New Zealand survive late scare to beat Australia in thriller

2024 Rugby Championship

Australia (14) 28

Tries: Mcreight, Faessler, Paisami, Wright Cons: Lolesio 4

New Zealand (28) 31

Tries: Jordan, Ioane, Clarke, Savea Cons: McKenzie 4 Pens: McKenzie

New Zealand survived a precocious rally to hit Australia 31-28 successful nan Rugby Championship successful Sydney and clasp nan Bledisloe Cup.

The All Blacks opened up a 14-point lead astatine nan break but were restricted to conscionable 1 punishment successful nan 2nd half and mislaid 2 players to nan sin-bin.

Late tries from Hunter Paisami and Tom Wright moved Australia to wrong a people of a singular victory, but New Zealand held on.

It is New Zealand's eighth successive triumph complete their trans-Tasman rivals and intends they clasp nan Bledisloe Cup for nan 22nd twelvemonth successful a row.

"It's a spot of a relief, to beryllium honest," said New Zealand skipper Scott Barrett.

"In nan past 15 [minutes], we recovered ourselves successful a spot of a hole, but we hung connected pinch a spot of scrambled defence.

"It's nan quality of nan Aussies, they surely don't dishonesty down."

The triumph moves Scott Robertson's broadside supra Argentina into 2nd spot earlier nan Pumas' lucifer against South Africa later connected Saturday, though they cannot overhaul nan Springboks successful apical spot.

World champions South Africa tin unafraid a first Rugby Championship title since 2019 pinch a triumph successful Santiago.

Australia person taken conscionable 5 points from their 5 games and are connected people to decorativeness bottommost for nan 2nd Championship successful a row.

Joe Schmidt's broadside person mislaid 9 of their past 10 games successful nan competition, including a record 67-27 conclusion by Argentina earlier this month.

New Zealand were looking to bounce backmost from successive defeats by South Africa that ended their hopes of winning nan Rugby Championship title.

They raced into a 21-0 lead acknowledgment to tries from Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane and Caleb Clarke, earlier Fraser McReight dived complete from Nic White's offload to trim nan deficit

Ardie Savea's people and Damian McKenzie's conversion moved nan All Blacks 28-7 ahead, but Matt Faessler's effort correct connected nan hooter kept Australia successful nan match.

McKenzie's punishment extended nan lead soon aft nan restart, earlier nan All Blacks had a length-of-the-field effort called backmost for a knock-on.

Australia past began to activity their measurement backmost into nan crippled and Paisami went complete successful nan 65th minute

Anton Lienert-Brown was sent to nan sin-bin for an infringement successful nan lead-up to Paisami's effort and Clarke followed six minutes later to time off New Zealand pinch 13 men.

Australia had a effort of their ain ruled retired for a knock-on earlier Wright's precocious people a infinitesimal from clip group up a grandstand finish.

"We're evidently gutted to not get nan result," said Australia skipper Harry Wilson.

"Giving a 21-0 caput commencement to nan All Blacks was ever going to make it reliable for us, but I americium ace proud of nan effort and nan measurement we fought back.

"We conscionable didn't want to springiness up and played for each other."

Wallabies prop James Slipper was a second-half substitute to triumph his 140th cap, breaking nan grounds held by erstwhile skipper George Gregan.

The 2 sides look each different adjacent play successful nan 2nd Bledisloe Cup crippled successful Wellington connected New Zealand's northbound island.

Australia: T. Wright, Kellaway, Ikitau, Paisami, Koroibete, Lolesio, White, Bell, Faessler, Tupou, Frost, Williams, Valetini, McReight, Wilson.

Replacements: Paenga-Amosa, Slipper, Alaalatoa, Salakaia-Loto, Gleeson, McDermott, Lynagh, Pietsch.

New Zealand: Jordan, Reece, Ioane, J. Barrett, Clarke, McKenzie, Ratima, de Groot, Taylor, Lomax, S. Barrett, Vaa'i, Sititi, Cane, Savea.

Replacements: Aumua, Williams, Tosi, Darry, Jacobson, Perenara, Liernert-Brown, Plummer.