Australia may never again have a better chance to reclaim the Bledisloe Cup than on Saturday, when they played a full team at home under sunny skies against an understrength All Blacks side determined to destroy themselves, but the Wallabies still couldn't pull it off.
Australia knew they were lucky to eventually win 31-28. “We were close tonight but not good enough,” captain Harry Wilson said of their 22nd consecutive Bledisloe defeat. Coach Joe Schmidt complained that the scoreline was not worthy of the glass-half-full prospect: “When you lose a Test match, there's very little water in the glass.”
New Zealand squandered seven tries in an hour – four through arrogance or incompetence and three because the TMO picked up on minor pre-try errors – but their three tries and a 21-0 lead they took inside the first 15 minutes forestalled a Wallabies comeback and paved the way for an embarrassingly clumsy New Zealand victory.
“We found a way,” grimaced All Blacks coach Scott Robertson after his team's first win since back-to-back losses to South Africa. “The last three Test matches have been about passing, refereeing and decision-making. That's Test football.” That's true, but it's also true that Australia have lost eight straight Test matches to New Zealand since 2020.
Robertson was relieved the Wallabies held on despite playing with 13 men in the second half and Schmidt was proud of how they came back from 28-7 down. “They were resilient. [and] “We put together some pretty good football,” he said. “We [points] We worked hard in the first half, but we really gave it our all in the second half.”
What really surprised Schmidt was how badly Australia played early. “They overwhelmed us so quickly,” he said. At least the Wallabies followed their coach's instructions to “stay focused” in the second half. They mustered their nerve, went all out, held New Zealand scoreless for the final 33 minutes and took advantage of chances to win late.
“We have some pride in getting back in the game,” Schmidt said, “but when you let New Zealand start like that, it's a tough one to overcome.” Australia had 52 percent of the ball in the second half after only 39 percent in the first half, forcing the All Blacks into 24 missed tackles, eight turnovers and two yellow cards.
Tom Wright scores. Photo: Matt King/Getty Images
The final 30 minutes of this Test were completely different from last week's. In Santa Fe, Australia dominated most aspects of the game and took the early lead over Argentina, leading 20-3 after the first 30 minutes. But Los Pumas scored nine tries to beat Australia in the final 30 minutes by a record score of 67-27.
Argentina, who shocked the All Blacks in the first round of the Rugby Championship, beat world champions South Africa on Saturday, a testament to the strength of Los Pumas and a confirmation of the Wallabies' record after beating South Africa 20-19 last month. That win, and their fight back in Sydney, should boost their confidence in victory next week.
New Zealand will not play as badly at home in Wellington as they did in the first game, but New Zealand are in poor form under Robertson and Australia are in good form under Schmidt. If Australia can combine the first 30 minutes in Santa Fe with the final 30 minutes in Sydney, they could beat the All Blacks, just as Argentina did in August, beating them 38-30 at the same venue.
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That's why Schmidt is upset the Bledisloe isn't a three-match series. “I wish it still went on,” he says. “It's sold out in Wellington and it'll be a great atmosphere.” A third Anzac Test was mooted at one point – both unions need one to counter the threat from the NRL – while Rugby Australia is using the idea to shore up its 2025 broadcast deal.
But there's no point lamenting the lack of a final until the series is over. Schmidt had plenty going for him on Saturday. Finishers Rukan Salakaia-Loto and Brandon Paenga-Amosa fuelled the comeback. Returning players Fraser McCright and Hunter Paisami were the best in the field, and attacking the edges rather than the aisles paid off.
But Australia missed 35 tackles and whiffed on a lineout. Carlo Tizzano's 62-for-62 hitting rate in the last two tests didn't prove his worth. Nor did Max Jorgensen's pace, who might have taken the breaks created by Tom Wright. Veteran props James Slipper and Alan Alaalatoa were barely productive on the bench and Taniela Tupou got too few minutes.
With a European tour looming and a crucial test match against England on November 10, Schmidt is entering the crucial second phase of his reign as the saviour of Australian rugby. He hails NRL star Joseph Suaalii as a new face of hope for long-suffering fans. Perhaps it's time to say goodbye to the slow horses and let the other foals run.
