All Blacks v Australia recap: All Blacks claim strong win over Wallabies
The All Blacks beat the Wallabies 33-13 in Wellington in their final home test of the year.
As it happened:
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That will do it for tonight's blog. Thanks for tuning in and enjoy the rest of your Saturday night.
I'll leave you with the match report from our man at the ground, Liam Napier.
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Will Jordan finished the game with 158m - Clarke with 90m.
Scott Barret led the way with 20 tackles and two turnovers won.
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Cane heads to the sheds through a guard of honour set by the All Blacks and Wallabies. A nice touch.
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Cane: "Thank you to the Wallabies for a heck of a tough test match. You guys beat me on my 50th so it was nice to get this one on the hundy."
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A nice moment on field here as Beauden Barrett awards Sam Cane with his 100th test cap.
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Good win for the All Blacks there. The Wallabies came flying out of the gates, dominating the play in the opening minutes and hitting the lead through Fraser McReight.
But the hosts had plenty of success when they attacked the line, with Sevu Reece, Will Jordan and Caleb Clarke all showing their speed to score in the first half - Clarke scoring a second later in the game.
The All Blacks also got a try through Tamaiti Williams, with Beauden Barrett slotting four conversions.
The Wallabies didn't score a point after Noah Lolosio's 37th-minute penalty.
FULLTIME
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The All Blacks win 33-13
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No intent at all in the ball carriers.
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All Blacks looking to wind the clock down now.
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Tuipulotu rather emphatically pinches it at the lineout.
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Ratima gets a good kick away under pressure to find the sideline on halfway.
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78 minutes gone.
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All Blacks do well to defend the maul and get a scrum as the ball becomes unplayable.
Yellow card Clarke
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For the second week in a row, Clarke has picked up a late yellow card. This one for a cynical play as he's picked up the ball from a clearly offside position.
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Wallabies with possession on halfway. Wright shoots through a gap and puts a kick over to Kellaway.
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But the visitors have gotten over the ball at the breakdown and can clear their lines from the penalty.
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Good lineout as McKenzie steams onto it at the back. He links up with Jordan and the All Blacks are nearing the Wallabies' 22
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Another medical delay as Ikitau has to leave the field with a leg injury.
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McKenzie finds the sideline on halfway.
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Penalty to the All Blacks at the breakdown - Tosi getting the head pats once more.
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Good lineout and the Wallabies continue to test the All Blacks' defences.
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All Blacks take it off the scrum and get McKenzie enough room to kick clear.
It's a disappointing one though.
Wallabies have a lineout on the All Blacks' 22m.
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Wallabies go close with a lineout drive but it's knocked on. More strong defence from the All Blacks.
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Wallabies kick to the sideline 5m out.
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And we'll go back for the penalty as the Wallabies attack gets driven backwards. Great defence from the All Blacks really.
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Inside the final 10 min now
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All Blacks parked on their own goal line, and Wallabies have advantage
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Wallabies with some momentum now as they get to the All Blacks 5m
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Wallabies playing down the blindside and get up towards the 22
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All Blacks with some messy play as they kick the ball out. Wallabies have it on the All Blacks' 10m.
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So yes, Tosi, Aumua, Tuipulotu, Jacobson, and Havili are all on now.
Lomax, Taylor, Vaa'i, Cane, and Ioane are off.
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Good little chip from Kellaway, who links up with Harry Wilson. Wallabies get within 5m, but Pasilio Tosi - who has just come on - gets over the ball.
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McKenzie almost puts Sititi through the line but the pass doesn't quite stick. Wallabies ball on the All Blacks' 10m line.
Barrett converts
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All Blacks lead 33-13 after 65 minutes.
CLARKE FOR TWO
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McKenzie has come in and attacked the tiring Wallabies' line. He gets the ball in motion from Barrett and puts Clarke away.
The All Blacks wing has to beat the defence, and does enough to get to the line.
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All Blacks back up to the 22
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Big charge from Sititi.
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McDermott kicks to touch about 35m from his own line.
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Perenara off. Ratima on.
Reece off. McKenzie on at first-five. Barrett to fullback, Jordan to the wing.
No try
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There were several knock-ons, it turns out. The first from Codie Taylor, so it's a scrum to the Wallabies 5m out.
A try after 60min - maybe?
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We're looking for a knock-on in the build-up
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All Blacks about 5m out.
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Taylor goes off the back again and he's taken in a good tackle.
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Barrett finds the sideline about 7m out.
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Penalty called - offside.
The referee has a chat to Harry Wilson, that's a warning.
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Taylor peels away and the All Blacks are playing under advantage again.
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Taylor finds Vaa'i. All Blacks set up the drive 22m out.
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Barrett kicks it out on the Wallabies' 22.
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Penalty All Blacks - Jeremy Williams called offside
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All Blacks get it out of the scrum and Lienert-Brown goes for a strong carry.
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Wallabies go short, but the lineout is called not straight.
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All Blacks take the restart and Barrett gets the ball into touch about 35m from his own line.
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56 minutes gone.
Barrett converts
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All Blacks lead 26-13.
TAMAITI WILLIAMS POWERS OVER
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Pick and go from a metre out and he gets his second in test rugby.
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Advantage All Blacks. Wallabies offside.
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Lineout goes deep to Sititi. The drive isn't going anywhere and Taylor has to break away.
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Penalty 5m out for the All Blacks; Wallabies player called for not rolling away.
They'll go to the sideline.
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Advantage All Blacks.
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Ball goes loose and Will Jordan is there to clean up.
All Blacks back inside the 22
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Williams on. De Groot off.
