The All Blacks team secured a convincing victory over the Wallabies with a score of 43:21 in Sydney on Saturday, thereby increasing their winning streak against the Australian squad to thirteen matches.
New Zealand scored seven tries compared to three for the home side, highlighting the significant gap between the teams following the crushing 50:19 win in Auckland last week, which allowed them to retain the Bledisloe Cup.
Before the first half, New Zealand led 36:7, before the hosts managed to partially mitigate the damage at the packed Stadium Australia.
New Zealand captain Cody Taylor expressed pride in the team after the first half, noting that it was not easy to maintain a high level of play after the previous week. He mentioned that the team played confidently in the first half, but the second period was different.
Australia last managed to beat New Zealand in Brisbane in 2020, when Dave Rennie, the current All Blacks coach, was leading the Wallabies. At this same Sydney stadium, a World Cup rugby group match will take place in a year, and Wallabies coach Les Kiss has time to prepare to change the situation.
Both teams are heading to Europe to conclude the Nations Championship, where Kiss and Rennie will face difficult decisions regarding squad selection as preparations for the World Cup gain momentum.
Australian captain Harry Wilson did not hide his disappointment after another defeat. He stated that it is difficult to compete against a team of the All Blacks' caliber, which gains an advantage at the start of the match. Wilson emphasized that the current group result is insufficient, and the team needs to significantly improve its play given the upcoming major tour of the country.
The daytime match, played in front of 73,399 spectators, started at a very intense pace. The All Blacks, who received a blow before the start due to Jordi Barrett's injury, faced strong early pressure.
However, they managed to overcome it and initiated their own attack, culminating in winger Murphy deceiving two defenders. This opened the floodgates, and veteran fullback Beauden Barrett crossed the line again five minutes later. Two minutes later, the score was 17:0, and the game was effectively over thanks to flanker Lakaia, who supported the attack after Damian McKenzie's break in the center.
Disappointment continued for Australia when Ioane's speed and power allowed him to run out of bounds after the Wallabies lost their lineouts. Australia managed to earn a try through Williams, but he was disqualified for offside, and the All Blacks capitalized on the numerical advantage. Citi scored a few seconds later from a scrum, and Barrett kicked his second after an interception and a 75-meter run, leading New Zealand to a 36:7 lead at halftime.
The second half unfolded similarly, with Murphy once again becoming the hero after a devastating counterattack, brilliantly deceiving the defenders and scoring in the corner. Kiss made changes to his forward line, and Australia began to fight back, scoring a second try thanks to good work by Max Jorgensen, who assisted winger Wright.
The match turned into a tense confrontation when the Wallabies gained momentum, and substitute Doughaghn went past a tired New Zealand player. In the last 10 minutes, the New Zealand team played with a man down, and in the final five minutes, with two players short.