All Blacks retain Bledisloe in thriller
By David Beniuk, 23 Aug 2009
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- Bledisloe Cup, Dan Carter, new zealand all blacks, robbie deans, Rugby Union, Tri Nations, wallabies
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The Bledisloe Cup is gone again for the Wallabies after All Blacks five-eighth Dan Carter kicked a 79th minute penalty goal to give his side a heartstopping 19-18 Tri Nations Test victory at ANZ Stadium.
Carter, making his return to international rugby after six months out with a snapped Achilles tendon, lined up the difficult kick after Australia had run into trouble near their own line, and kicked home to grab the one-point advantage in a thrilling match.
Australia launched a late attacking raid in a bid to snatch a win after leading for most of the match, but were unable to handle when it counted, signalling the beginning of the celebrations for the New Zealanders.
The Wallabies now head into a seventh year without the Bledisloe Cup, with holders NZ leading the four-match series 2-0, and the defeat also virtually means the end of their Tri Nations chances.
But a spirited performance may save the scalps of several players who were reportedly under pressure heading into the game, something coach Robbie Deans could also be expected to be feeling.
“I’m not going to go belly-up … we do this because we love the contest,” Deans told Saturday night’s press conference.
“It was there for us but still it’s not quite there.
“They’re masters at getting home and we’re working hard at acquiring that art. We’re making headway but we haven’t acquired it yet. I’m pretty confident we will.”
Five-eighth Matt Giteau said the side still believed they could pull a victory out of the fire after Carter’s crucial kick.
“We were quite composed in what we wanted to do, how we thought we ‘d get the ball back and hopefully try and kick a penalty or get some points,” he said.
“There was always that belief … I think that’s why everyone is as disappointed as we are.”
The All Blacks scored the only try of the match, through Ma’a Nonu in the 64th minute, but predictions of a boring kick-fest were wide of the mark as the crowd of 80,228 were kept enthralled.
After a first half in which Australia kicked four penalty goals to one despite not dominating territory, to lead 12-3 at the break, the Wallabies needed to hang on for dear live against a second half onslaught from the Kiwis.
The All Blacks were denied two tries in less than two minutes by referee Jonathan Kaplan but a massive weight of possession in the second half had to give and it did in the 64th when, after a Giteau clearance had been charged down, Nonu handled twice in a sublime movement to score.
Carter’s conversion gave the All Blacks their first lead since the fourth minute at 16-15.
That was shortlived, however, as Australia finally raided NZ territory and came away with another Giteau penalty goal and an 18-16 lead.
Discipline was again an issue for Australia, with No.8 Richard Brown sinbinned for his second straight Test, in the 43rd minute for a lifting tackle on All Blacks prop Owen Franks and prop Al Baxter hooked in the first half after a scrum penalty.
“I don’t imagine his teammates would have been very excited,” Deans said of Brown’s yellow card.
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August 23rd 2009 @ 9:05am
DT said | August 23rd 2009 @ 9:05am | Report comment
I can’t agree that it was a good match to watch, if you think there was a lot of ball in hand it’s a sad reflection of the state of rugby. Exciting finish notwithstanding, that was one of the poorest matches I have seen in a long time. Both teams relied on the pointless up and under, although at least when the All Blacks did it they usually had chasers, and the amount of unforced errors was staggering. The All Blacks were bad and the Wallabies were worse but still should have won.
The Wallabies seem to be going backwards and some major changes are needed to . Giteau’s kicking game was poor again, I’m starting to agree that he and Barnes should swap,Mitchell continues to underwhelm (although maybe he should be at fullback) and it’s about time Ashley-Cooper, Hynes and Turner started to see some ball. In the forwards, Sharpe’s slow motion act is a painful throwback to the Jones era and some more aggression and ball security is desperately needed.
I can’t imagine the Springboks are too concerned about anything they saw last night.
August 23rd 2009 @ 9:06am
LeftArmSpinner said | August 23rd 2009 @ 9:06am | Report comment
turgid stuff. watch grade or school boys for proper rugby: Skilful, exciting, passionate and expansive
August 23rd 2009 @ 9:16am
Ben C said | August 23rd 2009 @ 9:16am | Report comment
The skill levels on both sides was pretty ordinary. Surprisingly so as this is an area where the All Blacks are usually supreme.
