FULL-TIME: AUSTRALIA 28-31 NEW ZEALAND. A game of two halves comes to an end and WELL DONE AUSTRALIA for coming back. They were 28-7 down at one stage and almost snatched it. What a spectacle and thanks for sharing it with us as the All Blacks just hang on.
TRY, AUSTRALIA, WRIGHT! 28-31: The Wallabies have a scrum inside the Kiwi 22 and they go wide and to the left. A loop pass finds Pietsch. They come again before Tom Wright STORMS OVER! The conversion is good.
Australia secure a high-tackle penalty and go for the corner five metres out. They drive forward after the set-piece but Sititi turns it over SUPERBLY!
The All Blacks string six phases together before the Wallabies turn it over via Paisami.
NO TRY, AUSTRALIA! What a brilliant move that amounts to a non try after a forward pass. Why was it not called 40 metres earlier?
YELLOW CARD, NEW ZEALAND, CLARKE! 21-31: Caleb Clarke is sin-binned for slapping the ball down.
The Wallabies secure a dirty line-out but make ground slowly before chipping it forward, Perenara launches the counter-attack and they build the phases before a forwad pass hands the ball to Australia.
The All Blacks come again and string the phases together but due to their over-eagerness they allow the Wallabies to turn it over six metres from their own line.
YELLOW CARD, NEW ZEALAND, LIENERT-BROWN! 21-31: Anton Lienert-Brown is sin-binned for a repeated offence.
TRY, AUSTRALIA, PAISAMI! 21-31: Salakai-Loto into a gap for Australia and makes good ground. They manage to recycle the ball and after a few more phases before Hunter Paisami SCORES! The conversion is GOOD!
The Wallabies have had lots of ball in this half but they have been unable to score!
What a monster kick from TJ Perenara after the All Blacks turn over a Wallaby ball. Great work!
Australia feed a line-out and keep it tight after securing it. They string the phases together before Tamaiti Williams is guilty of a no-arms tackle.
Perenara is on for the All Blacks now after they created a scrum turn-over following a massive shove! They then have a scrum penalty and find touch. Australia turn it over after the line-out. Well slap me with a fish and call me Joe!
NO TRY, NEW ZEALAND! Slipper into a gap but his pass is poor and sets McKenzie sets up the counter. After 75 metres the All Blacks SCORE at the other end. However the try WILL NOT STAND as the pass to Jordan from McKenzie went forward. Right call! Lucky Slipper!
The Wallabies secure a scrum and somehow hold onto the ball before being driven backward. Luckily they feed a scrum after an All Black knock.
The line-out is secured but great work by Wilson to RIP IT AWAY and to deny New Zealand.
Yet another breakdown penalty to the All Blacks and McKenzie goes for the corner. WHY NOT?
The line-out is secured and after a patient drive Ardie Savea is OVER but the referee calls HELD UP! The TMO is involved and he does not have enough evidence to overturn the decision.
McKenzie finds touch after an All Blacks penalty and James Slipper is on to become the most capped Wallaby ever.
What is happening here? Both sides guilty of messy play and giving the ball away. The best was McKenzie with a no-look pass when a try would have been secured by just finding a player. Too easy?
The Wallabies secure the ball and finally we see a run from Len Ikitau down the middle. They keep the ball after recycling it and string
12 phases together before losing the ball at the breakdown just 15 metres from the line. Great work Savea!
PENALTY, NEW ZEALAND, MCKENZIE! 14-31: The All Blacks secure the set-piece and then secure a penalty at the breakdown right in front. McKenzie makes NO MISTAKE!
Koroibete once again just like at the start of the first half spills a pass from White to him for a Kiwi scrum. After a few resets at the scrum the All Blacks secure a scrum penalty and they find touch.
Kick-off! We are back underway in the second half.
HALF-TIME: AUSTRALIA 14-28 NEW ZEALAND. The score may well be flattering to Australia! Yes they came back to score two tries but New Zealand have made a number of unforced errors to allow the home team back. We cannot see the same happening after the break.
NO TRY! The TMO rules that a Will Jordan pass went forward in the build-up. LUCKY AUSTRALIA!
TRY, NEW ZEALAND, BARRETT! 14-33. New Zealand secure a late penalty after Wright holds on. McKenzie finds touch and they secure the line-out. Savea drives forward and they continue forward. Numbers to the right and rightfully Jordie Barrett is OVER IN THE CORNER!
TRY, AUSTRALIA, FAESSLER! 14-28: Tupou with another good cleanout to secure a penalty. They go for the corner and secure the line-out. Great work and this time the drive leads to a Matt Faessler TRY! Lolesio converts!
There we go again..... Australia secure the line-out and drive forward before New Zealand turn it over.
