ABs set Test tag
SYDNEY - How quickly the tables have turned. It was just three weeks ago the Wallabies produced their best result against the All Blacks in New Zealand since 2001 by leaving Wellington with a draw. The result was hoped to signal a new dawn
Three weeks later, the All Blacks have both hands on the Bledisloe Cup for the 18th consecutive year, after smashing the Wallabies by a record 43-5 margin on a wet Sydney evening at the Olympic Stadium to take an unassailable 2-0 lead into the fourth and final trans Tasman Test of the year in Brisbane next weekend.
The Wallabies might have a new coach in Dave Rennie, but the result has remained black.
"We're hurting a lot from that," Wallabies captain Michael Hooper said in the immediate aftermath.
"We really want(ed) to fly into these two weeks; it's a hit to the confidence now. We've got to look back at sticking to our game plan, we get out on the field and we change direction."
After being forced to turn to the next generation of playmakers following the injuries to veteran pair James O'Connor and Matt To'omua, the Wallabies' debutant pairing of Noah Lolesio and Irae Simone felt the wrath of the All Blacks.
Where they kicked away what little possession they had in the first-half, the All Blacks ate up the Wallabies' offerings for dinner.
No-one feasted more on the Wallabies' mistakes more than All Blacks playmaker Richie Mo'unga, who scored a first-half double to set-up the victory.
The All Blacks' four-try first-half rout brought back memories of 2017 at the same venue, when they lead the Wallabies 40-6 at half time, and had the 2020 All Blacks not bombed another three tries they could well have got to that margin again.Rennie's men were gallant in the second-half.
They scored almost immediately after the main break, with Lolesio storming onto a lovely ball from Nic White to crash over after Jordan Petaia broke away downfield from a lovely setpiece play one phase earlier.
But those moments of brilliance were as rare as Wallabies victories in recent years.