Cam Roigard scored two tries on his return from injury as the All Blacks held off a Wallabies fightback to prevail 33-24 in a hard-fought Rugby Championship clash and maintain their grip on the Bledisloe Cup for another year.
Tries from Caleb Clarke, Leroy Carter and scrumhalf Roigard gave New Zealand an early 17-point lead, but Australia, who last held the Bledisloe Cup in 2003, were within two points of the lead when flanker Carlo Tizzano crossed 11 minutes from time.
Wallabies winger Harry Potter was shown a yellow card in the 73rd minute, however, and the All Blacks backs sent Roigard in for his second try to extend their unbeaten run at Auckland’s Eden Park to 52 Tests over 31 years.
“We got a good start but the Aussies, they never give up and they just kept coming and coming,” said All Blacks skipper Ardie Savea.
“Proud of our boys for sticking at it.”
The victory sent New Zealand to the top of the Rugby Championship standings, three points ahead of Australia, before Argentina’s clash with South Africa in Durban in the penultimate round of the competition later on Saturday.
Australia captain Harry Wilson bemoaned his team’s slow start but said there was still plenty to play for against the All Blacks in Perth next week.
“It’s obviously disappointing to miss out on the Bledisloe Cup for another year,” said the No 8. “We gave ourselves an opportunity there. We’re definitely on the right track, we just can’t keep giving teams head starts.”
The All Blacks, looking to rebound from their record 43-10 reverse at the hands of the Springboks in their last outing in Wellington, hit the breakdown hard from the start and took the early honours in aerial battle.
Wingers Clarke and Carter crossed in the corners inside the first 15 minutes and when the influential Roigard darted over for a third try 10 minutes later, the All Blacks held a 20-3 lead.
The Wallabies, who last won at Eden Park in 1986, have come back from greater deficits to win Tests this year, however, and hit back with a try off a rolling maul from hooker Billy Pollard on the half-hour mark.
A minute before the break, another series of line-bending runs from the Wallabies forwards made space for Len Ikitau to put Potter over for a second try, James O’Connor converting both to cut New Zealand’s lead to 20-17.
O’Connor missed touch with a penalty for the second time early in the second half, however, and Damian McKenzie, who had replaced Beauden Barrett in the black number 10 shirt, slotted two place kicks to take the lead out to nine points.
The Wallabies were still looking good on the rare occasions they managed to maintain possession for any length of time and perfectly executed a rolling maul from a lineout in the 69th minute with flanker Tizzano at the back.
The All Blacks did not look as if they had shed all of the failings they displayed against the Springboks but have always been clinical with an extra man, and Jordie Barrett and Quinn Tupaea combined to send Roigard over to seal the win.
Reuters
