Eight in a row for All Blacks
New Zealand claimed their eighth successive victory over Australia with a crushing 49-28 win in the Bledisloe Cup match in Melbourne.
Last Updated: 02/08/10 10:47pm
New Zealand claimed their eighth successive victory over Australia with a crushing 49-28 win in the Bledisloe Cup match in Melbourne.
The Wallabies had high hopes of ending that losing streak after last week's impressive victory over South Africa, but the All Blacks showed they are a cut above the opposition in this year's Tri-Nations.
New Zealand took advantage of Drew Mitchell's sending off for two yellow card offences early in the second half, but it was their almost total domiance of the re-starts which stood out.
Australia lost almost every re-start and conceded a string of points after losing possession in dangerous areas.
Yet it all started so brightly for the hosts after Matt Giteau and Dan Carter exchanged early penalties.
On eight minutes Carter took fractionally too long with his clearance, Mitchell charging down and doing brilliantly to pick up and score under pressure.
But New Zealand hit back immediately and it was Carter who made amends, charging down Berrick Barnes' kick in the Australian 22 and diving over to score. Carter added the extras to put New Zealand ahead for the first time.
Moments later New Zealand skipper Richie McCaw turned the ball over in midfield and the ball was quickly swept wide, where Corey Jane chipped inside for Mils Muliaina to score.
Giteau clawed Australia back with another penalty and they should have been boosted by the harsh sin-binning of Owen Franks for a debatable shoulder charge on 21 minutes.
McCaw swoops
But it was 14-man New Zealand who scored next, Adam Ashley-Cooper losing the ball in contact and McCaw swooping and racing in to score on the blind side. Carter converted from the touchline and the lead was 22-11.
Just before the half-hour Mitchell was sin-binned for the same offence and after Giteau and Carter exchanged penalties once again, it was the All Blacks who finished the half on a high.
This time it was Jane who got in at the corner where Mitchell would have been for the bonus-point try, Carter again converting from the touchline for a 32-14 half-time lead.
Any thoughts of a comeback were effectively snubbed out by Mitchell's red card three minutes after the break, prompted by a second yellow for slapping the ball down as New Zealand attempted a quick throw-in.
Four minutes later, the All Blacks won a scrum against the head 10 metres out and Carter put Muliaina over when the fly-half could probably have trotted through to score himself.
Things looked bleak for the Wallabies at that stage, but to their credit they responded well in the final half hour - admittedly against an All Blacks side who had already wrapped up the win and the bonus.
Crashed over
David Pocock had a score ruled out by the video referee after he burrowed over from close range and was held up, but as Australia maintained the pressure, Ashley-Cooper fended off Jerome Kaino and crashed over, Giteau cutting the deficit to 39-21.
But with 20 minutes left Ma'a Nonu put veteran winger Joe Rokocoko over in the corner for the sixth All Blacks try.
Australia skipper Rocky Elsom reached over to score with nine minutes left and the Wallabies sniffed an unlikely four-try bonus point.
But it was New Zealand who had the last word, the ball shipped out wide where any one of three players could have scored unopposed and it was Corey Flynn who touched down.
