Player Ratings: Australia

OPINION: The Wallabies have fallen to a record 13th straight defeat to the All Blacks, losing 21-43 at Sydney’s Accor Stadium on Saturday. It was the final match in a first-of-its-kind quadruple-header, which began with a dominant Wallaroos win against Scotland.

Beauden Barrett scored twice as the All Blacks took a 36-7 lead into the break. Josh Moorby was first on the scoresheet in the second term, but the Wallabies managed to stop the point-scoring avalanche from there.

Declan Meredith stepped up during his fourth start at fly-half for the Wallabies, but came off with about 10 minutes to go limping. Harry McLaughlin-Phillips became Wallaby number 1001 after coming on as Meredith’s replacement.

Finn Morton rates the Wallabies:

1. Aidan Ross – 5.5/10
Ross came off at half-time, having packed down for just one scrum during a one-sided opening 40. The former All Blacks prop turned Wallaby made six tackles and ran the ball six times during that time out in the middle, but was replaced by Angus Bell. Ross ran the ball hard and got over the gain line, as the Wallabies looked to wrestle some momentum back.

2. Josh Nasser – 6
Nasser hit all but one target at the lineout, but that miss proved costly on the scoreboard. The set-piece has become a strength of the Wallabies this season, but a Fabian Holland lineout steal in the 25th minute led to a Rieko Ioane try soon after. Nasser was otherwise accurate and was one of the team’s top-tacklers during the first half, but a dominant performance from the All Blacks made things difficult for all players draped in gold.

3. Allan Alaalatoa – 5
It wasn’t the type of game that really suits Alaalatoa, who has long been regarded as a top-tier tighthead prop at scrum time. With limited scrums during the first half, Alaalatoa looked to make an impact in general play. The Wallabies veteran was one of the team’s top tacklers before coming off for Massimo De Lutiis just before the 50-minute mark.

4. Jeremy Williams – 6
Williams emerged as a Wallabies hero during the first half, linking up with fly-half Declan Meredith to score a much-needed try. But the second-rower walked off the field about two minutes later, shown a yellow card close to the team’s try line. Williams returned later on and was able to make some noise in both attack and defence, ranked among the home side’s best for tackles made and winning a lineout steal late, as the Wallabies tried to minimise the All Blacks’ control.

5. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto – 5
It was a milestone night for Salakaia-Loto, who was the first Wallaby to walk out onto the field ahead of his 50th Test in gold. The Wallabies started the match well, chasing the opening points as they attacked inside the red one, with the hulking No. 5 lock taking some carries in that phase play. But Salakaia-Loto seemed a bit quiet from then, finishing middle of the pack for both total carries and tackles made. Salakaia-Loto lost one turnover, missed a tackle, and was replaced by Carlo Tizzano early in the second half.

6. Rob Valetini – 5
Valetini walked off the field less than five minutes into the second half, having made the equal-most carries for just shy of 30 metres. ‘Bobby V’ put up some solid numbers in defence as well, but with the All Blacks well and truly in control, these efforts didn’t move the needle. The 28-year-old played just 43 minutes out in the middle, which is his fewest as a starter since the second Lions Series Test on July 26, 2025.

7. Fraser McReight – 6
McReight worked incredibly hard last weekend at Eden Park but wasn’t able to get the reward or purchase for those efforts. It was a similar story at Accor Stadium, with McReight failing to win a turnover in the first 60 minutes. But the openside flanker was one of Australia’s best in defence and he got his hands on the ball plenty as well.

8. Harry Wilson (c) – 6
All Blacks great Justin Marshall described Wilson as “the best number eight in the world” right now after the Bledisloe Cup series opener in Auckland. You can’t fault Wilson’s work rate but the skipper wasn’t able to make the same impact this week, making fewer than 10 tackles. Wilson was the second Wallaby to reach double digits for total carries, behind Rob Valetini.

