Key events
CONVERTED TRY! Australia 7-26 New Zealand (Clarke, 58)
From the penalty the All Blacks power down the left edge, and the Wallabies look brittle and isolated. Each drive eats up metres – there’s an advantage on the play – a try looks inevitable. Frizell dives just short of the line. The ball remains alive and Clarke swoops in to gather, dip his head low and burrow over the line. After absorbing all that pressure, New Zealand extend their lead with one swift hit.
Mo’unga continues his excellent night with the boot from near the left whitewash.
Yellow Card! (Bell)
I only have a skerrick of an idea what’s just happened. The upshot is Laulala was hit by a swinging arm in a carry, and an Australian is in the bin.
57 mins: The All Blacks absolutely monster the third feed, powering through the gold forwards. Poor Tupou is soon back on the deck in agony soon afterwards. New Zealand make little ground though. Six sludgy phases ends with a breakdown penalty Australia’s way – and Tupou finally leaves the field, Angus Bell returns to the fray in his place. This will need a reshuffle of the Australian front row.
55 mins: Another reset scrum as a Mexican Wave flutters around the MCG.
54 mins: Australia continue to push, working through repeat phases, but New Zealand are up to the task at the breakdown and look to have secured a turnover, only to knock the ball on a split second later.
Tupou looks in all sorts out there, but he remains on the field and packs down for a scrum on halfway. I’m not sure what his injury is, but he keeps doubling over and looking like he might vomit. The scrum is reset, so he packs down again.
53 mins: New Zealand win their own scrum feed 5m out and Savea steamrolls over White as he runs it clear. Kellaway makes a mess of the resulting kick to halfway, but his blushes are spared when the touchie adjudges the ball was already out of play when the No 14 knocked-on.
52 mins: The 5m lineout is safe and the maul begins to roll, slowly, but as it creeps towards the try line it splinters and collapses. Barnes blows his whistle. Which way will his arm point? New Zealand’s! A third almighty let-off for the All Blacks since half-time.
50 mins: The Wallabies are not giving up without a fight. Nawaqanitawase does magnificently on the right to turn a Barrett clearing kick into a counterattack. Koroibete is into the thick of things on the left and New Zealand are penalised at the breakdown. Australia bring on their veteran halves for the final half hour.
49 mins: Australia restart with a 5m tap and drill their way towards the line – the pressure must tell, surely – gold runner after gold runner pummels the line. Then a whistle. Which way? New Zealand’s! Ardie Savea refused to be beaten on the ground and for the second time this half the All Blacks have denied the Wallabies a certain try.
To add insult to injury, Taniela Tupou – the reserve prop – who led that tap-drive, is now walking very gingerly.
49 mins: Valetini wins the lineout and taps it down for Leota to steam onto. Valetini is back into the action, smashing into the defensive line. Surely there’s a gap somewhere. Australia look for it on the left with Kerevi, but S Barrett makes a brilliant tackle.
48 mins: Australia attack from right to left but it’s all a little ragged with the ball coming loose on the ground and target’s missed, but it ends with a penalty just outside the 22 with Frizell penalised for playing the ball off his feet. The Wallabies eschew the three points in favour of a kick to the corner, as a small army of players rush onto the field from the bench.
47 mins: The ABs earn a penalty advantage from the 5m scrum so expand through hands from right to left, but Nawaqanitawase and Petaia do well to drag Telea into touch near halfway.
45 mins: From the penalty, Australia kick to the left corner, secure the lineout, and succumb to New Zealand’s ruck pressure. Barnes points his white-jerseyed arm towards the All Blacks’ line and the Wallabies miss a golden opportunity.
The host broadcaster has suggest Alaalatoa may have ruptured his achilles, which is even more devastating news.
43 mins: Australia take the quick uncontested lineout and hit the ground running into New Zealand territory. McDermott is bright, keep play moving, finding runners. Bell makes ground, so does Kerevi as the drive shifts to the left corner with a penalty advantage. With the free hit, Petaia kicks on the 15th phase to the right corner but it’s a fraction too heavy for Nawaqanitawase.
41 mins: Gordon safely drop-kicks the restart, and the All Blacks get into their work on their own 22… but Kelton is soon in the action, snaffling his second clean breakdown turnover of the night! New Zealand regroup and B Barrett kicks to halfway.
The teams are back out for the second half. Can the Wallabies stage a comeback for the ages?
No shortage of highlights either, from S Barrett’s stunning early tackle and Koroibete’s massive hit on Telea. Lowlights aplenty too, from Alaalatoa leaving the field on a stretcher, to Gordon’s nightmare half with the boot.
After that initial 20 minutes and some ill discipline at the breakdown New Zealand took control of the match, working through the gears, showing great patience, and now enjoy the reward of a 12-point lead at the break.
It’s all been set up by the forward pack, ably supported by the magnificent Aaron Smith. He has sent everything down Australia’s right wing – as far away from Marika Koroibete as possible. And, if at times a little clunky, it has proven an astute tactic.
Half-time: Australia 7-19 New Zealand
Australia started brightly and played well for 20 minutes but New Zealand just ground them down thereafter, hitting the lead with a man advantage then denying the Wallabies a sniff thereafter.