Tom Wright with a great run at an angle for Australia and crosses the halfway line and they secure a penalty at the breakdown. Lolesio finds touch.
The ball is ripped away from Valetini and the All Blacks go wide before they are thumped into touch. Australia clear the line-out before spilling the ball. Oh dear!
Relief for Australia after the line-out! They earn a penalty at the breakdown after Tupou secures the ball at the breakdown after four New Zealand phases.
The All Blacks have a scrum penalty and they feed a line-out near the corner.
TRY, NEW ZEALAND, SAVEA! 7-28: This time the Kiwi's turn over a Wallaby ball after they appear to have over-run the ball. To cut a long story short it's an easy Savea try and it's converted by McKenzie! This has been far too predictable. The Wallabies need to get going and SOON!
Another Kiwi mistake in the Wallaby 22 before the ball is turned over. Fraser McReight does well to kick forward for a line-out inside the Kiwi 22.
Nine more Kiwi phases before Scott Barrett's pass finds an Australian hand five metres from the line. White clears it into touch for some relief.
TRY, AUSTRALIA, McREIGHT! 7-21: A great Wallaby set-piece as they clear the line-out. Good hands by Nic White and Valetini before Fraser McReight
is OVER! They get something back!
TRY, NEW ZEALAND, CLARKE! 0-21: The Wallabies with a tap and go after a scrum and they make good ground before the All Blacks get it back. Jordan is into a gap and sends it wide. Surprise, Surprise as Caleb Clarke forces his way OVER near the corner! Another conversion is OVER!
The All Blacks string 12 patient
phases together before a forward pass from Reece to Savea leads to a scrum. Only All Black mistakes holding them back now.
Harry Wilson messes up the clean-out at the breakdown and TRY, NEW ZEALAND, IOANE! 0-12: Will Jordon takes a superb high-ball. They go wide and Ratima takes it into space. With plenty of options he sends Rieko Ioane AWAY! Damian McKenzie goes for the corner. They clear the line-out and go wide before the ball is intercepted. LUCKY AUSTRALIA!
TRY, NEW ZEALAND, IOANE! 0-14: Will Jordon takes a superb high-ball. They go wide and Ratima takes it into space. With plenty of options he sends Rieko Ioane AWAY! Damian McKenzie converts!
After a few resets at the scrum the Wallabies come away with it. The build-up is promising and they make good ground before Koroibete spills the ball under no pressure whatsoever.
The Wallabies are under the pump again. They need to regroup or this will get NASTY!
TRY, NEW ZEALAND, JORDAN! 0-7: McKenzie puts it high and Lolesio cannot collect. The Waalabies under pressure! The All Blacks string the phases together before Will Jordan is into a gap and runs home to SCORE after 90 seconds. The easy conversion is OVER!
Kick-off! We are underway here at Sydney's Olympic Stadium after another superb rendition of the All Black Haka! A late change for the All Blacks. Beauden Barrett has been ruled out and has been replaced at fullback by Will Jordan. Sevu Reece moves to the right wing and Harry Plummer moves to the bench in number 23.
Match officials: Our referee is Karl Dickson from England. He will be assisted by Georgian, Nika Amashukeli and Damian Schneider from Uruguay. The TMO is Stuart Terheege from England.
New Zealand: 15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 Cortez Ratima, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Wallace Sititi, 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 4 Scott Barrett (captain), 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Ethan de Groot.
Replacement(s): 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Tamaiti Williams, 18 Pasilio Tosi, 19 Sam Darry, 20 Luke Jacobson, 21 TJ Perenara, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Sevu Reece
Australia: 15 Tom Wright, 14 Andrew Kellaway, 13 Len Ikitau, 12 Hunter Paisami, 11 Marika Koroibete, 10 Noah Lolesio, 9 Nic White, 8 Harry Wilson (captain), 7 Fraser McReight, 6 Rob Valetini, 5 Jeremy Williams, 4 Nick Frost, 3 Taniela Tupou, 2 Matt Faessler, 1 Angus Bell. Replacement(s): 16 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 17 James Slipper, 18 Allan Alaalatoa, 19 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 20 Langi Gleeson, 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Tom Lynagh, 23 Dylan Pietsch.
The Wallabies were thrashed 67-27 by the Pumas in Santa Fe, Argentina, in what was their worst ever test defeat. The irony is that the Wallabies were 20-17 leaders at the break.
In their last game the All Blacks went down 18-12 to the Springboks at the DHL Cape Town Stadium.
These teams are third and fourth respectively on the Rugby Championship table. The All Blacks are third on seven points, while the Wallabies are at the bottom on four points. Neither of these teams are in a position to clinch the title this year.
Good Day and welcome to the Accor Stadium in Sydney for our coverage of this Rugby Championship clash between Australia and New Zealand. This is also the first game of this season's Beldisloe Cup.
