Naholo excels as All Blacks blitz sinks Wallabies
SYDNEY: Winger Waisake Naholo scored a double as New Zealand recovered from a slow start to overrun Australia 38-13 on Saturday and extend the Wallabies’ Bledisloe Cup jinx in Sydney.
The world champions scored six tries to one in the first Test, which also doubles as the Rugby Championship opener, for their third win at ANZ Stadium in as many years.
Australia’s hopes of claiming the Bledisloe for the first time since 2002 now rest on winning the second Test of the three-match series next week at Eden Park, where they have not tasted victory since 1986.
All Blacks captain Kieran Read admitted the Wallabies dominated the first half, with his team trailing 6-0 until Aaron Smith’s opening try in the 39th minute.
But he praised his team’s response when they ran rampant with a five-try blitz after the break.
“It was a bloody tough Test match, credit to the Wallabies for what they came up with,” he said.
Australia’s makeshift pack struggled at the set piece, turning over the ball at the lineout and conceding penalties at scrum-time.
South Africa scored a bonuspoint 34-21 Rugby Championship victory over Argentina on Saturday with six tries compensating for woeful goal-kicking by Handre Pollard.
Meanwhile, Wingers Aphiwe Dyantyi and Makazole Mapimpi bagged two tries each in Durban as the Springboks dominated the second half having trailed by nine points earlier.