9. Ryan Lonergan – 6
Lonergan has been the most talked-about Wallaby during the Bledisloe Cup series, with the ACT Brumbies skipper standing out on a consistent basis. The No. 9 continued to steer the team around the park with a reliable kicking game and sent up some contestable high balls for others to chase. Lonergan ran the ball a few times during the first half in a bid to make something happen but was denied by the All Blacks’ defensive wall.

Wallace Sititi was one of New Zealand’s try-scorers, with the backrower peeling off a scrum and then beating Lonergan quite comfortably. It was one moment that stands out from another fairly solid performance overall, which included a turnover at the breakdown inside four minutes.

10. Declan Meredith – 8
Meredith was the form No. 10 during the opening few rounds of the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific campaign, and that level has finally translated to the Test arena. The fly-half appeared supremely confident from minute one, even putting a chip ahead for himself early on. Meredith continued to take the line on himself, helped set Max Jorgensen up for a couple of line breaks, and sent Jeremy Williams over for a first-half try. Despite the dominance of the All Blacks, Meredith still did well enough and can take positives out of the performance.

11. Harry Potter – 5
It was a quiet afternoon for Potter, with the Wallabies going down Max Jorgensen’s wing more often than not in attack. Potter had limited opportunities to run the ball, making one line break from for carries by the 65th minute. Potter was one of the few players to record a dominant tackle, but was also one of at least 12 players to miss two tackles.

12. Isaac Henry – 5.5
Henry was primarily an inside centre after making the step up to Super Rugby level four years ago, but the utility had never started in that role at Test level before Saturday. Coach Les Kiss selected Henry at inside centre, with an injury to Len Ikitau and suspension to Hunter Paisami promoting some change to the midfield.

Henry was involved as the Wallabies produced a couple of exciting moments with the ball during the first half, but was otherwise quiet in attack – despite the score, the Wallabies actually had a slight advantage in the possession battle by the 60th minute. Henry had missed three tackles from eight attempts by that stage too.

13. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii – 5
Suaalii has been getting his hands on the ball more in recent weeks, or at least appearing to make more of an impact, and that trend continued on Saturday. The utility shifted back from the wing to outside centre and made a decent number of carries. But outside centre is often described as the hardest place to defend on the rugby field, and the All Blacks had made Suaalii miss more tackles than anyone else by the 55th minute.

14. Max Jorgensen – 5
No player was more electric or influential in the opening 15 minutes than Jorgensen, who set the Test alight with three linebreaks. But the Wallabies weren’t able to capitalise on those chances, instead falling to a 17-nil deficit in the blink of an eye.

‘Jorgo’ was caught out as the visitors scored their first of the night, with the winger racing out of the line but failing to take the intercept. Josh Moorby practically walked over the line as Wallabies defenders scrambled. Jorgensen had a pass picked off by Beauden Barrett on the stroke of half-time, with the All Blacks veteran racing about 60 metres to the house. Jorgensen had started the afternoon with a series of promising involvements, but was unusually quiet from then.

15. Tom Wright – 6.5
Australia fullback Wright had enjoyed some positive involvements, which included a try during the second half. The No. 15 worked hard to get his hands on the footy, looking to spark something against a confident All Blacks outfit. Wright ran for more than 75 metres, kicked the ball once and made a couple of line breaks. But the 29-year-old missed a couple of tackles too, in what was a tough afternoon for the Wallabies as a collective

Replacements – 5
The bench didn’t seem to make a telling impact against the All Blacks, who played the final 10 minutes with 14 men despite not conceding a yellow card. Angus Bell was one of the best impact players in attack with five carries and the loosehead also made four tackles.

Carlo Tizzano and Josh Canham weren’t able to make their usual level of impact. The Wallabies did end the game with a new-look halves pairing of Kalai Thomas and Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, who started for the Queensland Reds against the British & Irish Lions last year.

Filipo Daugunu scored a try, in what was the highlight play from the replacements, but the centre did make some errors too.

@RugbyPass