"New Zealand were the Rugby Championship's fastest starters and Australia the slowest. So for the Wallabies to be 13-3 down after 15 minutes surprised few. The men in black were red hot from the get-go, moving with cohesion and precision, each pass and kick a dagger. Australia were back-pedalling, making mistakes, losing collisions. Caleb Clarke had cried through the anthems but his tears had dried in time to finish a slick catch and pass in the fourth minute."
"With 20% possession inside the first quarter, Australia went mad with starvation. Errors and ill-discipline plagued them and their key cogs were the worst culprits. Captain Harry Wilson was twice penalised for no-arms tackles. James O'Connor missed an easy touch. And Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii kept on misreading the angles. The Wallabies went further down when wily halfback Cam Roigard slithered over the stripe for the home side's third try."
New Zealand defeated Australia 33-24 at Eden Park, retaining the Bledisloe Cup for a 24th consecutive year. The All Blacks started quickly, building an early lead through clinical passing, kicking and finishing. Australia struggled with low possession, errors and ill-discipline, conceding penalties and missed opportunities that widened the margin. Injury to Tate McDermott forced rookie Ryan Lonergan into his Test debut, complicating Australia's recovery. The Wallabies gradually fought back with strong forward efforts from players like Taniela Tupou and James Slipper, narrowing the gap, but the comeback proved insufficient against the hosts' dominant start and cohesion.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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