Alarming admission as Wallabies slump to record Bledis-low
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Wallabies fullback Tom Wright alarmingly admitted the All Blacks were “hungrier” at Eden Park as Australia’s Bledisloe Cup drought extended into a 24th year on Saturday night.
The visitors were right in the contest at halftime as New Zealand held a 17-14 lead in the first Test of a two-game series in Auckland.
Tom Wright of Australia reacts to the loss. Getty Images
But it was one-way traffic in the second half as the All Blacks finished with seven tries and a thumping 50-19 victory.
“They were probably a little hungrier at the crumbs,” Wright admitted on Stan Sport after the Kiwis surprisingly dominated the aerial contest.
The Wallabies haven’t beaten the All Blacks at the venue since 1986.
New Zealand’s 12th straight win over Australia also set a new trans-Tasman record as Les Kiss experienced his first loss as Wallabies coach.
The last Wallabies coach to beat the All Blacks was Dave Rennie in 2020.
Rennie is now coaching New Zealand after Rugby Australia flicked him in favour of Eddie Jones.
The Wallabies will be playing for pride only in Sydney next weekend.
“We came in with real belief, we came in on a good trajectory,” Wallabies captain Harry Wilson told Stan Sport.
“Tonight was probably a step back for us as we didn’t win those big moments. When you give the All Blacks ball it’s hard to get it back. We’ll review hard and come back a lot better next week.
“We could tell they were hurting from the South Africa series, and gee whiz, they bounced back tonight.”
Wilson was one of Australia’s best, scoring a try and leading the tackle count with a mammoth 27.
All Blacks players celebrate with the Bledisloe Cup. Getty Images
The All Blacks win was marred by a nasty injury to winger Leroy Carter, who was hurt in Rob Valetini’s hip-drop tackle in the act of scoring a try.
“Leroy, yeah, it didn’t look good. Reasonably serious. Sort of like a hip-drop type tackle, landed on the back of his ankle,” Rennie said.
“I’ll leave that for the officials. I’m sure it’s not intentional, but that’s the way the game’s going.”
World Rugby followed the NRL’s lead this week by explicitly banning hip-drop tackles.
The governing body defines those as “where a tackler uses their body weight to pull a player to ground and drops onto the legs of a ball carrier from behind.”
But Valetini may be saved by the fact that the new law doesn’t kick in until November 1.
The All Blacks also lost three forwards - Scott Barrett, Asafo Aumua and Anton Segner - to HIAs.
Wallabies centre Len Ikitau was scrubbed out of the Test for the same reason.
Kiss, meanwhile, didn’t shy away from his side’s shortcomings as they were taught a clinical rugby lesson in the second half.
“The boys are disappointed for sure. The first half, they had a long period where they had control of the game, but the boys stayed in and got some return in their game just before halftime, which was pleasing. We started the second half pretty well, just easy outs through penalties,” Kiss said.
“Next time down there we lost an opportunity, so we didn’t give ourselves a chance to play there through our own doing really. But they also played a fairly savvy game in turning the ball back and putting us under pressure in terms of our field position. You’ve got to take your hat off to them.
“They won the aerial battles, and they profited off those things very well as well. It was just hard to get a footing in that second half, and when we had a chance, as I said, there were two opportunities, and we robbed ourselves of those opportunities.”
The All Blacks won the Bledisloe from Australia in 2003 at Eden Park.
“We were hurting a little bit after the (South Africa series), but it’s awesome to come home, play in front of our fans, our people. We’ve missed it, and to get a result like that, hugely proud of the boys,” All Blacks captain Codie Taylor said.
Codie Taylor of the All Blacks celebrates scoring a try. Getty Images
“This is home for us... you see ex-All Blacks standing on the sidelines. You want to do it for those men, the people that have been before you, and you just want to continue the legacy.”
Declan Meredith’s howler for Will Jordan’s opportunistic late try was the icing on the Kiwi cake as McKenzie’s conversion raised the bat for 50.
Rennie was not in a gloating mood despite the manner of his departure from Australia.
“It’s a tough end for them, but was nice to catch up, and they’ll be hurting,” he said.
All Blacks 50 (Lakai, Vaa’i, McKenzie, Taylor, Carter, Moorby, Jordan tries; McKenzie 6 con, pen) Wallabies 19 (Wright, Wilson, Nasser tries; Lonergan 2 con)
