Brodie Retallick sprinted home for a try. Photo / Dean Purcell
Brodie Retallick sprinted home for a try. Photo / Dean Purcell
All Blacks 57 Wallabies 22
If this is to be the final All Blacks test of the year at home, they signed off in style by racking up their highest score against the Wallabies.
An underwhelming 25,121 crowd – the worst in recent history for a test at Eden Park - left New Zealand Rugby red faced after the decision to stage successive matches at the Auckland fortress backfired.
Otherwise, though, there can be no complaints with the manner in which the All Blacks locked away the treasured Bledisloe Cup for a 19th straight year to maintain their home stranglehold over the Wallabies – now unbeaten in 27 tests.
Notching a record number of points against Australia sure put an exclamation mark on the empathic result.
Unlike last week, when the All Blacks let a 25-point lead slip in the final quarter to leave lingering frustration, there was no let up from Ian Foster's men.
Despite losing Ardie Savea to the sin bin the All Blacks regained their ruthless edge to keep their foot on the Wallabies' throat.
The dominant victory follows a familiar script. Just as the All Blacks put distance between themselves and the Wallabies in tests two and three last year, they have again significantly improved as new combinations begin to bed in.
The All Blacks crossed three times in a competitive first half but after leading 21-15 at halftime they crushed the Wallabies spirit in the second spell by running in five further tries. Seven different try-scorers from the All Blacks highlights their wide range of influential contributors.
After conceding 57 points, Dave Rennie has his work cut out before confronting the All Blacks for a third time in a row in Perth on August 28.
Loose forwards Savea and Akira Ioane were standouts up front for the All Blacks. While the lineout misfired at times, Brodie Retallick shone with his breakdown work and clearly enjoyed his first-half try. The All Blacks maul was another weapon and their strikes from set piece continue to cause headaches.
Brodie Retallick sprinted home for a try. Photo / Dean Purcell
Wider out Will Jordan defended superbly and took his one chance to nab his 10th try in only six tests. Rieko Ioane was equally impressive after claiming the opening try with an intercept. His switch from wing to centre was seamless, with his distribution and defence leaving a statement.
Wallabies halfback Tate McDermott was close to the best player on the park at times and, yet, with one play, Aaron Smith managed to upstage his opposite number. With the All Blacks one man short following Savea's yellow card, Smith's instinctive skill to snipe down the blindside and put Codie Taylor in for the first of his double proved the killer blow.
With the Bledisloe safely secure the All Blacks will now prepare to depart for Australia with no confirmed return date. While the transtasman bubble remains closed they could be on the road for over three months – a timeframe that is sure to test their mental fortitude.
For now, though, they can celebrate another blissful Bledisloe series.
Damian McKenzie knocked over a 58-metre penalty and got better as the match wore on but the diminutive fullback endured a horror start for the All Blacks, making four errors inside the first 10 minutes. Those included losing the ball in a heavy hit from Andrew Kellaway, spilling a chip kick in contact and missing a one-on-one on Kellaway after a pinpoint Noah Lolesio cross-field kick.
Fortunately for the All Blacks, Rieko Ioane handed them the perfect start by picking off a Lolesio pass and racing 80 metres to claim the opening try. In celebration Ioane twice gestured as if he read the pass like a book.
Rieko Ioane picked up an intercept try for the All Blacks. Photo / Dean Purcell
Despite the early setback the Wallabies found success attacking the blindside and halfback McDermott was a constant threat around the fringes.
Ioane, buoyed by his try, continued to grow in confidence by twice throwing skip balls to put brother Akira on the outside in space. On the second occasion Akira Ioane lengthened his stride, sold a dummy and eventually dished to McKenzie who found Retallick roaming in the middle of the park.
Shirt ripped, Retallick cruised to the line grinning ear-to-ear.
Defensively Savea stood out during sustained periods of Wallabies attack where Michael Hopper and Rob Valetini were prominent. After being repeatedly knocked back the Wallabies eventually opted to knock over three points.
While the Wallabies found scoring difficult the All Blacks made it look easy at times. Savea's drive-over try after the Wallabies failed to clear their line to hand the All Blacks a 21-8 lead case in point.
Dalton Papalii was fortunate not to be yellow carded by referee Brendon Pickerill just before the break for a cynical infringement on his own line. Not long after, though, McDermott stepped Papalii to give the Wallabies hope at the break.
Faint hope that proved to be, however, with the Wallabies managing one second-half try and Matt To'omua throwing their third intercept in two weeks.
When the final whistle sounded the Wallabies were dejected. After this reality check, getting up for the dead rubber test in Perth could be a major challenge.
