Australia and New Zealand will look to salvage difficult Rugby Championship campaigns as they meet in the first of back-to-back Bledisloe Cup clashes.
Joe Schmidt’s hosts are reeling after a record defeat in Argentina that raised yet more tough questions over the state of the Wallabies. While boosted by the return of a couple of key figures from injury, a tournament wooden spoon will beckon if the home side are beaten today ahead of a trip to Wellington next week.
The All Blacks, meanwhile, were again narrowly squeezed out by the Springboks in their last outing, continuing a run of defeats to South Africa that includes last year’s World Cup final. Scott Robertson’s side are out of the chase for a title they have won in seven of the last eight years, and will now focus on holding on to a Bledisloe Cup that has been in their possession since 2003.
Follow all the latest from Sydney in our live blog below:
Australia host New Zealand in Sydney
TRY! Australia 7-28 NEW ZEALAND (Ardie Savea, 25 minutes)
TRY! AUSTRALIA 7-21 New Zealand (Fraser McReight, 18 minutes)
TRY! Australia 0-21 NEW ZEALAND (Caleb Clarke, 16 minutes)
TRY! Australia 0-14 NEW ZEALAND (Rieko Ioane, 10 minutes)
TRY! Australia 0-7 NEW ZEALAND (Will Jordan, 2 minutes)
KICK OFF!
Beauden Barrett ruled out through illness for All Blacks; Wallabies prop James Slipper set to break caps record
07:34 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Tom Wright gets a chance to stretch his legs in the open field, spotting a poorly-formed All Blacks chase. He’s lacking in a teammate to take a pass taht would have allowed the counter-attack to continue, but a lazy New Zealand tackler concedes a penalty for failing to roll away. Australia kick down into the 22.
07:32 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Australia’s attempt to make inroads ends when Codie Taylor strips Rob Valetini, though the Wallabies regather to force Rieko Ioane into touch.
But that’s another silly, sloppy set-piece error. Matt Faessler’s throw has been under pressure so the call is to the front, but the toss to the arriving Angus Bell does not travel the required five metres.
07:30 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Tupou makes amends with a vital jackal penalty just as the All Blacks build momentum again.
07:29 , Harry Latham-Coyle
That Fraser McReight try aside, Australia have got very little right. Taniela Tupou is deemed the cause of a collapse at scrum time to grant New Zealand another advancement into deep Wallaby territory.
07:25 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Australia are the architects of their own downfall!
A perfect illustration of this encounter so far. Australia play out the back thrice just inside their own half but the accuracy is poor, and Hunter Paisami’s pat-on hits the deck. Sevu Reece comes through to collect and has the composure to wait for support, which arrives in the frightening form of Ardie Savea. Try number four arrives inside half-an-hour.
07:24 , Harry Latham-Coyle
A 50:22 from flanker Fraser McReight! The Wallabies turn the ball over on the deck – Taniela Tupou’s jackalling excellent – and McReight goes old school centre half, “’ave it!” as he gets rid. A friendly bounce off the surface skews his kick out of play isnide the All Blacks 22, a huge territorial gain for Australia.
But New Zealand pinch another lineout!
07:22 , Harry Latham-Coyle
One pass too many! Cortez Ratima snipes to within five metres and flicks to Scott Barrett, who could have biffed closer to the line but instead tries to pass blindly to Will Jordan. Alas, there is an Australian defender in the way, who can’t quite believe his luck as Barrett’s pass lands in his lap.
07:21 , Harry Latham-Coyle
The worry for Australia will be that New Zealand look likely to score each time they touch it. Only a crocodile roll from Rieko Ioane, righty penalised, prevents them from charging again into deep Wallabies territory.
Tupou Vaa’i then steals a lineout on halfway. Back the visitors come on the hunt for a fourth score.
07:18 , Harry Latham-Coyle
How Australia needed that!
