All Blacks keep Rugby Championship hopes alive with gritty win over Wallabies in the wet

Scott Robertson’s side were far from perfect, but four tries and three Damian McKenzie kicks were enough to steer them to a record-breaking 11th successive win over Australia, further tightening their grip on the Bledisloe Cup.

They didn’t have it all their own way, though, with Australia in the fight right until the final whistle.

The game began at breakneck speed, with both sides getting on the scoreboard in the opening 10 minutes. Australia’s points came courtesy of a Tane Edmed penalty, but the All Blacks hit back almost instantly with a Leroy Carter try, with the winger burrowing over from short range.

After two more Edmed penalties, a Wallabies disallowed try for a croc roll from Tom Hooper and a few chances for either side, the All Blacks struck with two tries in a 10-minute splurge.

Both came through Quinn Tupaea, but in contrasting circumstances. His first score came after the ball ricocheted off Jordie Barrett’s head to send the onrushing back racing onto the ball before he put in a clever grubber kick to dot down.

He didn’t have to wait long for his second, which came in a far less bizarre fashion as he bashed his way through multiple defenders to score from close range.

A Len Ikitau yellow card at the start of the second half threatened to see the Wallabies fall even further behind, but if anything, it just galvanised Schmidt’s side.

An increase in ruck speed from Jake Gordon, alongside repeated penalties at the breakdown, saw Australia pile the pressure onto the All Blacks, but just as quickly as it came on, a misplaced Hooper pass allowed the visitors an easy way out.

That set a precedent for the Wallabies as their error and penalty count began to creep up. In turn, that gifted the All Blacks opportunities, which then saw McKenzie finally add the first points of the second half off the tee.

You felt if they stood any chance of mounting a comeback, Australia needed to score next. And they did just that.

After a strong driving maul and some powerful pick-and-goes, Ikitau’s quick thinking saw him dot the ball down from short range. The conversion struck the uprights, but Australia had a fighting chance heading into the final 15 minutes.

Test rugby can be a cruel beast at times, and that certainly proved the case for Australia again, as McKenzie pushed the All Blacks’ lead out to nine points with his second penalty of the half.

New Zealand were now out for the kill, looking to make sure of an 11th-straight win over their nearest and dearest.

A string of penalties gifted them possession in the Wallabies 22, resulting in replacement prop George Bower powering over and bringing the curtain down on an enthralling Rugby Championship tie.