‘We let down Australia’: Gutted Wallabies cop WC injury disaster in Bledisloe battering

The Wallabies have crumbled to another humbling defeat, falling 38-7 to the All Blacks in the first Bledisloe Cup clash of 2023.

The result means New Zealand will retain the Bledisloe Cup for yet another year - the Australian drought stretching to 21 years - and secure the 2023 Rugby Championship crown.

The Wallabies, meanwhile, have now conceded over 30 points in their three-straight defeats, with Saturday’s defeat following a thrashing from South Africa and a three-point defeat to Argentina.

In front of 83,944 fans at the MCG, the largest Wallabies home crowd in two decades, the home team started both halves well but failed to convert their chances and were made to pay by a New Zealand side that was as disciplined defensively as they were efficient in attack.

“We’ve let down Eddie (Jones, Wallabies coach), and we let down Australia,” a devastated Angus Bell told Channel 9: “They’re a great side, to beat them you have to be brilliant.”

The teams will face off again in Dunedin on August 5 before the Wallabies’ World Cup campaign begins in September.

Australia copped a yellow card in each half and saw their prop stocks decimated by injuries to skipper Allan Alaalatoa and the returning Taniela Tupou - the former being carted from the field with a suspected ruptured achilles that leaves his World Cup hopes in major doubt.

The Wallabies hit back after conceding an early try, only for New Zealand to take control in the first half thanks to some patient attacking play and poor Australian mistakes at the breakdown.

New Zealand constantly targeted the Wallabies’ right flank, thus avoiding Marika Koroibete as much as possible, with the Wallabies star also copping a yellow card midway through the first half.

Young Australian flyhalf Carter Gordon, making his first start in his third international appearance, also had a first half to forget with a series of mistakes with the boot.

Australia was on top after the interval, but on three separate occasions were repelled after line-outs five metres from the tryline.

And their failure to convert territorial dominance came back to bite the hosts after a rib injury to Taniela Tupou, who received a yellow card in the process.

A man down and with a forward pack in tatters, Australia conceded three tries in ten minutes as the All Blacks turned a 19-7 half-time lead into a 31-point margin.

Sonny Bill Williams said on Channel 9: “When the All Blacks are in this type of mood it’s scary... Any team in world rugby would be looking over their shoulders at this type of performance.”

AS IT HAPPENED

New Zealand scored in the third minute after a brutal hit. The Wallabies had a lineout near their own tryline, with the ball tossed down to Tate McDermott. But the pass hit him too high on his chest, and All Blacks star Scott Barrett was on him in a flash, flattening him with a massive tackle.

The ball popped out in the in-goal area, with Shannon Frizell first to the ball and grounded it for New Zealand to take a 5-0 lead, Richie Mo’unga missing the conversion from the right flank.

But Australia hit back almost immediately after a barnstorming line-break from Mark Nawaqanitawase put the Wallabies in range. It appeared to be grounded under the posts but the referee couldn’t get a view of the play. The Wallabies went left and Marika Koroibete came inches from scoring a try, but replays showed he just went into touch as he attempted an acrobatic dive.

But the video referee also looked at the earlier effort under the posts, which showed Rob Valetini had found the line. Carter Gordon converted to make it 7-5 to the Wallabies in the eighth minute.

Australia was playing well on both sides of the ball, picking up a pair of turnovers through some fantastic work at the breakdown from Will Skelton and a monstrous hit from Koroibete in the centre of the park on Mark Telea.

The Wallabies progressed up the pitch and won a penalty, only for Gordon – making his first start for the Wallabies – to miss from directly in front in the 14th minute.

But the early flow of penalties in Australia’s favour began to turn, with New Zealand beginning to gain momentum and possession in dangerous positions.

The Wallabies made a handful of simple errors and New Zealand made them pay.

The Aussies’ backs were against the wall as the All Blacks pounded on the tryline for phase after phase, with the Wallabies defending brilliantly until Marika Koroibete was caught off-side trying to snaffle another turnover.

Mark Telea attempted a quick tap and raced under the posts to score – only for the officials to rule he had failed to correctly take the tap given the ball did not move the ball a significant distance with his ‘kick’.

The Wallabies were given a scrum, but copped a major blow with Koroibete sent to the bin after the referee deemed he had been deliberately off-side.

With a man down, the Wallabies milked the clock well but finally came undone when Codie Taylor – impressive throughout the first half – barged over through a clinical driving maul after a lineout from five metres out on their left side.

The world number three All Blacks had put the Wallabies under pressure for a quarter of an hour and finally had the points advantage they deserved, with Mo’unga nailing the conversion.

But Gordon’s kicking game undone again when his restart failed to go 10 metres, while the Wallabies conceded a penalty from the resulting scrum.

