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Brilliant Beauden Barrett bags All Blacks another Bledisloe Cup

25th August, 2018
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Beauden Barrett. (Phil Walter/Getty Images)
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25th August, 2018
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A Beauden Barrett masterclass has seen the All Blacks bring home the Bledisloe Cup for the sixteenth time in a row, clinching the series at 2-0 with a victory at Eden Park on Saturday night.

Barrett scored not one, not two, not three, but a remarkable four tries – and could nearly have had five were it not for a knock-on – to be far and away the dominant player on the field.

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It was the Wallabies’ eighteenth consecutive loss in a row at Eden Park, while the run of losses for the Aussies in New Zealand continues, with their last coming in Dunedin during 2001.

The Wallabies were right in the contest during the first half, but just like during Game 1 of the series, it was the All Blacks striking just before and after halftime to take the game away from the Aussies.

Barrett was the only try-scorer for the All Blacks during the first half, running through off a suspect short ball from Ben Smith in the 12th minute and scoring again after the hosts had burnt the outside defences of the Wallabies just a few minutes from halftime.

The Wallabies did strike in between with Will Genia grabbing a try, but that was just about where the fun ended for the visitors, despite the fact they managed to clean up their major problem areas from last week, controlling their lineouts and being much better in scrums.

Aaron Moody was the man to get the scoring underway in the second half for New Zealand as he rolled over off a promising attack, before Liam Squire kept things going from long distance.

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Reece Hodge scored a try for the Aussies to keep some hope, but a missed conversion paved the way of the match, with Barrett scoring again in the 61st minute and then again in the 68th.

In between, he had a try disallowed, while Waisake Naholo also had one disallowed. Considering the All Blacks put together a sloppy start to the game, they could have easily ran up a cricket score in Auckland, but ended with only 40 on the board.

There is plenty of soul-searching to do for the Wallabies now who will attempt to hang onto second place in the Rugby Championship against South Africa and Argentina in the coming weeks.

Final score

New Zealand 40
Australia 12

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