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The wait was worth it. Exactly 400 days since the All Blacks’ last home test and 14 months since the most recent battle at Bledisloe, Wellington fans received a treat, even if they were beaten and soaked on a Sunday afternoon.
The All Blacks and Wallabies tied 16-16 in the first of four Bledisloe Cup events in five weeks, the hosts’ last desperate foray into torrential rain finally dying down. It was, eerily, a repeat of the All Blacks v Springboks scoreboard at Sky Stadium in July of last year.
Wallabies center James O’Connor punted to touch with 88 minutes and 33 seconds left, both sides on their feet and both missing chances to win before an enthusiastic crowd of 31,020.
Phil Walter / Getty Images
Marika Koroibete of the Wallabies dives into Damian McKenzie’s tackle.
Replacement Reece Hodge agonizingly struck the right post with a superb 54-meter penalty attempt to win it in the 83rd minute. Very close to the Wallabies’ first victory in New Zealand since 2001.
READ MORE:
* Summary: All Blacks vs Australia
* All Blacks center Rieko Ioane hits a safe try against Australia
* Nepo Laulala comes out of the Bledisloe Cup opener, Tyrel Lomax comes in for AB
* ‘He will toughen them up’: Wayne Smith lifts the lid on Dave Rennie
Then the All Blacks – with bench debutants Caleb Clarke, Hoskins Sotutu and Tupou Vaa’i prominent – threw it all out to their bullish visitors who made themselves and new coach Dave Rennie proud.
But instead of attempting a Richie Mo’unga drop goal, they hit him, almost made it, but the slippery ball eluded everyone.
O’Connor’s penalty in the 74th minute gave the Wallabies the lead before Jordie Barrett responded in the 79th to close the score.
Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images
All Blacks rookie Caleb Clarke turns it up in the desperate final minutes.
The All Blacks had won 23 straight Bledisloe Cup home events and freaked out, new coach Ian Foster’s reign started shaky with the weather a great leveler causing kickers nightmares.
A failed attempt by Reiko Ioane at halftime proved very costly, after she had been lucky before with her impressive opening.
Three weeks less than a year ago, the All Blacks played the World Cup bronze medal game against Wales and for the Wallabies the wait was even longer; their quarter-final loss to England on October 19.
The last time the two teams met, 14 months ago, the All Blacks won 36-0 at Eden Park. Recent history and the advantage of playing at home were clearly with the hosts, but this would not be easy.
The All Blacks, playing with the breeze, led 8-3 at halftime as Ioane was a central figure.
Kai Schwoerer / Getty Images
Fallen! All Blacks center Rieko Ioane dropped a crucial try just before halftime.
Jordie Barrett scored his first try of the year, a wonderful sweeping move started by fullback Damian McKenzie, who impressed as a late replacement for Beauden Barrett (Achilles tendon).
McKenzie provoked the raid from deep, but replays showed Ioane cut off the left hand bunt under the eyes of Australian bunt judge Angus Gardner, whose flag was kept low.
Under Rennie, the Wallabies started out with a purpose and were clearly targeting playmaker Mo’unga. Matt Toomua legitimately crushed him once, while rookie Harry Wilson was late but wasn’t called. The top five will surely be suffering from some bruising on Monday.
The Wallabies were physical and carried it, while big Taniela Tupou put up a strong early defense on Cane and Ofa Tuungafasi, and running back Nick White was a threat.
But the All Blacks handled it well with Ardie Savea, prominent rookie center Hunter Paisami early on and stamping their mark on the contest.
The All Blacks messed up some Australian lineouts and Savea stayed on the line of an overthrow, while the Black defense scrambled on the other end and forced turnovers.
From a Folau Faingaa fumble at halftime, the All Blacks attacked through Cane and Barrett, but Ioane missed a magic try with a casual ending and TMO Mike Fraser ruled that he had lost control on the grounding.
Just four minutes into the break, the All Blacks made amends with a similar move Faingaa had tried, and nailed it. Codie Taylor went off the lineout and put his Crusaders teammate George Bridge cleared with an inside ball, and Aaron Smith ran and then slid.
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Running back Aaron Smith gives the All Blacks the advantage of a wonderful set piece.
When the rain fell again, the visitors did not leave. In just his fifth test outing in the first five, O’Connor started running and the Wallabies opened their account with a simple run and a bad read from Ioane when Marika Koroibete dived into McKenzie’s tackle.
Sure enough, Foster dragged Ioane shortly after by senior Anton Lienert-Brown.
So we were level. The Wallabies returned to attack and from a regulation ruck the ball went out and the former soccer goalkeeper Filipo Daugunu, in the debut, pounced into the corner. The suggestion of a Wallabies knocking on the door was rejected.
O’Connor didn’t come close to his attempt and at 13-13 heading into a tense final 15 minutes, both sides were waiting for the other to break through in a classic wet fight.
TAKE A LOOK
All black 16 (Jordie Barrett, Aaron Smith tries; Barrett 2 pen) Wallabies 16 (Marika Koroibete, Filipo Daugunu tries; James O’Connor 2 pen). HT: 8-3.
