NOT SO BLACK IN NZ
THE Wallabies produced their best performance of the year and still lost by 27 points.
Such is the excellence of this All Blacks team, which now holds the world record for most successive Test wins by bringing up their 18th in a row with the 37-10 win in Auckland.
Australia remain winless against New Zealand at Eden Park since 1986, and while the scoreline suggests there is a four-try difference between the sides it was a far more hard-fought encounter.
The game could have positioned differently heading into the final quarter had a key decision gone with Australia.
The Wallabies seemingly levelled the scores in the 47th minute when winger Henry Speight raced down the side- line to score and referee Nigel Owens awarded the fivepointer.
But TMO Shaun Veldsman asked to review the try before Bernard Foley took the conversion, and then ruled that Wallabies winger Dane Haylett-Petty had deliberately obstructed chasing defender Julian Savea as he chased Speight.
Haylett-Petty was drifting across field and did put his hand across Savea even though it seemed unlikely he’d catch Speight.
The All Blacks then scored a controversial runaway try from their own end in the 54th minute after Australia turned the ball over.
Ben Smith burst downfield then put a grubber back inside. Wallabies prop Scott Sio tripped over Aaron Cruden’s foot as he chased the ball, leav- ing Savea free to pick it up and run over under the posts.
Owens awarded the try saying Cruden had run his natural line, and Cruden quickly took the conversion before Veldsman could get involved.
That was the backbreaker. Instead of being level at 15-all, the Wallabies trailed 22-10 and with 25 minutes to go the home side were not going to give up their place in history.
Within 20 minutes the scoreline went from respectable to blowout.
Cruden kicked a penalty and Savea scored a Jonah Lomu-like try by fending off Speight and steamrolling Nick Frisby to score under the sticks. Savea then turned provider when he ran around Michael Hooper and got caught just short of the line before popping the pass to Dane Coles who scored.