies lingered long in New Zealand’s last 22, struggling only to finish.

Frustrated for 21 minutes, Richie Mo’unga put the first points on the board with a short-range penalty.

Aaron Smith’s bullet passes set Jordan free soon after, the winger surging past a diving Petaia for the first try of the night.

New Zealand’s second was less elegant, with referee Andrew Brace awarding a penalty try and ordering David Porecki to spend 10 minutes on the sidelines for collapsing the maul.

Still, the undermanned Wallabies fought, with Koroibete denied a try for stepping on the line under the watchful eye of touch judge Mathieu Raynal, who as referee broke Australian hearts with a late time-wasting call on Bernard Foley in last week’s 39-37 loss in Melbourne.

For that miscalculation, Foley was booed with ball in hand all night.

Down 17-0 at the break, the Wallabies defence fell apart after returning to the field.

A fortuitous TMO call brought Whitelock the All Blacks third try, with the power of the Kiwi mauls sending Taylor and Taukei’aho over for their fourth and fifth of the night either side of Fainga’a’s face-saver.

Jordan Petaia, on early in the night after a shoulder injury to Lalakai Foketi, scored in the 82nd minute for another consolation.

The result means New Zealand have given themselves a shot of defending their Rugby Championship title, needing South Africa to win by fewer than 39 points against Argentina to claim the southern hemisphere crown.

Australia, with two wins from six in the championship, will lick their wounds before turning their minds to their northern hemisphere tour.

The scorers:

For New Zealand:
Tries: Jordan, Penalty Try, Whitelock, Taylor, Taukei’aho,
Cons: Mo’unga 3
Pens: Mo’unga 3

For AUstralia:
Tries: Fainga’a, Petaia.
Cons: Foley, Hodge

Yellow card: Jed Holloway (Australia, 2 – dangerous tackle, lifting player horizontal); David Porecki (Australia, 27 – repeated infringements, offside)

Teams

New Zealand: 15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Dalton Papali’i, 6 Akira Ioane, 5 Samuel Whitelock (captain), 4 Brodie Retallick, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Ethan de Groot.
Replacements: 16 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18 Nepo Laulala, 19 Tupou Vaa’i, 20 Hoskins Sotutu, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 23 Sevu Reece.

Australia: 15 Andrew Kellaway, 14 Tom Wright, 13 Len Ikitau, 12 Lalakai Foketi, 11 Marika Koroibete, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Jake Gordon, 8 Harry Wilson, 7 Pete Samu, 6 Rob Valetini, 5 Cadeyrn Neville, 4 Jed Holloway, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 2 David Porecki, 1 James Slipper (captain).
Replacements: 16 Folau Fainga’a, 17 Angus Bell, 18 Pone Fa’amausili, 19 Nick Frost, 20 Fraser McReight, 21 Nic White, 22 Reece Hodge, 23 Jordan Petaia.

Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Matthieu Raynal (France), Pierre Brousset (France)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)

*Additional Source: AAP