The crowd at the stadium got excited in the last 20 minutes or so of the second half when the scoreline tightened up but otherwise seemed pretty disinterested by the Wallabies excessive and aimless kicking and the All Blacks inability to string more than a couple of passes together.
Rocky Elsom was not the saviour as he plays too loose. All of our so called tight forward (except Robinson) play too loose. Why do our forwards position themselves in the centres thinking to make a great tackle or score a try in the corner rather than man up at the breakdown?
The All Blacks gained ascendancy at the breakdown in the second half, dominated possession and (as my brother said to me at the match) it was inevitable that the All Blacks would convert possession to points as they have the discipline and mindset (even if the skills were low) to do so and that Australia would have a last chance and bungle it. Well done the All Blacks, superior discipline and mental stamina won out.
Hopefully now that the Tri-Nations is a lost cause Deans will finally bite the bullet and start with some wholesale changes.
Frankly, after the Tri-Nations matches so far, I may have to subscribe to Setanta as by all accounts the Six Nations is going to be more interesting than any Southern Hemisphere rugby presently available. Time to dig out my old Ireland jersey.
August 23rd 2009 @ 9:24am
Pippinu said | August 23rd 2009 @ 9:24am | Report comment
The skill level was pretty ordinary in the first half – that’s for sure – but – it was tough, tight and intense – the Wallabies have to be credited for causing those skill errors in the first half – we just didn’t have petrol tickets to go on with it in the 2nd half.
By the 78th, we were absolutely dead on our feet – and that was the cause of the winning penalty.
August 23rd 2009 @ 9:43am
van der Merwe said | August 23rd 2009 @ 9:43am | Report comment
Take away the cliffhanger ending and this match becomes distinctly mediocre.
August 23rd 2009 @ 9:53am
Matt said | August 23rd 2009 @ 9:53am | Report comment
As others have mentioned, a suprisingly low level of skill (ABS passing and positional play flyhalf and I.C), Wallabies kicking.
What is wrong with our forwards that they can’t commit numbers to the breakdown? If it’s a coaching issue then woe betide us. If it’s a player issue, drop those players who can’t find the energy to go and do their job.
As for kicking, the flyhalf’s job is to relieve pressure, not build it through gifting the ball to the opposition. I almost threw the remote at Mitchell in the second half as well.
And as for the F<*king box kick. Never ever ever ever in our own half, Burgess (especially when you are crap at it anyway).
I thought the Wallabies showed good intensity at times, but they don’t seem to know how to build pressure when they are in front (I suppose a kicking game is required for that).
I agree with the chorus, Barnes to flyhalf. Baxter to retire. Sharpe replaced by ..anyone. AAC to retain O.C even if Mortlock is fit, and a dozen Rocky’s to be found ASAP.
August 23rd 2009 @ 9:56am
Gary said | August 23rd 2009 @ 9:56am | Report comment
As far as I’m concerned the real score was 7 – nil to the Blacks and as much as it hurts to say it, they deserved the win.
Maybe the answer to promoting running rugby is to significantly increase the number of points for a conversion and perhaps reduce the points for any other form of goal. So the kickers still get tehre chance but the team would have to score a try to givethem their chance at goal.
5 points for a conversion making a total of 10 for a converted try should do it.
August 23rd 2009 @ 10:21am
Hayden said | August 23rd 2009 @ 10:21am | Report comment
Gary – don’t think that will encourage running rugby, just more emphasis on defence. The key is to commit forwards to where they should be doing their dirty work, thereby opening up gaps for the backs to exploit. IMHO FWIW.
August 23rd 2009 @ 10:34am
Mr Mac said | August 23rd 2009 @ 10:34am | Report comment
I have often thought something like that would be good. Historically, was not the object of the game to score a “try” so as to kick a goal. Was that how the name “try” came into being – it gave the team a chance to Try” and kick a goal.
Also maybe reduce the penalty to 2 – but what about a field goal – still 3?
I also think the AB’s coach Henry had an interesting thought about marks any where in the field is a positive in reducing the kicking.