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Good defence from the Wallabies as they prevent the All Blacks from making much more ground, and the play ends with Ioane knocking on.
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All Blacks up to the 22
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50 minutes gone.
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Knock on sees the All Blacks get it back, not they're just up over halfway.
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Wallabies go up over halfway after the scrum.
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Then Perenara makes an embarrassing error, trying to play a bit too quick and knocking the ball on a he tries to tap and go.
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The ball bounces around, falls with the Wallabies and the All Blacks get a penalty at the breakdown.
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Wallabies knock the lineout on and the All Blacks have it inside their own half.
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They put in a weird little kick which is cleaned up by Sam Cane, but he has little support and the Wallabies get the penalty at the breakdown.
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Gordon kicks to touch. All Blacks lineout 10m from halfway but it's a messy one and the Wallabies have it.
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Perenara with a break but Kellaway just rips it from his grasp.
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Savea carries up over halfway.
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Pietsch makes a mess of his chip - kicking straight into Jordan's arms.
The All Blacks go close, but the ball goes dead and it's a 22m drop out for the Wallabies.
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Penalty at the breakdown for the Wallabies, they have a lineout on halfway.
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Barrett with a contestable kick from halfway, but there are no chaser from the All Blacks. Ugly scene that.
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Tupou off. Alaalatoa on
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Barrett kicks on the inside for Jordan but it's just a touch heavy.
Jake Gordon cleans it up for the Wallabies and kicks into touch around halfway.
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Solid scrum, the Wallabies try to attack off the back of it.
Jordan cleans up a threatening kick in behind the line and the All Blacks are back in attacking territory.
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Tupou down injured again, but he's fine to continue.
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And that all fizzles out as TJ Perenara tries to milk a penalty but instead Tyrel Lomax knocks it on.
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With possession inside Wallabies' territory, the All Blacks are keeping it in the hands and asking some questions of the Wallabies' defence.
We're under way again
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All Blacks go right onto the attack.
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Will Jordan and Caleb Clarke lead the All Blacks in running metres with 54 each; Rob Valetini leads the Wallabies with 24.
Defensively, Scott Barrett and Codie Taylor lead the tackle count with 12. Fraser McReight's 7 leads the Wallabies.
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Some halftime stats
Wallabies have had 60% of the ball, the penalty count is 8-4 against the All Blacks, and the hosts have made 103 tackles to 52.
Both teams have won three turnovers, with the Wallabies conceding a total of six.
Barrett converts from in front
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HALFTIME: All Blacks lead 19-13.
CLARKE WITH THE SUPERMAN DIVE
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The All Blacks wing goes looking for work and finds it, hitting the ball at pace and running through to score with little resistance.
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A lot happening there and ultimately Sititi is smoked by Tupou after coming away from the back of the drive.
All Blacks stay on the hunt, though.
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Penalty All Blacks for a man not rolling away. To the sideline we go
All Blacks recent record in Wellington
Sky Stadium has not been a great venue for the All Blacks of late. They’ve had one win in their past seven tests in Wellington, going back to the 2017 British and Irish Lions series. The last time Australia visited, the Wallabies left with a 16-16 draw after Jordie Barrett nailed a 79th-minute penalty to earn a face-saving result. The All Blacks’ last two tests in the capital have resulted in a 10-point defeat and an eight-point loss. Ouch.
Since 2017
Lions 24 All Blacks 21, 2017
All Blacks 26 France 13, 2018
South Africa 36 All Blacks 34, 2018
All Blacks 16 South Africa 16, 2019
All Blacks 16 Australia 16, 2020
Ireland 32 All Blacks 22, 2022
Argentina 38 All Blacks 30, 2024
Australia have played the All Blacks six times at Sky Stadium, their only win coming in the 2000 test when John Eales kicked a late winning penalty. They drew the last encounter 16-16 in 2020. Australia do have two other victories at Sky Stadium, both at the 2011 Rugby World Cup, beating USA 67-5 and a quarter-final win over South Africa 11-9.
Australia also have victories over the All Blacks at Athletic Park in 1949, 1964, 1982, 1986 and 1990.
All Blacks v Australia line-ups
All Blacks
1. Ethan de Groot (27) 2. Codie Taylor (92) (vice-captain) 3. Tyrel Lomax (39) 4. Scott Barrett (75) (captain) 5. Tupou Vaa’i (33) 6. Wallace Sititi (4) 7. Sam Cane (99) 8. Ardie Savea (89) (vice-captain) 9. TJ Perenara (86) 10. Beauden Barrett (130) 11. Caleb Clarke (24) 12. Anton Lienert-Brown (78) 13. Rieko Ioane (76) 14. Sevu Reece (29) 15. Will Jordan (36).
Bench: 16. Asafo Aumua (13) 17. Tamaiti Williams (13) 18. Pasilio Tosi (2) 19. Patrick Tuipulotu (45) 20. Luke Jacobson (23) 21. Cortez Ratima (7) 22. Damian McKenzie (55) 23. David Havili (27).
Australia
1. Angus Bell 2. Matt Faessler 3. Taniela Tupou 4. Nick Frost 5. Jeremy Williams 6. Rob Valetini 7. Fraser McReight 8. Harry Wilson (captain) 9. Jake Gordon 10. Noah Lolesio 11. Dylan Pietsch 12. Hunter Paisami 13. Len Ikitau 14. Andrew Kellaway 15. Tom Wright
Bench: 16. Brandon Paenga-Amosa 17. Isaac Kailea 18. Allan Alaalatoa 19. Lukhan Salakai-Loto 20. Langi Gleeson 21. Tate McDermott 22. Ben Donaldson 23. Josh Flook
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.