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New Zealand have taken the Bledisloe Cup home for the 14th consecutive year, sealing the series with a strong 29-9 win over the Wallabies in Wellington.
More of the wash-up from Bledisloe 2:
» LORD: Sack Cheika? No way
» Seven talking points
» What changes should the Wallabies make?
» DIY Player Ratings
» WATCH: Highlights from the match
Australia put in a hard fought effort, bouncing back strongly from their disappointment at home the previous week, but it wasn’t enough to get past the clinical All Blacks who continue to extend their insane record at home.
A first half brace to Israel Dagg, after being moved out to the wing, put the Wallabies on the back foot early, but the right foot of Bernard Foley and a monster penalty goal from debutant Reece Hodge, on his own side of halfway mind you, kept the visitors in the contest, taking a six-point deficit into the break.
The second half was a pressure cooker for the Australians, who nearly spent the entire second 40 inside their own half in defence.
Two more tries for the All Blacks represented Australia will a massive uphill battle to stay in the contest.
Nearly the final 20 minutes went scoreless as Australia could do nothing but absorb the pressure on their own line and keep the scoreline respectable.
New Zealand kept Australia to just 39 per cent possession for the whole game, and towards the end, held an incredible 79 per cent territory for the second half, just not letting the Wallabies breathe.
The line out continued to haunt Australia, as it did in the first game, winning just eight line out’s compared to New Zealand’s 20.
Missed tackles was another part of the game they came out on the wrong end of, backing up their 40 from the first test, with just 27 this time, but compared to the All Blacks six, it’s still far too much to beat the best team in the world.
Their defensive pressure and fight on their own line was a big improvement for the Wallabies this week, but their execution with ball in hand an inability to hold the All Blacks rolling offence down hurt them in the end.
New Zealand hold onto the Bledisloe Cup for yet another year, and they’ve put themselves in prime position to take out the Rugby Championship in the early goings.
Australia are now dead last in the Championship with zero points and have an ugly points difference, while New Zealand fly six points clear of South Africa with two bonus point wins from two games.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.