New Zealand 40-14 Australia: All Blacks close in on Rugby Championship crown

Will Jordan
Wing Will Jordan scored New Zealand's opening try and his second of the Rugby Championship campaign
New Zealand (17) 40
Tries: Jordan, Penalty, Whitelock, Taylor, Taukeiaho Cons: Mo'unga (2) Pens: Mo'unga (3)
Australia (0)14
Tries: Fainga'a, Petaia Con: Foley, Hodge

New Zealand routed Australia to put themselves on the brink of the Rugby Championship crown and extend the Wallabies' miserable Eden Park record.

A burst from wing Will Jordan and a penalty try gave the hosts a commanding lead at the break.

The ill-disciplined and inaccurate visitors had too much to do after Sam Whitelock and Codie Taylor's short-range scores cut them further adrift

New Zealand are five points clear of South Africa at the top of the table.

The Springboks play Argentina in Durban at 15:05 BST and will need a huge victory, scoring three more tries and 40 more points than the Pumas, to snatch the title away from New Zealand.

Australia, who last won the Rugby Championship in 2015, came into the final two rounds of this year's tournament with hopes of being involved in the championship calculations.

But back-to-back defeats by their trans-Tasman rivals and a 36-year run without a win at Eden Park means they could yet finish bottom.

Aussie indiscipline costs them once more

Australia's FOLAU FAINGA'A and ALLAN ALAALATOA
Australia's promising Rugby Championship campaign ends with two defeat by old rivals New Zealand

Referee Mathieu Raynal's decisive late time-wasting call was the focus after Australia's dramatic defeat in Melbourne 10 days ago, but the Wallabies' indiscipline had cost them long before that decision

Australia racked up three yellow cards in that 39-37 defeat and two first-half sin-bin visits put them on the back foot again in this Eden Park rematch.

The Wallabies survived the first All Black power play, after second row Jed Holloway saw yellow for an illegal clear-out with just two minutes on the clock.

But, a man down, they couldn't thrive, despite decent possession and territory.

Hooker Dave Porecki then threw himself under a tryline-bound rolling maul to give New Zealand a penalty try on 27 minutes and earn his team's second yellow card.

With Jordan having already scorched outside Jordan Petaia for the opening score, Porecki's indiscretion stretched the New Zealand lead to 17-0.

Australia had showed plenty of promise, but no end product. They made seven entries into the opposition 22m in the first half, but no impression on the scoreboard

New Zealand, by contrast, were far more clinical. Two minutes into the second half, Whitelock bundled over for his team's third try, putting them in possession of a bonus point that could prove crucial in the final reckoning.

Hooker Taylor trundled through at the back of a rolling maul to make it 32-0 shortly after and snuff out any lingering comeback hopes.

The Wallabies had clambered back from 31-13 down to lead late in the last match, but this deficit was too large and their play too sloppy and short of rhythm to do similar this time around.

Folau Fainga'a slid over before Petaia crossed in the game's final play to patch up a lop-sided scoreline, but, with All Blacks replacement hooker Samisoni Taukei'aho having steered another rolling maul over the whitewash at the other end, the result was never in doubt.

New Zealand: B Barrett; Jordan, R Ioane, J Barrett, Clarke; Mo'unga, Smith; De Groot, Taylor, Lomax, Retallick, Whitelock, A Ioane, Papali'i, Savea

Replacements: Taukei'aho, Tu'unagafasi, Laulala, Va'ai, Sotutu, Christie, Tuivasa-Shek, Reece

Australia: Kellaway; Wright, Ikitau, Foketi, Koroibete; Foley, Gordon; Slipper, Porecki, Alaalatoa, Holloway, Neville, Valetini, Samu, Wilson

Replacements: Fainga'a, Bell, Fa'amausili, Frost, McReight, White, Hodge, Petaia

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Source: BBC Rugby Union News

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By adamreeves / Administrator, bbp_keymaster on Sep 24, 2022