All Blacks fly-half Beauden Barrett became the first ever New Zealand player to score four tries against Australia as the ABs defeated the Wallabies 40-12 at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday and retained the Bledisloe Cup for the 16th straight year.
Here is how the game unfolded:
5 mins: The Wallabies lineout woes continue as Australia lose an early throw in.
9mins: Some good Wallabies possession with some strong runs from Lukhan Tui and Adam Coleman. But a poor kick from Kurtley Beale goes out on the full. Great attacking opportunity lost.
12mins: Ben Smith takes a high kick from Aaron Smith and a half break from Jordie Barrett is completed with the simplest run in from his brother Beauden. BB converts his own try. All Blacks 7-0.
14mins: Wallabies deep on attack. Appalling decision from Wayne Barnes. Regulation clean out from the Wallabies is penalized, something the All Blacks do 1000 times a game. Absurd refereeing and All Blacks back in possession.
18 mins: Poor pass from Jack Goodhue and Wallabies have a chance but Barnes blows a penalty for the Wallabies.
19 mins: Barnes again penalizes Wallabies in possession for tacking beyond the ruck.
24 mins: Superb play from the Wallabies – break from Beale who finds Marika Koroibete who finds Beale again. But Aaron Smith intercepts a metre out.
27 mins: Wallabies backing their scrum five metres out. Repeated penalties against the All Blacks but no card from Barnes. But from the next scrum Beale runs a great decoy and Genia darts over himself. Bernard Foley converts. 7-7.
34 minutes: Sustained attack from the All Blacks but superb defence from the Wallabies repels the advances and then David Pocock wins a turnover.
38 minutes: Classic All Blacks. Wallabies deep in attack but Beale spills it. The All Blacks counter-attack rather than kick. They swing it wide where Codie Taylor and Ben Smith combine to take it well down field. Ben Smith is pulled down inches short but Aaron Smith finds Beauden Barrett who dives over. He converts his own try. All Blacks 14-7
40 minutes: Half-time. Great 40 minutes for Australia but the Wallabies are clearly exhausted. All Blacks could run away with it in the second-half.
44 mins: Almost just to prove a point the All Blacks keep it tight and batter away at the Wallabies pack close to the line. Some big defence from Adam Coleman but the Abs keep battering and Joe Moody goes over. A big win psychologically for NZ. All Blacks lead 21-7.
47 mins: Great break from Ngami Laumape. Superb pop pass from Brodie Retallick to Liam Squire who slices through the Wallabies defence to score under the posts. Looking like a cricket score now. All Blacks 28-7.
51 mins: Beale again spills it and Goodhue feeds Waisake Naholo who breaks and then feeds Jordie Barrett who races towards the line, but great cover defence from Foley saves the try.
54 mins: Terrible defence from the All Blacks. Aaron Smith misses Foley blind from a scrum and the fly-half breaks down field before feeding Reece Hodge to run-in. Foley misses conversion. All Blacks 28-12.
61 mins: Ball on the halfway line and not much happening but Beauden Barrett just turns on the jet shoes and races 50 metres to score under the posts. His third of the night which he converts. All Blacks 35-12.
68 mins: Beauden Barrett is denied his fourth by a knock on from Ardie Savea but two minutes later he gets it anyway. A turnover from Retallick in the ABs 22, they go wide straight away and replacement Damian McKenzie sprints away. He finds Ben Smith who finds Beauden Barrett who dives in the corner. He becomes the first ever All Black to score four tries against the Wallabies. Just to show he’s human he misses the penalty. All Blacks lead 40-12.
78 mins: A late Naholo try is disallowed for a marginal forward pass.
80 mins: The Wallabies attack but Jack Maddocks is bundled into touch. Full time. All Blacks win 40-12 and retain the Bledisloe Cup.