First chance, first try for the Wallabies, and it is wonderfully worked. Having identified that New Zealand leave the space at the tail of the lineout vacant, a long throw from Matt Faessler finds a fading Rob Valetini, who pops into that gap for Nic White. Fraser McReight goes with his scrum half and is on hand to finish the job.
07:15 , Harry Latham-Coyle
And there is that third try!
Oh, Australia. Having initially repelled the All Blacks, Harry Wilson chucks a pass in the vague direction of Rob Valetini that Caleb Clarke pinches all too easily. New Zealand build pressure, Will Jordan again threatening as he roams with menacing intent, and there’s room for Clarke to gallop into down the left.
There’s still a fair bit to do for the wing, but a step off his left and burly bash into a couple of Australian bodies takes him to within reaching distance of the line.
07:14 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Sevu Reece is twice denied a run to the line up the right, first by a leaping Tom Wright’s intelligent (and important) interception, and then by a forward pass from a tumbling Ardie Savea. The Wallabies feel like they are having to hang on here.
07:13 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Caleb Clarke didn’t perhaps kick on in the way that it looked like he might during the last World Cup cycle but, injury aside, the Blues wing is having an excellent summer. He’s timing his injections much better and beginning to impress as a linking distributor, too.
07:10 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Too much pace, too much power!
A second score from the All Blacks and it’s another cracker. Caleb Clarke sparks it with a dart up the middle, the wing shedding a tackler and offloading to Wallace Sititi. Cortez Ratima weaves between reeling Wallabies and has his pick of a three-man overlap – Rieko Ioane is his chosen recipient, and the centre scores Test try number 37 untouched.
07:08 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Boom! Harry Wilson absolutely thunders through Will Jordan on kick chase, rocking the full-back with a picture perfect tackle.
But there’s space appearing for the visitors thereafter…
07:07 , Harry Latham-Coyle
A bright opening passage in attack from Australia. Hunter Paisami’s hands at the line are tidy and Andrew Kellaway loops to provide extra distributing fingers. Had Marika Koroibete taken a pass at the end of it, the Walabies would have gained 50 metres, but the wing is left frustrated having fumbled a pretty simple take.
07:05 , Harry Latham-Coyle
New Zealand look up for this. More neat handling allows Caleb Clarke to rumble up the left, but a knock-on a couple of rucks later checks their momentum. The Wallabies will feed the game’s first scrum.
07:02 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Who needs Beauden Barrett? A scintillating finish from Will Jordan!
It’s all too straightforward for the full-back. A pass pulled back at the line by Tupou Vaa’i finds Jordan arcing out the back, with four Wallabies forwards sucked in on a pod of three All Black counterparts. That leaves Rob Valetini isolated and unable to crab across to cover a growing gap that Jordan simply canters through, and the full-back puts his foot down to accelerate between two covering defenders and under the sticks.
07:01 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Damian McKenzie almost misjudges his opening kick off, flighting it to land just inside the touchline. Australia are forced into touch.
McKenzie goes to the air in the All Blacks’ first attacking movement…and Noah Lolesio fumbles! Nic White is there to mop up but that was a slightly shaky moment for the fly half.
07:00 , Harry Latham-Coyle
And we are underway in Sydney!
06:59 , Harry Latham-Coyle
The All Blacks lay down the challenge, TJ Perenara leading the Haka as a few Wallabies mean mug. Bledisloe I is upon us.
06:56 , Harry Latham-Coyle
A bumper crowd in Sydney give “Advance Australia Fair” a bit of punch. Stadium Australia will host the final Lions Test next August – built for the 2000 Olympics, it’s quite the place.
06:50 , Harry Latham-Coyle
James Slipper leads the Wallabies out past a clutch of Australian greats, George Gregan and John Eales among those clapping him out. The loosehead’s longevity and consistency over these last 14 years have been incredible, riding his side’s ups and downs.
06:45 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Here we go then. Can Australia capitalise on that late New Zealand shuffle and keep their hopes of a first Bledisloe Cup in more than two decades alive?
