The All Blacks have protected their proud Eden Park record against the Wallabies with a bonus point 40-14 victory which keeps alive their Rugby Championship hopes.
The five tries to two win gave the All Blacks a points differential buffer of 40 over the Springboks ahead of tomorrow morning’s Test against Argentina in Durban.
And that is the mere nuts and bolts of an enthralling Test – probably more from an All Blacks fans’ perspective – in which the home side effectively had the game sewn up by halftime and who showed glimpses of attacking genius without fully putting it all together.
They played with energy and excitement in front of a sold-out crowd of 47,031 – particularly in the second half – and it will rank as one of their best wins of a funny old season. It’s their fifth. After four losses, they are slowly coming on to the right side of the ledger.
The Wallabies, devastated after the late and controversial dramatics of Marvel Stadium last week, couldn’t catch a break, and that applied to passes, occasionally.
Clearly last week’s disappointment was too much to come back from but there were still question marks about this All Blacks line-up, which was missing injured forwards Scott Barrett and Shannon Frizell and had a new midfield partnership in Jordie Barrett and Rieko Ioane.
That partnership – two misfits is how Ioane described it during the week – may be something head coach Ian Foster wants to have another look at. Neither are classic distributers but both have size, strength and pace and Barrett ran right over the top of Bernard Foley in the second half.
Richie Mo’unga ran the show with time and poise and Sevu Reece had an eye-catching cameo on the right wing. Midfielder Roger Tuivasa-Sheck also finally got on the pitch again.
Speaking of dominance, prop Ethan de Groot had a night. Not only did he succeed in winding up wing Marika Koroibete, he was also devastating on defence with a huge tackle on No.8 Harry Wilson and another in the second half as the ball went loose.
The All Black scrum was dominant and so was their lineout drive – earning two second-half tries and a penalty try in the first half.
Will Jordan was his usual self – too hot to handle, with Beauden Barrett at fullback a big success story. Caleb Clarke was safe under the high ball and increasingly influential with it.
Overall the pack provided exactly the platform this backline required, with Dalton Papali’i making a good fist of it at openside flanker and hooker Codie Taylor, who scored in the second half, enjoying an excellent comeback.
The Wallabies didn’t fire a shot until the game was almost in the final quarter – replacement hooker Folau Fainga’a going over. But otherwise, apart from Koroibete going close in the left corner, they hardly fired a shot.
Foster will be happy with all of it; a chance to win the Rugby Championship and a grandstand win at Eden Park in his team’s final home game of the season on a night when his attack flickered and then caught fire. He may wish to play the Wallabies a little more often.
It took only two minutes for the first talking point – a yellow card for lock Jed Holloway for a lifting cleanout on Papali’i with more than a little help from No.8 Harry Wilson.
Holloway may have been lucky to see only yellow – the All Blacks flanker was dumped head first on to prone Wallabies counterpart Pete Samu – and Wilson was perhaps also lucky to not join his teammate in the sinbin.
The All Blacks failed to take advantage but it was only a temporary respite for the Aussies.
Mo’unga finally opened the scoring in the 21st minute with a penalty (he had earlier declined a shot at goal for an attacking lineout which came to nought), and the Wallabies suffered the double blow of first losing Lalakai Foketi to injury and then seeing his replacement Jordan Petaia get run around by Jordan in a special piece of attacking play by the All Blacks wing.
Worse was to come for the visitors. An All Blacks attacking lineout and driving maul was collapsed by hooker David Proecki which not only resulted in a penalty try but also a yellow card for Proecki.
There was more, as tempers continued to flare after last week’s controversial Test in Melbourne.
No.8 Wilson, running the ball from deep straight at the All Blacks, was sent backwards in a hurry by de Groot and Ardie Savea, and referee Andrew Brace, from Ireland, spoke several times to both captains James Slipper and Sam Whitelock about the offending in their own territories.
Sam Whitelock was over under the posts for a try which needed a few views from the officials, Taylor got his, and then replacement hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho got one in a virtual carbon copy.
Petaia was over for the Wallabies in the final moments - that will irk the All Blacks - but overall the defensive effort was excellent.
The All Blacks and Foster, who have been striving for consistency all year, couldn't have hoped for much more.
All Blacks 40 (Will Jordan, Sam Whitelock, Codie Taylor, Samisoni Taukei’aho tries, penalty try; Richie Mo’unga 3 pens, 2 cons)
Wallabies 14 (Folau Fainga’a, Jordan Petaia tries; Bernard Foley con, Reece Hodge con)
Halftime: 17-0
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