VIDEO: Robertson's honest assessment of All Blacks' Bledisloe Cup win

REACTION: New Zealand head coach Scott Robertson praised Australia’s “grit” and lamented how his side let slip a commanding lead in their 31-28 Bledisloe Cup win in Sydney.

After racing out to a 21-0 lead inside 15 minutes on Saturday, New Zealand had to withstand a fierce Australian fightback to retain the prized piece of silverware.

But a win was a win, said Robertson, with the All Blacks back on the right track after two Rugby Championship defeats against South Africa.

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“We found a way to win, I’m really pleased,” he said.

“We’re getting good experience to win these tight games.

“They showed a lot of grit, it just shows how much any Aussie team you play, they just won’t go away,” he added.

All Black captain Scott Barrett agreed with his coach’s assessment of the game.

“It’s a bit of a relief, to be honest,” said Scott Barrett.

“In the last 15 [minutes], we found ourselves in a bit of a hole, but we hung on with a bit of scrambled defence and managed to hang on.

“It’s the nature of the Aussies, they certainly don’t lie down.”

The teams meet again in Wellington next weekend.

Sources: AFP & AAP