Wallabies bounce back in thriller
RUGBY Bledisloe Cup
MELBOURNE: Australia rebounded from humiliation in Sydney to edge a 2422 thriller over the All Blacks in Brisbane on Saturday, holding firm in a bruising TriNations clash featuring a red card for both sides.
Having suffered a record 435 thrashing to surrender the Bledisloe Cup to the All Blacks a week ago, the Wallabies lifted their workrate at Suncorp Stadium to salvage pride in the finale of the teams' fourtest series.
High tackles put both sides a man down before the break, and the All Blacks were reduced to 13 when lock Scott Barrett was handed a yellow card late in the second half.
The Wallabies punished Barrett's transgression when prop Taniela Tupou dived over for a try five minutes from the siren, and Hodge's conversion gave the home side a ninepoint lead.
All Black lock Tupou Vaa'i, a late replacement on the bench after Patrick Tuipulotu was withdrawn, put his side within reach of a lastgasp victory when he crossed in the 79th minute.
But Wallaby winger Marika Koroibete made two brilliant tackles in the dying seconds to turn the ball over and secure an epic victory.
The result breathed life into the TriNations, with Argentina set to join the fray next week against the All Blacks in Sydney.
``That was a wild game; I didn't expect anything less,''Wallaby captain Michael Hooper said.
``It's a good response from last week. Disappointing that we've got that in us and the [Bledisloe] series is over but we'll take that one for sure.''
Wallaby coach Dave Rennie had demanded a response after last week and his players were quick to deliver at Suncorp Stadium, where they have now won three of their past five matches against the All Blacks.
New cap winger Liam Wright scored a try with his first touch in the third minute, set up by fullback Tom Banks who flicked the ball wide after running on to a deft chip kick by makeshift first fiveeighth Reece Hodge.
The All Blacks hit back six minutes later, though, through winger Rieko Ioane, who crossed after 15 phases of pressure.
The game threatened to fizzle out when All Black prop Ofa Tuungafasi was redcarded for a shoulder charge on Wright in the 23rd minute. But 12 minutes later, fiery flanker Lachlan Swinton became the first Australian to be redcarded on his test debut when he planted a shoulder into the jaw of Sam Whitelock.
Australian referee Nic Berry reached for his pocket a third time to give Koroibete a yellow card on the halftime siren for a messy cleanout as Slipper came off wincing with an arm injury.
Held to 88 at the break, the All Blacks ramped up the pressure when hooker Codie Taylor rumbled over from a lineout drive. But three secondhalf penalties from Hodge kept the Wallabies in touch.
Barrett had himself sent off with a needless hand in the ruck, allowing Tupou to break the game open with a couple of explosive linebreaks before he dived over from a metre out to plant the winning try.
``I thought they were pretty clinical at times and deserved to win tonight,'' All Black captain Sam Cane said.
``What difference a week in sport can make. The TriNations is all alive now.''— Reuters