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New Zealand put Australia to the sword with a first-half try blitz to record a 43-21 victory at Stadium Australia, extending their winning streak over their trans-Tasman rivals to 13 matches.
New Zealand put Australia to the sword with a first-half try blitz to record a 43-21 victory at Stadium Australia, extending their winning streak over their trans-Tasman rivals to 13 matches.
With the Bledisloe Cup already safely in the trophy cupboard for a 24th year after last week’s 50-19 win in Auckland, the All Blacks exploded out of the blocks and crushed all thoughts of an upset with six tries before the break.
Despite losing Jordie Barrett to a calf injury before kick-off and another centre, Quinn Tupaea, early on with concussion, the All Blacks overwhelmed the Wallabies with power, pace and precision in the opening 40 minutes.
Australia showed some flashes of backline brilliance, particularly in the second half, but struggled to get hold of the ball for prolonged periods and were unable to match the accuracy or clinical finishing of New Zealand.
In a whirlwind of offloads, winger Josh Moorby, full-back Beauden Barrett, flanker Peter Lakai and replacement back Rieko Ioane all crossed in the first 26 minutes to give the visitors a quick-fire 22-0 lead.
Wallabies fly-half Declan Meredith did well to get a pass away in the tackle just before the half-hour mark to send Jeremy Williams over for a try but the lock was sin-binned at the other end of the field two minutes later.
All Blacks No 8 Wallace Sititi immediately made the extra man count with his team’s fifth try and Beauden Barrett added a sixth, his second, with an intercept to send New Zealand into the break with a 36-7 lead.
Moorby dummied the defence for his second five-pointer within three minutes of the restart before the Wallabies finally finished off a backline move for full-back Tom Wright to go over.
Australia were looking stronger with their replacements on the pitch and Meredith almost scored a try after a scything break up the middle, then saved a try at the other end.
A clever line dropout from Wright did result in a third Australia try in the 66th minute for replacement back Filipo Daugunu that delighted the majority of the crowd of 73,399.
New Zealand were reduced to 14 men after replacement hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho went off injured, and went down to 13 in the last five minutes when debutant Chay Fihaki was shown a yellow card for a dangerous tackle, but the All Blacks were able to keep the Wallabies out for the last few minutes.
More to follow...
New Zealand, on this showing, look like one of the main contenders for the World Cup next year, and you fear for the Home Nations in the coming Nations Championship matches.
There does not appear to be a team who can resist their attack, and they have no obvious weaknesses.
The concerns for the All Blacks are probably limited to themselves: they could have doubled their points tally if they were ruthless and focused, but instead they let the match slip.
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New Zealand start the day before, against Scotland, before they play Wales the weekend after.
They will finish their tour with a clash with England. Good luck to Steve Borthwick, then.
Australia move onto the Northern Hemisphere for the rest of the Nations Championship.
They start with a visit to England on Sunday, November 8th, before games against Scotland and then Wales in the following two weeks.
Cody Taylor says: “I’m really proud of the boys, the way we came out in the first half.
“It was a real chance this week to back up a really good performance from last weekend.
“The second 40 was a bit different.”
On Damian McKenzie’s performance: “It just goes to show the quality of 10s we have in the country at the moment.
“We’ve got so much leadership in that backline.”
Australia captain Harry Wilson: “I’m gutted. When you give a team like the All Blacks a head start, it’s tough. It’s not good enough from this group.
“We’ve got to be a lot better. It’s been a very disappointing series. We’ve got to regroup and improve a lot with the tour ahead. To finish the home tests in this way is really disappointing.
“It’s not the way we wanted to finish the year.
“We’ve got to start better. We had a terrible second half in the first game, and a terrible first half in this game. We can’t be having terrible halves against the All Blacks.”
13 matches in a row for the All Blacks. The Australians gave up the advantage early on and never gave themselves a chance.
New Zealand coasted for much of the second half, and while they were ragged for parts of the last third, they had the scoreline advantage to make it comfortable.
The All Blacks run the clock down, slowing down the phases as best they can.
Time has run out for the home side. New Zealand win a scrum, and there just are not enough minutes as the look to run the clock down.
Fihaki is given a yellow for head-on-head contact with Sua’ali’i with a rough-ish tackle on the wing. 13 vs 15 now. A chance for Australia.
Meredith is replaced by Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, who makes his international debut. The All Blacks’ numerical disadvantage starts to show as Australia push to find gaps.
Daugunu gives away a penalty to cede the initiative.
Tavatavanawai is off with an injury and cannot be replaced by New Zealand, who are out of replacements.
Taukei’aho powers over the line but Jorgensen and Meredith are just two of about 47 men who hold him up.