06:40 , Harry Latham-Coyle
A significant blow, then, for the All Blacks, losing such an experienced and important figure. Will Jordan’s long-term future may well be at full-back but Scott Robertson had talked up how well his chosen back three fit together; a late reshuffle is never welcome.
06:37 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Late breaking team news from Sydney – Beauden Barrett has been ruled out due to injury. Will Jordan moves to full-back and Sevu Reece starts on the wing.
Harry Plummer could make his debut off the bench.
06:35 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Referee: Karl Dickson (Eng)
Assistant Referees: Nika Amashukeli (Geo) & Damian Schneider (Arg)
TMO: Stuart Terheege (Eng)
06:25 , Harry Latham-Coyle
There is just a little bit of pressure developing on Damian McKenzie, the fly half perhaps not having hit the heights some expected during this extended run in the starting shirt. There are a few moving parts at play when it comes to the future of the All Blacks’ tens: McKenzie is being linked with a move to the Top 14, while Richie Mo’unga suggested earlier this year that he could cut his three-year deal in Japan short to return to New Zealand.
For now, though, it is McKenzie’s show to run and there is a need to nail the basics slightly better than he did in those two South Africa Tests. The flashes have never been the problem for the Chiefs fulcrum – but ensuring that the All Blacks play in the right way in the right areas will go a long way towards securing Bledisloe Cup success.
06:15 , Harry Latham-Coyle
A start for the scrappy Nic White suggests that Australia will try to get in New Zealand’s faces, the scrum half an expert at riling the opposition and energising his own side. Uncertainty over the future direction in the halves is, more broadly, a concern for Joe Schmidt as he considers how best to take this team forward, with whispers that former All Black Tawera Kerr-Barlow may be called up ahead of their European tour. Kerr-Barlow has been very, very good for La Rochelle over the last few years after winning his last New Zealand cap in 2017.
06:05 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Joe Schmidt spent the last two years as a senior advisor to Ian Foster, helping to orchestate the turnaround that took the All Blacks to last year’s World Cup final. While Scott Robertson’s arrival has changed the New Zealand environment, Schmidt can still count upon inside knowledge to some degree as he looks to get one over his compatriots.
“I know their strengths and I know their weaknesses, they probably have a lot less of those than they do strengths,” the Wallabies head coach said.
“They were a great group. But I really enjoy these guys I’m working with now.
“The Bledisloe is a massive trophy. It’s something that I know the All Blacks treasure and the Wallabies would like to treasure.
“It would be great if they could at least get a hand on it and keep it alive to Wellington.
“But I think what we’ve been working on is just trying to do elements of the game better, rather than talking about anything that’s outcome focused.”
05:55 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Beauden Barrett‘s return in the number 15 jersey means a shift to the right wing for Will Jordan with Caleb Clarke recalled to the left wing after recovering from injury. Sevu Reece drops to the bench as back-three cover.
“When Caleb came back, the best balance for us was to put Beauden at fullback and Will on the wing,” All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson said on Thursday.
“They’ve had a great combination there, all three of them have. [Will]’s played some great test footy on the wing. Just because he’s starting on the wing doesn’t mean he can’t finish at fullback.
“We have selected an experienced team which has combinations that have played some of our best rugby this season. The Bledisloe Cup is so revered by both of these teams, we are expecting a classic showdown against our Australian rivals.”
05:45 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Ethan de Groot is fit to return from a neck injury and starts at loosehead for New Zealand, while Beauden Barrett is also brought back into the run-on side. The eldest Barrett brother’s inclusion sees Will Jordan shift to the right wing, and Pasilio Tosi is set for only a second cap as the reserve tighthead.
New Zealand XV: 1 Ethan de Groot, 2 Codie Taylor, 3 Tyrel Lomax; 4 Scott Barrett (capt.), 5 Tupou Vaa’i; 6 Wallace Sititi, 7 Sam Cane, 8 Ardie Savea; 9 Cortez Ratima, 10 Damian McKenzie; 11 Caleb Clarke, 12 Jordie Barrett, 13 Rieko Ioane, 14 Will Jordan; 15 Beauden Barrett.
Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Tamaiti Williams, 18 Pasilio Tosi, 19 Sam Darry, 20 Luke Jacobson; 21 TJ Perenara, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Sevu Reece.
05:40 , Harry Latham-Coyle
James Slipper is in line to surpass George Gregan as the most capped Wallabies player of all-time when the loosehead wins his 140th cap off the bench. Fraser McReight and Hunter Paisami return from injury in the back row and centres respectively, while Nic White and Noah Lolesio form a new half-back partnership with Jake Gordon and Ben Donaldson dropping out of the squad entirely.
Australia XV: 1 Angus Bell, 2 Matt Faessler, 3 Taniela Tupou; 4 Nick Frost, 5 Jeremy Williams; 6 Rob Valetini, 7 Fraser McReight, 8 Harry Wilson (capt.); 9 Nic White, 10 Noah Lolesio; 11 Marika Koroibete, 12 Hunter Paisami, 13 Len Ikitau, 14 Andrew Kellaway; 15 Tom Wright
Replacements: 16 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 17 James Slipper, 18 Allan Alaalatoa, 19 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 20 Langi Gleeson; 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Tom Lynagh, 23 Dylan Pietsch.
05:30 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Australian rugby chief Phil Waugh has dismissed fears that next summer’s British and Irish Lions series could be uncompetitive, insisting that the Wallabies are making “progress” despite a record defeat to Argentina.
Joe Schmidt’s Australia were thrashed 67-27 by the Pumas to continue a difficult Rugby Championship campaign and now face back-to-back Bledisloe Cup encounters with New Zealand.
It follows a pool stage exit from last year’s World Cup under Eddie Jones, who subsequently departed for Japan, while this year has also seen the Melbourne Rebels fold amid financial issues.
Worries have therefore grown that next summer’s tour could lose lustre with Andy Farrell’s Lions strong favourites to sweep their hosts.
But Waugh, capped 79 times by the Wallabies during his playing career believes there is “plenty of time” for Schmidt to arrest the slide and turn Australia around.
Australian rugby chief dismisses talk of one-sided Lions series despite record defeat
05:15 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Australia captain Harry Wilson said sending James Slipper home a winner after his record 140th test was a major motivation for the team ahead of their Rugby Championship Test against New Zealand.
Slipper, 35, will surpass George Gregan as Australia’s most-capped player when he comes off the bench as a replacement prop at Stadium Australia in the first of back-to-back tests against the All Blacks.
“It’s a massive motivation for us this weekend, he is a great servant to our game and he’s a great mate to everyone in the team,” number eight Wilson told reporters outside the Sydney Opera house on Friday.
“He’s been such a good person for Australian rugby and I really hope we can do him proud tomorrow.”
Wilson said the players had made up 140th test T-shirts and Slipper had been showered with congratulatory messages from everyone from former Wallabies team mates to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
05:00 , Harry Latham-Coyle
It is more than two decades now since Australia last held the Bledisloe Cup, though they arrive with hope of ending that run. Joe Schmidt can welcome back Fraser McReight and Hunter Paisami, two of his best performers this year, while the Kiwi coach has urged his side to focus on the fact that they played relatively well for three halves in Argentina, asking them to forget the second half collapse as the Pumas ran riot a fortnight ago.
The Wallabies are obviously underdogs but their record this year mirrors that of their visitors: won four, lost three.
Friday 20 September 2024 08:12 , Harry Latham-Coyle
A very good day to you, and welcome along to The Independent’s LIVE coverage of the penultimate round of the 2024 Rugby Championship. Australia and New Zealand have had a fortnight to lick their wounds after damaging defeats to Argentina and South Africa respectively, and now brace for the first of back-to-back Bledisloe Cup battles in Sydney. Can the Wallabies show signs of life to salvage their campaign? Or will the All Blacks return to full force and cling on to the trans-Tasman prize?
Kick off is at 6.45am BST.
