The Wallabies' big unbeaten run
New Zealand have never beaten Australia in a World Cup match, but the Wallabies have not won in New Zealand since 2001 and their last win in Auckland was in 1986.
These are just a few of the intriguing statistics to emerge as we look ahead to the much anticipated World Cup quarterfinal between the Kiwis and Aussies in Auckland on Sunday.
Australia and New Zealand have met in two World Cup matches before, on both occasions in the semifinals and twice the Wallabies won.
It is also worth nothing that the Wallabies had never come into a World Cup play-off match against the All Blacks with better form (in the year of that match) than their trans-Tasman rivals.
We take a look back at some interesting results from the past between these Australasian rivals!]
New Zealand versus Australia at the World Cup:
1991: Australia beat New Zealand 16-6, Dublin in the semifinal
(Australia went on to beat England 12-6 in the Final – New Zealand beat Scotland in the third-place play-off)
New Zealand’s 1991 form leading up to the semifinal:
(Played eight, won seven, lost one)
Saturday, July 6: beat Argentina 28-14, Buenos Aires
Saturday, July 13: beat Argentina 36-6, Buenos Aires
Saturday, August 10: lost to Australia 12-21, Sydney
Saturday, August 24: beat Australia 6-3, Auckland
Thursday, October 3: beat England 18-12, London (World Cup pool match)
Tuesday, October 8: beat United States 46-6, Gloucester (World Cup pool match)
Sunday, October 13: beat Italy 31-21, Leicester (World Cup pool match)
Sunday, October 20: beat Canada 29-13, Lille (World Cup quarterfinal)
Australia’s 1991 form leading up to the semifinal:
(Played eight, won seven, lost one)
Monday, July 22: beat Wales 63-6, Brisbane
Saturday, July 27: beat England 40-15, Sydney
Saturday, August 10: beat New Zealand 21-12, Sydney
Saturday, August 24: lost to New Zealand 3-6, Auckland
Friday, October 4: beat Argentina 32-19, Llanelli (World Cup pool match)
Wednesday, October 9: beat Samoa 9-3, Pontypool (World Cup pool match)
Saturday, October 12: beat Wales 38-3, Cardiff (World Cup pool match)
Sunday, October 20: beat Ireland 19-18, Dublin (World Cup quarterfinal)
New Zealand versus Australia in 1991 (excluding World Cup matches):
Saturday, August 10: Australia won 21-12, Sydney
Saturday, August 24: New Zealand won 6-3, Auckland
2003: Australia beat New Zealand 22-10, Sydney in the semifinal:
(Australia lost 17-20 to England in the Final – New Zealand beat France in the third-place play-off)
New Zealand’s 2003 form leading up to the semifinal:
(Played 12; won 11 lost one)
Saturday, June 14: lost to England 13-15, Wellington
Saturday, June 21: beat Wales 55-3, Hamilton
Saturday, June 28: beat France 31-23, Christchurch
Saturday, July 19: beat South Africa 52-16, Pretoria
Saturday, July 26: beat Australia 50-21, Sydney
Saturday, August 9: beat South Africa 19-11, Dunedin
Saturday, August 16: beat Australia 21-17, Auckland
Saturday, October 11: beat Italy 70-7, Melbourne (World Cup pool match)
Friday, October 17: beat Canada 68-6, Melbourne (World Cup pool match)
Friday, October 24: beat Tonga 91-7, Brisbane (World Cup pool match)
Sunday, November 2: beat Wales 53-37, Sydney (World Cup pool match)
Saturday, November 8: beat South Africa 29-9, Melbourne (World Cup quarterfinal)
Australia’s 2003 form leading up to the semifinal:
(Played 12, won eight, lost four)