August 23rd 2009 @ 10:02am
Hayden said | August 23rd 2009 @ 10:02am | Report comment
Personally I hope Deans persists with Giteau at 10. The Aussies will never fire with him there. Surely in line for international rugby’s Most Overrated Player in that position.
August 23rd 2009 @ 10:08am
JustinB said | August 23rd 2009 @ 10:08am | Report comment
Agree. But only since Lote was booted out has Gits become rugby’s MOP.
August 23rd 2009 @ 10:46am
Hayden said | August 23rd 2009 @ 10:46am | Report comment
Too true.
August 23rd 2009 @ 11:43am
wannabprop said | August 23rd 2009 @ 11:43am | Report comment
Giteau certainly overrated – how can you have a fly half with such an abysmal kicking game in general play – he was shown up (again) by a guy just easing his way back after injury FFS. Don’t agree about Lote – overrated maybe (as is basically most of the team), but the wallers could’ve really used him last night.
Apart from that (too gutted to go on about the woes of the wobblies), congrats to ABs – they always looked in control to me, and deserved to win.
August 23rd 2009 @ 10:05am
Nashi said | August 23rd 2009 @ 10:05am | Report comment
The only thing that made this game so enthralling was the scoreboard. It was not a spectacle of running rugby.
The game was there to be won by either team until the final whistle. The ABs showed they have the right stuff to finish a game, clearly the Wallabies do not. There was an air inevitablity about the ABs try. You could just see that whenever the play became broken that the ABs had the ability to go up a gear.
Giteau needs to move to 12 for the next game, assuming Barnes is fit. Maybe Barnes can kick the ball more than 6 feet off the ground.
I was amazed at the number of ruck penalties against the ABs. Not all seemed to be fair. In general Kaplan had a pretty good game, he certainly did not influence the outcome.
Carter had an ordinary game, but his ordinary still puts him head and shoulders above Donald. Those kicks never looked like missing. Rocky was OK but had a couple of brain snaps early, maybe we will see him settle in the next two games.
Congrats to the Kiwis, you are still too good for us.
August 23rd 2009 @ 12:07pm
Dean Pantio said | August 23rd 2009 @ 12:07pm | Report comment
Rugby doesn’t have to be backs running around for it to be a spectacle. There seems to be a large percentage of respondents on this forum who have never known the joy of playing in a titanic forward struggle in the pissing rain.
The beauty about rugby is it is a game for practically all body types and can be played a variety of ways. Ultimately, it will always be about territory and possession and there is more than one way to achieve both.
The predominate reason why Test rugby is hardly ever more entertaining than provincial or club rugby is because players have less time and space in which to execute.
Except for the pass back into the 22 law, these are the same laws we were all playing under prior to the ELVs. Ultimately skill level of the players is at fault for not replicating the brilliance of a few short years ago, but just perhaps the three teams are actually reasonably matched?
August 23rd 2009 @ 6:01pm
Warren said | August 23rd 2009 @ 6:01pm | Report comment
Spot on Dean, good points. How beautiful is a well-executed rolling maul?
August 23rd 2009 @ 10:08am
ExpatSin said | August 23rd 2009 @ 10:08am | Report comment
Harden the f*** up boys. Forget the game analysis. Throughout the whole game it looked like the AB’s where building in momentum. All comments above are valid but the lads had the guts to keep in there and that can’t be said of the Ozzie girls. OZ didn’t look like wining, we did. Without sounding arrogant, to me it was one of those games where it was just time before the AB’s scored and won the game. You all must have felt the same.
August 23rd 2009 @ 6:17pm
Michael Lee said | August 23rd 2009 @ 6:17pm | Report comment
100%
August 23rd 2009 @ 10:08am
ohtani's jacket said | August 23rd 2009 @ 10:08am | Report comment
I’m not sure why people are surprised by the skill level.
These are two sides that have been struggling this year. They weren’t about to click just because it’s a Bledisloe Cup Test. The Wallaby forwards played well. The All Black backline showed some signs of improvement, but it’s not easy to attack when the defenders are crashing through rucks once the ball is clear and Kaplan is blowing everything up for illegal clear outs or illegal sealing off of the ball. Look at the space between the defensive line and Cowan when he tries to pass. How can you attack against that? I was just happy the ABs didn’t make too many dumb mistakes on attack.