New Zealand yesterday snapped a two-game losing streak with a nail-biting 31-28 win over Australia, holding off a second-half charge to retain the Bledisloe Cup.
Both sides scored four tries on a warm Sydney afternoon as the All Blacks rebounded from consecutive Rugby Championship defeats against world champions South Africa.
New Zealand took a commanding 28-14 lead into the break and, despite Australia storming back into contention, held on to retain a trophy they have owned since 2003, dominating possession, set plays and the breakdown.
Photo: AFP
The writing was on the wall with New Zealand winning their past seven Tests against Australia, heaping more pressure on Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt, whose side were humiliated 67-27 in Argentina two weeks ago.
Despite the fightback, it proved a disappointing way for prop James Slipper to celebrate becoming the most capped Wallaby with his 140th appearance, surpassing former captain George Gregan.
The victory elevated New Zealand above Los Pumas into second on the Rugby Championship ladder, with one game left against Australia, who prop up the table, in Wellington next week.
Photo: AFP
Argentina were to host the table-topping Springboks after press time last night.
New Zealand coach Scott Robertson made a handful of changes after their nerve-racking 18-12 loss in Cape Town two weeks ago, but veteran Beauden Barrett was ruled out with illness an hour before kick-off.
It meant Will Jordan moved to fullback and Sevu Reece came in on the wing.
Photo: AFP
Australia also switched things up, with Nic White and Noah Lolesio thrust in as the halves pairing, while center Hunter Paisami and fullback Tom Wright returned from injury.
It made little difference with the hosts exposed inside two minutes when Jordan sliced open the defense to dot down between the posts, with Damian McKenzie adding the extras. The All Blacks kept their foot to the floor and raced 14-0 clear after nine minutes with center Reiko Ioane collecting their second try in a move stemming from a break by Caleb Clarke.
Australia were bereft of ideas and Clarke powered over in the corner for the visitors’ third.
New Zealand momentarily went to sleep and Nic White exploded into a hole before offloading for Fraser McReight to dive over and finally give the 68,061-strong at Sydney Olympic Stadium something to cheer about, but All Blacks skipper Ardie Savea sprinted over for another try in the 24th minute after a sloppy Australian spoon pass was picked up by Reece, who drew the defender to leave his teammate in plenty of space.
With McKenzie nailing a fourth straight conversion, they moved into an ominous 28-7 lead.
The Wallabies, though, kept plugging away and were rewarded when hooker Matt Faessler charged over after some good work in the maul ahead of the halftime hooter to give them a glimmer of hope.
An early second-half penalty stretched New Zealand’s lead, but it was a much better Australia who fronted up.
New Zealand had a try disallowed for a forward pass and Australia capitalized with a try of their own through Paisami after a break from Lukhan Salakaia-Loto to narrow the gap to 10 points with 15 minutes left.
It lit a fuse under the home side, who scored another try through Tom Wright with a minute left to set up a grandstand finish, only for the All Blacks to cling on.
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory. Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium. They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour. Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Marcus Rashford’s first goals for Aston Villa on Sunday inspired a 3-0 win against Preston North End that sent his side into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 10 years. Rashford struck twice in the second half at Deepdale to end Preston’s stubborn resistance before Jacob Ramsey wrapped up Villa’s long-awaited return to the last four. Villa are to face Crystal Palace — 3-0 winners at Fulham on Saturday — in the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium in London. Revitalized since joining Villa on loan from Manchester United during the January transfer window, Rashford is beginning to show the form that