Resurgent Wallabies end the Bledisloe barren spell
AUSTRALIA’S steady improvement this season continued apace in Brisbane yesterday with a thoroughly deserved Bledisloe Cup win over a lacklustre New Zealand, who were rather flattered by the score-line.
It was their first vicory over the All Blacks in eight attempts and it’s difficult to believe that this was essentially the same Australia side that leaked 41 points at home in the first half of their opening Rugby Championship game against the Kiwis a few months ago.
All their big names behind the scrum – Will Genia, Kurtley Beale and Israel Folau – have taken on extra responsibility since those dark days while others such as Reece Hodge and Marika Koroibete have emerged as fully-fledged Test players.
Up front Jack Dempsey looks a proper hard case Test flanker, Sean McMahon likewise, and yesterday young lock Lukhan Tui was again outstanding off the bench.
Coach Michael Cheika remained calm when the flak was flying earlier this season and his reward has been the re-emergence of an exceptionally promising group.
Above all else the Aussies have rediscovered their devil in attack. In three Tests against the All Blacks over the last three months they have scored 12 tries, not many teams worldwide can match that.
For the Kiwis this was the match when a hectic summer and autumn – which began with the unusual early season intensity of a Lions tour – finally caught up with them.
New Zealand’s usual sharpness in attack was missing. Concussed last time out, Beauden Barrett wasn’t there to conjure up something special and their other miracle worker-in-chief Damian McKenzie wasn’t quite firing on all four. They were well beaten and Steve Hansen will use the debrief as a kick up the backside before the autumn tour gets underway.
The best part of a week’s continuous rain made the SunCorp Stadium slippery underfoot and although New Zealand enjoyed the early pressure, Australia struck first with an 80 yard interception try by Hodge.
The strapping wing ran the try in with style but it owed much to the brilliant defensive work of Genia, who had read a dangerous attacking play from a New Zealand scrum in midfield in front of the Australian posts and harried Lima Sopoaga into a hurried pass and mistake.
Foley, who endured a poor night with the boot, converted but New Zealand rallied to level things up through Waisake Naholo, who touched down after a concerted multi-phase assault on the Aussie line before Sopoaga stretched their lead with a brace of penalties.
Australia needed to hang tough – which they did – and then, with seconds left before half-time, did what New Zealand usually do and struck ruthlessly with a nicely taken try by the deadly Folau, his 12th of the calendar year.
Foley couldn’t convert but the feel-good factor was tangible and Australia carried that into a second half which they dominated for significant periods of time.
After going close a couple of times the Aussie reward came in the 56th minute when they turned down a shot at goal and kicked for the corner instead.
From the line-out they showed good control driving forward and had won a penalty advantage when they opted to attack full bore to the left with Foley finding Folau with a cracking pass and the big full-back outpacing the All Blacks on the outside to send Koroibete in for a very well taken try.
A late try for the prolific youngster Rieko Ioane made for a tighter finish than the game probably warranted but Hodge saw Australia home for one of their best wins in recent years with a thumping 53 metre penalty.