New Zealand allowed no room for controversy yesterday by beating Australia 40-14 at Eden Park, extending their winning streak at the Auckland stadium into a 29th year and moving clear atop the Rugby Championship table.
World champions South Africa were to play Argentina after press time last night needing a massive win for a chance to take the title.
The first match between the All Blacks and the Wallabies in Melbourne 10 days ago was made contentious by a late time-wasting refereeing decision against Australia that gave New Zealand a scrum from which they scored the winning try.
Photo: AFP
This time there was no such talking point.
The All Blacks scored two tries, including a penalty try, to lead 17-0 by halftime and added three more tries in the second half as Australia paid a heavy price for a lack of discipline.
The Wallabies lost two players to the sin bin in the first half and conceded the penalty try at a collapsed maul.
Photo: AFP
They have been the most penalized team in the Rugby Championship this season and continued in that vein, allowing passion to rule at times when cool heads were needed.
“Playing with two yellow cards in the first half put us on the back foot,” Australia captain James Slipper said. “That’s a very disappointing outcome for us tonight. We wanted to come here and perform. We were really gutted with the result last week. We had confidence coming here, but the All Blacks were too good for us.”
Australia were first reduced to 14 men after two minutes when lock Jed Holloway was shown a yellow card for a lifting cleanout on All Blacks flanker Dalton Papali’i.
Photo: AFP
The Wallabies kept the All Blacks scoreless in Holloway’s absence, even though New Zealand had a series of scrums and a lineout within 5m of their line.
The All Blacks took 22 minutes to put their first points on the board, a penalty to Richie Mo’unga. They followed quickly with the first try of the match through Will Jordan, the winger’s 21st try in 21 Tests.
After strong runs by center Rieko Ioane and prop Tyrel Lomax, the ball was moved wide to Jordan who had too much pace for the stretched Australia defense.
The penalty try came in the 27th minute when Wallabies hooker David Porecki took down an advancing All Blacks maul after a penalty and lineout, and was shown a yellow card.
The Wallabies staged a major comeback from 31-13 down to grab the lead in the Melbourne Test. New Zealand made a rally less likely yesterday by scoring within three minutes of the restart.
After a scrum, Jordan featured in an attack and when the ball was carried to the Wallabies’ posts, captain Sam Whitelock crashed over for his seventh try in his 140th Test.
New Zealand held a major advantage at set pieces throughout the match. At scrums, tighthead prop Lomax was a powerhouse and from a lineout following a penalty in the 53rd minute, Lomax helped drive hooker Codie Taylor over for New Zealand’s fourth try and a 32-0 lead.
Australia got on the board in the 59th minute with a try to replacement hooker Folau Fainga’a.
Flyhalf Mo’unga’s clearing kick was partially charged down and Pete Samu made a strong run down the touchline before his infield pass was deflected into the arms of Fainga’a.
Samisoni Taukei’aho took over from Taylor at hooker and immediately scored from another lineout drive to give the All Blacks a 30-point margin.
Mo’unga added a late penalty and the Wallabies scored a consolation try through center Jordan Petaia after the siren.
“Really, really happy with the defense [and] it was nice to put some good moments on moments there,” Whitelock said after the game. “That’s what we’ve been trying to do all the time and it’s nice when it starts to happen.”
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