The Wallabies started fast, but ran out of steam against the All Blacks in Wellington, losing 33-13 to end a disappointing Rugby Championship campaign.
The Wallabies won just a single game in the tournament, finishing bottom of the ladder in new coach Joe Schmidt’s first tournament in charge.
The Wallabies kept the ball in hand and attacked from deep, putting the All Blacks on the back foot.
However, despite that bright start, familiar failings plagued the Wallabies, who looked shaky in one-on-one defence and, when the game was running away from them, ill-disciplined in defence.
The confidence hard-earned in the second half display in Sydney fast evaporated, with the All Blacks simply brutal an incisive in attack, led by slippery fullback Will Jordan.
“That’s not the result we wanted,” Wallabies captain Harry Wilson said.
“I thought our first 40 was really good. We showed up, we started fast but we struggled with possession in the second half.”
An early try for Fraser McReight got the fast-starting Wallabies on the board early after an inventive and determined start.
Sevu Reece crossed with the All Blacks’ first attacking use of the ball soon after, with Will Jordan also scoring after ghosting through the line.
However, two penalty goals from Noah Lolesio had the Wallabies ahead 13-12 as the clock ticked over 40 minutes at the end of the first half.
The Wallabies conceded a Caleb Clarke try just before the break through to head into half-time with a 19-13 lead.
They never looked back.
Dylan Pietsch, who made his starting debut, told Channel Nine: “It’s hard to be a great team if you turn the ball over.”
And the Wallabies regularly coughed up possession, handing the All Blacks the advantage.
Tamaiti Williams and Clarke scored tries in the second half and some stern defence from the hosts kept the Wallabies at bay, and scoreless in the second half.
“We didn’t start too well but I’m really pleased with how we finished,” All Blacks captain Scott Barrett said.
“There was some real grit in defence there in the way we held out the Aussies.”
Look back on how all the action unfolded in our live blog.
Key Events
6h ago6 hours agoSat 28 Sep 2024 at 8:54am
7h ago7 hours agoSat 28 Sep 2024 at 7:53am
8h ago8 hours agoSat 28 Sep 2024 at 7:15am
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6h agoSat 28 Sep 2024 at 9:27am
That’s where we’ll wrap things up
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Thanks very much for joining us this evening, especially given there was so much else happening.
The Wallabies just didn’t have enough quality in the end to properly challenge the All Blacks, who stepped up in a big way in the second half.
The lengthy drought since a Wallaby victory in New Zealand goes on and on for a 24th year.
But a tough tour of the northern hemisphere will be just another proving ground for these Wallabies.
Thanks for joining me, good night.
6h agoSat 28 Sep 2024 at 9:18am
One day
….. no longer believing, Simon. One day, one day well down the track, I’d love to see the Bledisloe Cup back on Aussie soil. Pipe dream ? Probably.
– Old timer
It never hurts to dream, Old timer. Never.
6h agoSat 28 Sep 2024 at 9:15am
‘It’s hard to be a great team if you turn the ball over’: Dylan Pietsch
Dylan Pietsch made his starting debut today for the Wallabies.
He tells Channel Nine that the Wallabies were just beaten by a better team.
“It felt really good in that first half,” he says.
“New Zealand are such a quality side, but you give them a few turnovers and they make you pay.
“It’s hard to be a great team if you turn the ball over.”
From a personal perspective though, he did very well.
“Yeah it was amazing. I was working really hard to get that start.
“My game is based around effort, and I tried to bring that today.
“Joe said tackle hard and try and bring as much effort to the game.”
6h agoSat 28 Sep 2024 at 9:04am
A tough spring tour to come
Things don’t get much easier for the Wallabies over the next couple of months.
Next up for Australia is a trip to Twickenham to face England on November 9 (November 10 AEDT), before matches against Wales, Scotland and Ireland on consecutive weeks.
6h agoSat 28 Sep 2024 at 9:02am
Harry Wilson ‘gutted’ to end Rugby Championship season with defeat
Wallabies skipper Harry Wilson looks pretty devastated.
“Obviously gutted there,” he says.
“I thought our first 40 was really good … [but we] Struggled with possession in the second half.
“New Zealand did really well. They were up for it in the contact battle.”
He says that it’s clear the Wallabies have not got the results they wanted in this Rugby Championship where they won just one game, but there were positive signs.
“We haven’t got the results we wanted but we’ve improved,” he says.
“Ultimately, we need to win. It’s a tough way to finish the tournament.”
He says the Wallabies need to put together a complete 80 minute performance if they are to have a chance.
“We haven’t really done that in any game in this tournament,” he says.
6h agoSat 28 Sep 2024 at 9:00am
All Blacks ‘pleased to reverse the curse’
Sam Barrett is speaking to the host broadcaster now.
“Really pleased to reverse the curse,” he says, speaking to the All Blacks poor record in Wellington, where they had not won since 2018.
“We didn’t start too well, but really pleased with how we finished,” he says.
“Some gritty defence to hold out the Aussies.
“We talked about owning our effort. It was pleasing not to let them in.”
He pays credit to TJ Perenara and Sam Cane, who retire from All Black duty tonight.
“Both have given a lot to the jersey, TJ at home, he’s given a lot this week. Sam, he’s always given everything for the jersey.
“Pleased to finish on a high at home.”
6h agoSat 28 Sep 2024 at 8:54am
Full time: Wallabies fall short
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Too strong by the All Blacks, who end their Wellington hoodoo, while extending the Wallabies woes on New Zealand soil with a solid 33-13 victory.