Saturday, June 7: beat Ireland 45-16, Perth
Saturday, June 14: beat Wales 30-10, Sydney
Saturday, June 21: lost to England 14-25, Melbourne
Saturday, July 12: lost to South Africa 22-26, Cape Town
Saturday, July 26: lost to New Zealand 21-50, Sydney
Saturday, August 2: beat South Africa 29-9, Brisbane
Saturday, August 16: lost to New Zealand, Auckland
Friday, October 10: beat Argentina 24-8, Sydney (World Cup pool match)
Saturday, October 18: beat Romania 90-8, Brisbane (World Cup pool match)
Saturday, October 25: beat Namibia 142-0, Adelaide (World Cup pool match)
Saturday, November 1: beat Ireland 17-16, Melbourne (World Cup pool match)
Saturday, November 8: beat Scotland 33-16, Brisbane (World Cup quarterfinal)
New Zealand versus Australia in 2003 (excluding World Cup matches):
Saturday, July 26: New Zealand won 50-21, Sydney
Saturday, August 16: New Zealand won 21-17, Auckland
New Zealand versus Australia in Auckland (most recent results):
2011: New Zealand won 30-14
2009: New Zealand won 22-16
2008: New Zealand won 39-10
2007: New Zealand won 26-12
2006: New Zealand won 34-27
The Wallabies’ most recent victories over the All Blacks in New Zealand:
2001: Australia won 23-15, Dunedin (Tri-Nations/Bledisloe Cup)
2000: Australia won 24-23, Wellington (Tri-Nations/Bledisloe Cup)
1998: Australia won 27-23, Christchurch (Tri-Nations/Bledisloe Cup)
1990: Australia won 21-9, Wellington (Bledisloe Cup)
1986: Australia won 22-9, Auckland (Bledisloe Cup)
Australia’s most recent victories over the All Blacks in Auckland:
1986: beat New Zealand 22-9
1978: beat New Zealand 30-16
1955: beat New Zealand 8-3
1949: beat New Zealand 16-9
The All Blacks’s most recent defeats in Auckland:
1994: France won 23-20
1986: Australia won 22-9
1979: France won 24-19
1978: Australia won 30-16
1973: England won 16-10
New Zealand’s 2011 form leading up to the semifinal:
(Played 10, won eight, lost two)
Friday, July 22: beat v Fiji 60-14, Dunedin
Saturday, July 30: beat South Africa 40-7, Wellington
Saturday, August 6: beat Australia 30-14, Auckland
Saturday, August 20: lost to South Africa 5-18, Port Elizabeth
Saturday, August 27: lost to Australia 20-25, Brisbane
Friday, September 9: beat Tonga 41-10, Auckland (World Cup pool match)
Friday, September 16: beat Japan 83-7, Hamilton (World Cup pool match)
Saturday, September 24: beat France 37-17, Auckland (World Cup pool match)
Sunday, October 2: beat Canada 79-15, Wellington (World Cup pool match)
Sunday, October 9: beat Argentina 33-10, Auckland (World Cup quarterfinal)
Australia’s 2011 form leading up to the semifinal::
(Played 10, won seven, lost three)
Sunday, July 17: lost to Samoa 23-32, Sydney
Saturday, July 23: beat South Africa 39-20, Sydney
Saturday, August 6: lost to New Zealand 14-30, Auckland
Saturday, August 13: beat South Africa 14-9, Durban
Saturday, August 27: beat New Zealand 25-20, Brisbane
Sunday, September 11: beat Italy 32-6, Albany (World Cup pool match)
Saturday, September 17: lost to Ireland 6-15, Auckland (World Cup pool match)
Friday, September 23: beat United States 67-5, Wellington (World Cup pool match)
Saturday, October 1: beat Russia 68-22, Nelson (World Cup pool match)
Sunday, October 9: beat South Africa 11-9, Wellington (World Cup quarterfinal)
New Zealand versus Australia in 2011:
Saturday, August 6: New Zealand won 30-14, Auckland
Saturday, August 27: Australia won 25-20, Brisbane
Compiled by Jan de Koning
