How the world’s media reacted to the All Blacks’ 33-24 win against Australia at Eden Park.
Jonathan Drennan, Sydney Morning Herald
The Eden Park fortress holds for another year and the Bledisloe Cup will stay in New Zealand.
That was an utterly frustrating test; sometimes it is the hope that gets you in sport. The Wallabies were absolutely in contention to win this, but fell short.
The Wallabies remain without a win at Eden Park since 1986 and their chance of winning the Bledisloe Cup is also gone.
The Wallabies could not get on the right side of referee Andrea Piardi all game, particularly at the breakdown with a late yellow card to Harry Potter being a cruel loss when the winger was competing for the ball on his feet.
There were parallels to the loss against Argentina in Sydney, a bad start and an inability to win the aerial contest.
Costly simple errors also haunted them, notably with James O’Connor missing touch with a penalty on the 53rd minute that completely swung the game back to New Zealand.
There are causes for optimism; it’s a sell-out in Perth next week in the return test, Will Skelton and Rob Valetini are back. There is absolutely no reason they cannot win their final test of the Rugby Championship against New Zealand.
Christy Doran, the Roar
Heartbreak again.
The All Blacks’ Eden Park fortress remains after holding off a brave Wallabies side 33-24 in Auckland on Saturday evening.
Joe Schmidt’s men trailed by just two points in the 70th minute after Carlo Tizzano scored, but the men in black landed the match-winning blow five minutes later as Cam Roigard returned from injury to score under the posts and kill off the Wallabies’ Bledisloe Cup hopes.
By winning, the All Blacks extended their winning run at Eden Park to 52 tests.
It also ensured the All Blacks held on to the Bledisloe Cup for a 23rd straight year ahead of next weekend’s sold-out clash in Perth, which also acts as the Rugby Championship finale.
The Wallabies weren’t helped by a whistle-happy Andrea Piardi – the same Italian referee who was the man in the middle of the controversial and heartbreaking loss to the Lions in Melbourne – who came down hard on the men in gold in the second half.
Several 50-50 calls went the way of the All Blacks, including the penalty and subsequent yellow card to Harry Potter for hands in the ruck that led to the match-winning blow.
Lachlan Harper, Channel Nine
The All Blacks’ unbeaten streak at Eden Park has extended to 52 matches after a 33-24 win over the Wallabies in the first Bledisloe test.
New Zealand’s win means the Bledisloe Cup has been retained, having not lost it since 2003.
With seven minutes remaining and the All Blacks leading 26-24, the Wallabies looked like they were a chance. However, winger Harry Potter was yellow-carded for his work in the ruck as the All Blacks attacked.
The refereeing was a big talking point in commentary, with the Wallabies penalised 14 times compared to New Zealand’s 10.
Potter’s yellow card was particularly contentious, with his attempt to pilfer judged to have come after the ruck was formed.
Ultimately, discipline is what cost the Wallabies with the All Blacks kicking three penalty goals.
Nick Mulvenney, Reuters
Cam Roigard scored two tries on his return from injury as the All Blacks held off a Wallabies fightback to prevail 33-24 in a hard-fought Rugby Championship test on Saturday and maintain their grip on the Bledisloe Cup for another year.
Tries from Caleb Clarke, Leroy Carter and scrumhalf Roigard gave New Zealand an early 17-point lead, but Australia, who last held the Bledisloe Cup in 2003, were within two points of the lead when flanker Carlo Tizzano crossed 11 minutes from time.
Wallabies winger Harry Potter was shown a yellow card in the 73rd minute, however, and the All Blacks made the most of the extra man to send Roigard in for his second try and extend their unbeaten run at Auckland’s Eden Park to 52 tests over 31 years.
The victory also sent New Zealand to the top of the Rugby Championship standings ahead of Argentina’s clash with South Africa in the penultimate round of the competition later on Saturday.
David Skippers, PlanetRugby
The All Blacks were made to work hard before clinching a 33-24 triumph against a spirited Wallabies side in their Rugby Championship test at Eden Park on Saturday.
In a fast-paced and entertaining encounter, both sides stayed true to their attacking roots although the hosts got the rub of the green in the end as they outscored their opponents by four tries to three.
Cam Roigard led the way as he crossed for a brace of tries while Caleb Clarke and Leroy Carter also crossed the whitewash for the All Blacks. The host’s other points came via a penalty and a conversion from Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie added a conversion and two penalties.
For Australia, Billy Pollard, Harry Potter and Carlo Tizzano dotted down while their other points came via the boot of James O’Connor, who succeeded with three conversions and a penalty.
The victory means New Zealand extend their unbeaten record at Eden Park to 52 tests while they also retain the Bledisloe Cup for the 23rd successive year.
The men in black also move to the top of the Rugby Championship table for the time being with South Africa and Argentina set to face off later on Saturday.
Liam Napier, NZ Herald
After their darkest day, a ray of light for the All Blacks.
Further evidence is required on the basis of their patchy form this season but by banking the Bledisloe Cup for a 23rd straight year and extending Eden Park’s fortress status for the second time in three weeks, the All Blacks released the pressure valve for now at least.
We’ve witnessed a similar scene countless times in the past 22 years.
The All Blacks, backs to the wall after their heaviest defeat in history against the Springboks in Wellington, returning to their spiritual home in need of a decisive response against the familiar foe.
The backlash, reaction, onslaught, duly arrived as the All Blacks rattled off three tries in 24 minutes to fashion a seemingly commanding 17-point lead.
But, unlike previous fragile yet overconfident Wallabies outfits, Joe Schmidt’s men have developed a depth of character and resilience this year.
With the lion’s share of front-foot ball, the All Blacks should have put the Wallabies away much earlier. But as they have in every match this season, the Wallabies refused to surrender.
Carlo Tizzano’s try with 11 minutes remaining closed the gap to two points and sparked nervous tension from the 46,437 crowd, only for Potter’s yellow card to kill off hopes of another late great Wallabies’ comeback.
When Jordie Barrett and Quinn Tupaea combined for a slick inside ball to send Cam Roigard over for his double, the All Blacks could finally breathe.
The Bled is safe for another year.