The Wallabies did so well in the first half.
But in the second period they were never in it, blown away by the All Blacks, who scored 21 unanswered points.
6h agoSat 28 Sep 2024 at 8:52am
78′ The Wallabies penalised
Well, if that doesn’t sum up this second half, nothing does.
The Wallabies have just run out of steam here.
The ball was held up in the maul from the lineout and was unplayable, handed over to the All Blacks.
6h agoSat 28 Sep 2024 at 8:51am
77′ Caleb Clarke sent to the sin bin
The Wallabies show some nice inventiveness there to break through the line.
The kick goes across towards Kellaway on the sideline.
But then as the Wallabies recycle, Caleb Clarke comes back from a very offside position and kicks the ball into his hands to clear.
A mile offside.
(Getty Images)
I don’t like the way Clarke always looks incredulous when he’s in the wrong, because he was a mile offside there.
And he’ll have 10 minutes to thing about it in the bin. In theory at least, because we’re into the final throws of this game now.
7h agoSat 28 Sep 2024 at 8:45am
73′ Wallabies knock on!
Well, that might be the difference.
Where the Wallabies defence has buckled under pressure, the All Blacks seems to get stronger.
That was masterful work from the hosts, forcing the knock on from Fraser McReight as the Wallabies desperately tried to find the line.
7h agoSat 28 Sep 2024 at 8:44am
72′ Penalty Wallabies, incredible All Blacks defence
The Wallabies were within inches of scoring!
How on earth did they not get that ball down?
The All Blacks defence was ferocious – and illegal as it turns out.
But it was mighty impressive, forcing the Wallabies back and back before they lost the ball, the referee calling back the advantage.
The All Blacks are on a general yellow card warning though…
7h agoSat 28 Sep 2024 at 8:41am
68′ Standing ovation for Sam Cane
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The All Black centurion leaves the field for, probably the final time in a New Zealand jersey, to a round of applause from the home crowd.
Here ends a wonderful international career.
TJ Perenara also departs the field – and waves goodbye to his home ground.
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7h agoSat 28 Sep 2024 at 8:39am
67′ Lovely Wallabies move, but it ends in a penalty
That was magic from the Wallabies. Just a glimmer.
Noah Lolesio chipped over the top for Kellaway, who gathered and then used Harry Wilson and Fraser McReight in a succession of offloads to keep the ball alive into the All Blacks 22.
However, the Wallabies were isolated by the giant prop Tamaiti Williams and he gives away a penalty.
7h agoSat 28 Sep 2024 at 8:37am
64′ Caleb Clarke scores in the corner
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This time there’ll be no taking this try off.
Damien McKenzie must have been feeling a bit stung after being dropped as starting fly half.
But he’s on the pitch now and he’s made that move with perfection, sliding across the face of the Wallabies defence and feeling Caleb Clarke, who raced down the wing and thunders across the line, scrabbling along the ground as he was tackled.
The kick from the sideline is good, the lead is 33-13.
7h agoSat 28 Sep 2024 at 8:32am
62′ The All Blacks crash over again – but it’s coming back…
Brutal defence from the Wallabies – hitting the All Black runners back.
But then the All Blacks crash over – with a penalty advantage too.
There may have been a knock on involved there from the All Blacks – but it was missed by the referee…
Hang on – was it missed? Maybe initially, but not now.
There looked to be a clear knock on there from Codie Taylor and then he played the ball on the ground – so it has to be a penalty to the Wallabies.
No, it’s a knock on first – it will be a scrum to the Wallabies says the referee.
This is a double benefit to the Wallabies, who had Isaac Kailea sent to the sin bin for being offside.
But he will return too.
That was a wild passage of play.
In short, no try, no penalty, scrum Wallabies.
7h agoSat 28 Sep 2024 at 8:28am
60′ Another penalty against the Wallabies
Offside this time.
The Wallabies get a warning that the next penalty will be a yellow card.
Beauden Barrett kicks for touch and the All Blacks have a line out five metres out.
7h agoSat 28 Sep 2024 at 8:28am
59′ Penalty All Blacks
Things seem to be starting to run away from the Wallabies here.
This time the Wallabies are pinged for not entering the ruck correctly as the All Blacks belatedly keep things simple and force the mistake from their rivals.
Discipline starting to run away from the Wallabies.
The All Blacks find touch and will attack from inside the 22.
7h agoSat 28 Sep 2024 at 8:26am
58′ Wallabies pinged for not throwing in the lineout straight
Not straight at the line out from the Wallabies.
That’s a poor error – attempting to go short and try something new from replacement hooker Brandon Panega-Amosa.
7h agoSat 28 Sep 2024 at 8:24am
56′ Over dive the All Blacks!
Tamaiti Williams it is who finishes things off.
It was another case of being patient, as the Wallabies defence swarmed and the All Blacks had to show patience again going forward.
And in the end, Tamaiti Williams had simply too much power with the pick and go under the posts.
The kick is good and it’s 26-13 – a long way back from here for the Wallabies.
7h agoSat 28 Sep 2024 at 8:22am
54′ Penalty New Zealand
Wow, more brilliant defence – eventually – from the Wallabies.
Will Jordan, slippery as an eel, broke the line and put the All Blacks into the 22.
The All Blacks battered down the left side, but the Wallabies defence held firm.
The visitors wanted a turnover, the All Blacks won a penalty for not rolling away.
The All Blacks will go for the corner.
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