Rugby: Reece Hodge opens with missed penalty in Wallabies draw against All Blacks at Bledisloe Cup opener

It could be some time before Reece Hodge stops thinking about that kick.

The Wallabies’ long-range shooter approached the tee with a chance to give the Australians a three-point lead in the latter stages of Sunday’s opening round of the Bledisloe Cup. Five meters into his own half with the added challenge of a Wellington wind, and with time on the clock, Hodge hit the ball magnificently and watched it sail towards the posts, only to see it hit the right post and bounce.

There were no other scoring moments that followed the kick, and the match ended with 16 overall.

“It was a little sleepy last night. I’ve probably played it again hundreds of times,” Hodge said of the penalty goal attempt.

“You can’t really trust the wind in Wellington, so I aimed just inside the left post and it turned out that just outside the left post would have been a bit better. But I hit it as good as I could and was praying when it was in the air.

“The guys surrounded me last night, but that didn’t help me sleep much.

“I was pretty confident in the distance, obviously the wind is a different story, and every time you get a chance and feel confident, why not step up and have a chance? It’s part of my job I guess, and when he’s in my range it’s just something you have to step up and do, and have the confidence that you’ll take him down. “

While many saw the result as a victory for the Wallabies, who came into the game with a lot of inexperience in their squad, that was not the case within camp. The Wallabies came to New Zealand knowing they needed to win three of four games to claim the Bledisloe Cup.

With the raffle, they must win two of the next three. The next game will be played at Eden Park in Auckland on Sunday, a venue where the Wallabies have not beaten the All Blacks since a 22-9 win in 1986.

“We definitely had our chances to win that game … there is a lot of disappointment,” Hodge said.

“You don’t get over something like that in 24 hours. I think it will be delayed at the start of the week, but our job now is to prepare well for Auckland next Sunday. Hopefully the disappointment will turn into excitement and anticipation before game two.” .