And the Wallabies – who had already seen Angus Bell given treatment just before the try – soon copped a massive blow with stand-in captain Allan Alaalatoa going down with what a suspected ruptured achilles.

A stretcher was called but he managed to stand and clamber onto the medi-cart, with every Wallabies player going to console him before he left the field in the 38th minute.

Taniela Tupou took his place, returning to the team for the first time this year after a ruptured achilles.

Australia defended well on their line even after the halftime buzzer sounded, holding off 20 phases of a pounding Kiwi attack.

But New Zealand finally got to the line through try-scoring machine Will Jordan, scoring a 23rd try in as many games for the All Blacks down the right flank.

New Zealand’s hardworking forward line and composure at the breakdown earned them space on the wing, and they made no mistake with a crisp attacking move as the Wallabies defence compressed.

Jordan’s 42nd-minute try was converted brilliantly by Mo’unga, handing New Zealand a 19-7 lead at the interval.

The All Blacks spent nearly seven minutes in the Australian 22, compared to the Wallabies’ mere 1m1s in New Zealand’s 22. The Wallabies conceded five penalties to four (and the yellow card), with six turnovers to New Zealand’s five.

The Wallabies started the second stanza well with an early turnover through Skelton’s good work at the breakdown. But after a penalty on the resulting play, the Wallabies attempted a maul from a lineout five metres out – only to give up a penalty to the brilliant All Blacks defence.

Australia was playing with composure and racking up multi-phase attacks, winning another penalty in the 58th minute and boldly kicking for the lineout instead of points.

The Wallabies turned to the bench with four reinforcements at the crucial moment – but were repelled repeatedly on the tryline as Ardie Savea won a penalty.

And things went from bad to worse for Australia as Taniela Tupou – himself having replaced the injured Alaalatoa - went down in severe pain with what seemed to be a rib complaint. He required treatment but managed to play on for a handful of minutes more before being replaced by Angus Bell.

Mark Nawaqanitawase somehow managed to keep a Barrett kick for touch alive in brilliant fashion before the Wallabies won yet another penalty on the back of a Koroibete run.

Australia went for yet another lineout from close range – and for the third time in a row they failed to make good on the promising position, giving away a penalty.

Australia had attacked for virtually the entire first 18 minutes of the second half. But in a brutal twist, Tupou - having being subbed from the field after making a tackle - was given a yellow card for his last play on the field, having made contact with the head of Nepo Laulala.

That meant that the Wallabies were down a man for the second time in the night - though it was Angus Bell that was forced back to sit on the sidelines.

The All Blacks finally had a chance to attack, and needed just one attack to break Aussie hearts, charging forwards and winning every collision before Caleb Clarke dived over on a pick-and-go - his first touch of the match.

It was their first entry into the Australian 22 of the half - and with Mo’Unga converting again, it made it 26-7 after an hour of play as the Wallabies began to crumble.

New Zealand ran away with the game against a decimated Australian front line, with the All Blacks adding three more tries in quick succession while the Wallabies were a man down.

First, they kicked to the corner and battered the line from close range.

NZ swung it to the right side with Jordan offloading to a completely open Telea to dive over in the corner. Mo’unga missed the conversion, but he had another chance two minutes later.

New Zealand went the length of the field off the restart with some delightful passing against the short-handed defence. The attack was briefly halted 15m out but the Australian defence fell apart in broken play.

Riko Ioane threw a long pass to Telea on the right, and ran across to support the wide man, picking up the offload for a simple finish - and Mo’unga made no mistake to make it a 31-point lead.

The Wallabies’ bench players tried their hardest but the All Blacks were largely unlucky not to add more points, Mo’unga coming close to another try in the 74th minute only to be called back for pushing the back of Koroibete as they battled for a ball.

MATCH CENTRE: Wallabies vs All Blacks from 7.45pm

TEAMS

Wallabies (1-15): Angus Bell, David Porecki, Allan Alaalatoa (c), Nick Frost, Will Skelton, Jed Holloway, Tom Hooper, Rob Valetini, Tate McDermott, Carter Gordon, Marika Koroibete, Samu Kerevi, Jordan Petaia, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Andrew Kellaway.

Reserves: Jordan Uelese, James Slipper, Taniela Tupou, Richie Arnold, Rob Leota, Nic White, Quade Cooper, Izaia Perese.

New Zealand (1-15): Ethan de Groot, Codie Taylor, Tyrel Lomax, Brodie Retallick, Scott Barrett, Shannon Frizell, Dalton Papali’i, Ardie Savea (c), Aaron Smith, Richie Mo’unga, Mark Telea, Jordie Barrett, Rieko Ioane, Will Jordan, Beauden Barrett.

Reserves: Samisoni Taukei’aho, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Nepo Laulala, Samuel Whitelock, Luke Jacobson, Cam Roigard, Anton Lienert-Brown, Caleb Clarke.

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