New Zealand has one hand on the 2022 Rugby Championship trophy after their infamous victory over Australia at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne last week.
New Zealand needs to secure a winning bonus point at fortress Eden Park and hope Argentina can do the defending champions a favour against South Africa.
- The Kiwis are on a 47-match unbeaten streak at Eden Park since a 1994 defeat to France.
- The All Blacks have won their last four Tests against the Wallabies; the last time the Kiwis enjoyed a longer winning run against the Aussies was a seven-match span from August 2015 to August 2017.
- New Zealand has won their last 22 Tests on the bounce against Australia in Auckland by an average margin of 18 points per game.
- The last time the Wallabies defeated the All Blacks in the City of Sails was a 22-9 victory in September 1986 (36 years ago).
- Australia hasn’t won in New Zealand since 2001.
- Ian Foster’s erratic side has won three of their last four Tests (L1), including each of their last two; his team had won only one of their six matches before this span (L5).
Team statistics:
- Australia has a 92% goal-kicking accuracy in 2022 (33/36), 11% higher than any other Tier One nation, and 14 percentage points higher than New Zealand (78%).
- Australia (171) and New Zealand (168) have made more tackle breaks than any other Tier One nations in 2022.
- New Zealand scored eight tries when starting possession from a scrum, the most this year and six more than Australia (2).
Player statistics:
- Samisoni Taukei’aho (4) is the tournament’s top try scorer, tied in first place with Juan Martín González.
- Sam Whitelock will play in his 34th Bledisloe Cup Test, equalling Richie McCaw’s trans-Tasman record.
- Rieko Ioane (24) and Ardie Savea (21) have made dominant contact on the most and third-most carries of any players in 2022 (Garry Ringrose – 22 for Ireland).
- Will Jordan has made 10 line breaks, double the tally of Tom Wright (5).
- Marika Koroibete has beaten 23 defenders in 2022, the most by any player this year and two more than Rieko Ioane (21).
- Caleb Clarke (473m), Rieko Ioane (433), and Jordie Barrett (325m) lead the way in metres carried.
- Koroibete, Ardie Savea and Damian Willemse are all tied top of the charts with seven offloads each.
Match detail
We are waiting for the kick-off.
In the meantime, have a look at the match preview.
PEEEP! We are underway at Eden Park in Auckland.
2.00: A much better start for the Wallabies, but the visitors conceded an early penalty after a promising attack inside the Kiwis’ 22.
3.00: YELLOW CARD! Jed Holloway is off for foul play on Dalton Papali’i. 0-0
5.00: I’m not sure what is wrong with Dave Rennie’s men and all their dangerous tackles throughout the 2022 Rugby Championship, but things are getting out of hand.
7.00: Marika Koroibete gets back to save the day, but an All Blacks scrum leads to a penalty after an attack gets held up.
9.00: Caleb Clarke has the ball stripped by Jake Gordon, although Gordon knocked on for another attacking home scrum.
10.00: Another penalty, this time for offsides by Bernard Foley. Richie Mo’unga kicks to the corner.
11.00: Superb work at the ruck by Australia to win a clearing penalty. Australia survives. Just.
13.00: The visitors win a turnover penalty after a mistake by Mo’unga in midfield saw the hosts lose possession. Foley boots to the NZ 22. Holloway is back.
15.00: It’s end-to-end as both teams counter-attack from inside their 22s; however, nothing comes from both attacks as the Kiwis kick to touch.
17.00: Australia’s attack ends with another handling error as they begin to find their mojo. Dave Rennie’s side will need to take their chances because we all know how these games end at Eden Park.
19.00: Australia has conceded four turnovers and penalties and made three handling errors.
21.00: It’s all New Zealand, who wins a penalty inside the visitor’s 22. The referee calls over James Slipper to warn him about the mounting penalties in quick succession. Mo’unga calls for the tee.
21.00: PENALTY! Mo’unga opens the scoring from in front. 3-0
23.00: TRY! Will Jordan finishes off a patient attack after taking Beauden Barrett’s pass to run around Jordan Petaia before cutting inside Jake Gordon to score his 21st Test try in 21 Tests. 8-0
25.00: CONVERSION! The kick is good. 10-0
28.00: PENALTY TRY! David Porecki pulls down the driving maul. 17-0
28.00: YELLOW CARD! David Porecki is off for 10 minutes. 17-0
29.00: Australia kicks a penalty to the corner; they need points now.
30.00: NO TRY! Marika Koroibete dots down next to the corner flag; however, the winger’s foot was in touch. 17-0
32.00: Australia tap-and-go, but are held up for a goal-line dropout.
33.00: All Blacks are leaking penalties themselves. The ref talks to De Groot and Savea.
36.00: Rennie’s men cannot take any of their chances; instead, the Kiwis look like scoring every time they attack.
38.00: Pete Samu saves the day, winning a relieving penalty near his try line.
40.00: Foley intercepts, but is caught. Nothing comes from the attack as the teams head to the shed.
The halftime score was All Blacks 17 Wallabies 0
41.00: PEEEP! We are back underway in the City of Sails.
43.00: TRY! Sam Whitelock loses the ball as he tries to dot down under the poles, but the TMO decides the stand-in skipper scored the try. 22-0
44.00: CONVERSION! The kick is good. 24-0
47.00: PENALTY! Mo’unga slots the easy penalty goal. 27-0
49.00: A knock-on by Andrew Kellaway gives the Kiwis an attacking scrum around the halfway line.
54.00: TRY! Codie Taylor grabs his 16th Test try from another powerful driving maul. 32-0
56.00: MISS! The kick is wide. 32-0
59.00: TRY! Folau Fainga’a, the Brumbies’ try machine, takes advantage of Mo’unga’s charged down kick to score his sixth Test try. 32-5
60.00: CONVERSION! Foley makes no mistake from out wide. 32-7
62.00; Good defending by Australia, but they make a mistake after the scrum to gift the Kiwis a short lineout.
65.00: TRY! Another bulldozing maul sees Samisoni Taukei’aho crash over for his eighth Test try. 37-7
67.00: MISS! Mo’unga hits the post. 37-7
71.00: It’s all a bit messy now, the Aussies have lost their heart.
74.00: New Zealand is piling on the pressure, they need as many points as possible to settle the title in their favour.
77.00: PENALTY! Mo’unga increases his side’s lead to 33. 40-7
79.00: South Africa could use a converted Wallabies’ try at the end.
82.00: TRY! Petaia crashes over at the death. 40-12
83.00: CONVERSION! Reece Hodge cannot miss it. 40-14
FULL TIME
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The final score is New Zealand 40 (17) and Australia 14 (0)
Scorers
New Zealand
Tries – Jordan, Penalty try, Whitelock, Taylor, Taukei’aho
Pen – Mo’unga (3)
Con – Mo’unga (2)
Drop –
Cards –
Australia
Tries – Fainga’a, Petaia
Pen –
Con – Foley, Hodge
Drop –
Cards – Holloway (Yellow, 3′), Porecki (Yellow, 28′)
Match Officials
Referee: Andrew Brace [IRE]
Assistant Ref 1: Matthieu Raynal [FRA]
Assistant Ref 2: Pierre Brousset [FRA]
TMO: Ben Whitehouse [WAL]
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