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Australia was one step away from an unexpected victory at the Bledisloe Cup in Wellington, but had to settle for a 16-16 draw in their first test with new coach Dave Rennie.
Reece Hodge had a chance to snatch a victory from him with a 50-meter penalty kick after the full time he had the distance, but he struck heartbreakingly into the vertical.
The game continued in a desperate fight for nine more minutes, but neither side could find the winning points, with James O’Connor ultimately choosing to kick the ball into touch and settle for the draw.
Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper, who is playing his 100th Test, said there was a lot to like about his performance. “I am very proud that our team fought to the end,” said Hooper.
“It was a nice match, despite the conditions and the result, we have started well with some things … there is a lot of confidence. It was close, a kickoff, but we’ll be back next week. “
O’Connor took a penalty in the 73rd minute to break a 13-13 deadlock and it looked like it might be enough for Australia to win in New Zealand for the first time since 2001. But veteran Australian blocking Rob Simmons conceded a penalty with two remaining minutes for All Blacks winger Jordie Barrett to level.
The Wallabies trailed 8-3 at halftime, but wingers Marika Koroibete and rookie Filipo Daugunu scored in a 10-minute span to put the Australians on track for an unlikely victory.
Intending to break New Zealand’s 18-year-old dominance in the Bledisloe Cup, the Australians were a bit shaky at first, delivering three line-outs in the first half.
Australian touch judge Angus Gardner did the Wallabies no favors when he failed to raise his flag when Rieko Ioane put his foot on the line in preparation for the All Blacks’ first try.
The home team, in their first test with new coach Ian Foster, worked the ball wide to make room for Barrett to open the scoring in the eighth minute.
Then it seemed they were back in right at half time, but Ioane missed a certain five points when he lost control of the ball while trying to put it down with one hand. All Black running back Aaron Smith didn’t make a mistake in the 43rd minute.
But the Wallabies were unfazed, with their own No. 9 Nic White mixing up his game to keep the All Blacks on their toes, while his defense didn’t give Richie Mo’unga an inch.
Koroibete struck first when he shrugged off Damien McKenzie’s tackle, with the All Blacks fullback also handing the ball over for Daugunu’s try.
The excellent performance means the Wallabies can dare to dream of reclaiming the Bledisloe Cup, heading to Auckland’s Eden Park next Sunday at the top.
