All Blacks survive second-half Wallabies scare to retain Bledisloe Cup in Sydney

Both sides scored four tries a piece with the hosts going over the whitewash with Fraser McReight, Matt Faessler, Hunter Paisami and Tom Wright with Noah Lolesio kicking all the conversions in a flawless day from the tee.

The All Blacks points came from Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, Caleb Clarke and Ardie Savea tries as Damian McKenzie kicked four conversions and a very important penalty that proved decisive.

It was the All Blacks who flew out of the blocks early with Jordan making the most of his late switch to full-back after Beauden Barrettâ™s withdrawal by finding a pocket of space and showing his acceleration to score in just the second minute. Mckenzie was on hand to kick his first conversion of the day.

The visitors did not let up as they looked to double down on their fast start finding plenty of space down the left side to set up Ioane for yet another Bledisloe Cup try in the ninth minute as fly-half McKenzie had no issue with the kick.

Unfortunately for the Wallabies two tries became three in the first 15 minutes as Clarke barged his way through two defenders to cross the whitewash for yet another converted try. However, this time the hosts responded with a brilliant set move off a line-out that had McReight in space after a series of lovely passes. Lolesio would add the extras.

It would always be difficult to keep the All Blacks out again who got rewarded for their defensive pressure as Sevu Reece picked a loose ball to play in Savea who ran in under the sticks for a converted score becoming the highest try-scoring forward in All Blacks history in the process.

The hosts would have the final say of the first half as hooker Faessler timed his breakaway from a maul to perfection and Lolesio kicked a difficult conversion to keep the Wallabies in the contest.

New Zealand started the second period with some good pressure leading to a penalty for McKenzie in the 45th minute taking the All Blacks crucially out of the two-converted try difference.

The contest tightened up as the Wallabies grew into the game leading to a lull in scoring with the All Blacks scoring two disallowed tries before the hosts eventually crashed over for a converted try from Paisami with 15 minutes to go.

The Wallabies continued to push and finally got their reward with a 79th-minute converted try from full-back Wright once again converted by Lolesio. This would take the hosts within three points of the All Blacks but it was not to be as New Zealand retained the Bledisloe Cup again.

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