CONVERTED TRY! Australia 7-19 New Zealand (Jordan, 40)
New Zealand are straight back into their work with Smith orchestrating everything. He heads to the left – again – with runner after runner looking to puncture that side of Australia’s defence. 11 phases tick over as Mo’unga darts towards the 10m line. They Taylor spins back to the left. Still New Zealand come, recycling play with sharp breakdowns. Phase 19 as Telea reaches 5m from the line under the posts. Now they relase! Through hands to the right and Will Jordan – who else – steps off his line, inside a weak tackle from Petaia, and carries Koroibete over with him for the score. Try 23 in Test 23.
Mo’unga drills a superb conversion from the right touchline.
40 mins: Off the lineout Telea busts a massive hole in the Australian line and the All Blacks flood forward. It’s pick-and-go from inches out but the Wallabies stick to their task well and force a line drop-out.
39 mins: Play resumes with New Zealand kicking to the 22m line and winning their own lineout ball at the front.
38 mins: The skipper for the night is going to have to leave the field on a medicab. Massive blow for the Wallabies. Taniela Tupou, not long back from a ruptured achilles, and perhaps not expecting more than 40 minutes of action, is on in his place.
38 mins: From the New Zealand scrum on halfway the All Blacks earn a penalty advantage, allowing Smith to dart to the left hand blindside again. They don’t get far and play is recalled. Meanwhile Allan Alaalatoa, Australia’s third captain in as many matches, is down clutching his left calf.
36 mins: Yikes! Carter Gordon’s boot has been shonky tonight, and it continues with a disastrous drop-kicked kick-off that skews off the outside of his right foot and never threatens the 10m line.
Conversion! Australia 7-12 New Zealand (Mo’unga, 35)
Mo’unga curls over a beautiful conversion from near the left touchline. New Zealand do take advantage of the extra man.
TRY! Australia 7-10 New Zealand (Taylor, 34)
The lineout is crisp, the maul is irresistible, and as it shears to the left Taylor, the ball-carrier, rumbles over the line. Quality technical forward play from the All Blacks.
33 mins: Angus Bell receives a bit of treatment, giving everyone a bit of a breather, and allow New Zealand to set-up from a 5m lineout.
32 mins: Second time’s a charm for the All Blacks with J Barrett hitting the line at speed behind the scrum. Taylor continues the drive in the left channel as New Zealand pass the 22m line. Still it’s all down the left and that short-side quick pass routine we’ve seen often tonight comes out, but they run out of room 10m from a score.
31 mins: The Wallabies eat away more seconds with a scrum reset.
30 mins: Undermanned Australia are milking the clock nicely in midfield – until Bell is stripped in the tackle that is – and New Zealand have a scrum on halfway. The All Blacks have offered very little with ball in hand so far. Richie Mo’unga has been very quiet.
29 mins: Apologies, the yellow card was to Koroibete, not Kerevi – I was listening to Wayne Barnes, who called out the wrong number.
28 mins: Can the All Blacks take advantage of 15 v 14? Not like that they can’t. Not for the first time tonight they get it wrong at the breakdown and Australia stall NEw Zealand’s drive just inside their own half.
27 mins: Play resumes with Australia winning their own scrum and belting clear.
Yellow Card (Koroibete)
Still the drama comes … After the no-try call is cleared up, Koroibete is sent to the bin for his deliberate offside that started it all. Blimey.
26 mins: From the restart Telea takes a quick tap and dives under the posts! Or does he? The TMO gets involved and identifies that the New Zealand winger doesn’t make contact with the ball with his boot to constitute a resumption of play!
26 mins: The lineout is secured but the maul is resisted well by the Wallabies. Back to the pick-and-goes, New Zealand shifting the drive infield from the left, but Australia’s line is rock solid for nine brutal phases. Phase ten gets scrappy and the Wallabies sniff a turnover but black jerseys get back in formation. Battle resumes, but the ball breaks free! And an Australian is first to it – but he’s offside. Penalty to New Zealand under the posts.
24 mins: New Zealand are soon on the front foot on Australia’s 22, profiting from a series of short-side drives among their forwards on the left touchline. Then it’s pick-and-go stuff with the line in sight – Smith darts off the back of the ruck – but he’s held up. There was an advantage on the play anyway, so the ABs kick to the corner and resume their assault.
22 mins: Australia grind in tight on halfway, drawing bodies in until Petaia makes a halfbreak in the right centre channel, extending his right arm for Kellaway to burst on to and reach the 22 – but he cannot continue the momentum. The Wallabies recycle to the left but the whistle blows for a ruck infringement and the All Blacks clear.
20 mins: New Zealand secure the lineout then get going in tight, but not for the first time tonight the All Blacks are penalised at the attacking breakdown, this time for obstruction. Barnes has given the visitors nothing on the ground early on.
19 mins: Both sides are making a mess of defusing long kicks – precipitating more long kicks in the process. B Barrett changes the line of attack with a chip and chase over Kerevi, and cannily picks a line straight at the leaping centre, earning a soft penalty. The long kick to the left hits touch on the 22.
18 mins: This is a disciplined, efficient Australia so far. Who knew this version existed?
16 mins: Gordon compounds his poor penalty with his second weird up-and-under of the night, his sliced bomb travelling nowhere. Beauden Barrett seizes the opportunity, chips and chases ahead, to send the All Blacks downfield. Momentum builds for New Zealand, but they are again penalised at the breakdown with gold jerseys pointing for a penalty, that they duly receive.
Penalty miss! (Australia)
Gordon tugs his effort to the left from 35m out bang in front. That could prove costly.