Australia respond as Tom Wright launches a burst down the middle, before Meredith then takes over the running to the right wing.
A few passes gives Daugunu the space to sprint down the middle for an impressive move from the whole team.
Meredith converts.
A TMO review now for potential foul play from Roigard. It’s from the Meredith no-try passage of play.
Meredith looked to put the ball down. There is some discussion over Roigard and whether he kicked the ball out of Meredith’s hand, or simply blocked it with his leg.
The officials take a look, and side with Roigard - not a kick. It seems the right decision, he stuck his shin out to block the ball.
Barrett grubbers down the left wing and pressures Meredith, who is now back defending, chasing the awkwardly bouncing ball.
The Aussie reaches and withstands the All Black crowd approaching, and they recover well to defend, hold the ball up, and Lonergan hooks it into touch to ease the pressure.
Frizell may have a knee problem.
Meredith is cheered on as he bursts through the middle of the New Zealand line to look set to go under the post. He is brought down with a last-ditch tackle, and rolls over the line... and he spills the ball! A disaster for Meredith, who had done so much good work.
Lonergan starts an attack from the scrum with a good carry from Henry, but the All Blacks hold their lines and Wright throws a pass out into touch.
Another scrum for the Wallabies after a poor pass from McKenzie.
Bower, Newell and Taylor were the front row trio who went off, replaced by Tosi, Taukei’aho and Numia.
They prepare for an Australia scrum, just inside the Australia half.
A bright spell for the Wallabies. Lonergan keeps the ball morning Jorgensen did well in the build up with a clever run to find space, before Meredith and Suallii combined.
Potter receives the ball and looks to be through down the wing, before he is clattered and brought to the ground.
He finds Wright quickly, who gets his head down and spears over the line in the corner. The try is converted.
It may be because of the subs, but both sides appear to have lost their rhythm. Tavatavanawai loses the ball as he attacks at pace, failing a grubber kick. Australia then attempt to hit back but they too can’t control it as McKenzie intervenes.
We’ve a break for some treatment ahead of an Australia scrum.
Some half-time changes: Bell is on for Ross for Australia as they refresh their forwards, while the All Blacks have introduced Fihaki for Jordan in the backs.
New Zealand have also now replaced their entire front row.
The home side welcomed Williams back but it hasn’t stemmed the flow of pressure. In fact, they still look like they’re down to 14 given the errors they are making with ball to hand.
Australia are more deliberate as they start the second half, but poor hands from the Wallabies allow the turnover and McKenzie kicks over the top, bouncing into the path of Taylor.
The attack continues, and Lakai is at the heart again after he stretches play on the left wing. A lovely dummy from Moorby leaves his opponents gawping, and he jogs into the corner. The try is converted.
The second half restarts with Meredith’s kick-off.
Absolutely ruthless from the All Blacks. It was only 17-14 at half time at Eden Park last weekend before NZ romped away. This time Australia’s resistance lasted roughly six minutes. Six first half tries for the visitors in Sydney, including two from the evergreen Beauden Barrett. Australia need to stem the bleeding and try to recover some pride.
New Zealand are on course for a bigger margin of victory than the first match and are on course for a series whitewash.
The Wallabies made changes from that fixture but the fundamental problems remain. The New Zealand move the ball quicker, and they have defensive discipline and organisation.
It is hard to see a way back for Australia assuming the All Blacks keep their focus.
The All Blacks push their man advantage while it’s still there. Suaalii finds Jorgensen, but Barrett is alive to the play and intercepts, and dashes through most of the pitch to add another.
McKenzie finds his scoring boots to convert just before half-time.
Outsanding defence from New Zealand as they prevent the try with deep, compact defence.
Australia kick for the corner after Sititi went early at the lineout. The pressure is off them, for now, but they are looking for points.
And just like that, the All Blacks are three tries to the good. Australia’s defence has crumbled after that breathless opening. The ball in play time in the first 10 minutes was off the charts. It’s dangerous going toe-to-toe with the All Blacks. Peter Lakai sensational.
Sititi then follows up from just a few metres out, with the home side a man down. He takes the ball from the scrum and Lonergan simply cannot react in time. It’s converted.
Williams goes off for a yellow. The Williams is offside, and the lock is given a spell in the sin bin for 10 minutes. He was there at the breakdown to halt the action.
Australia force a penalty advantage as the carry through the middle, and Williams takes the initiative to get through the line, setting up an easy conversion. One more before half-time could change the match.
The Wallabies just don’t have the numbers to match the 15 All Blacks. Ioane, on as a sub, is in space on the left wing as he darts to the corner. McKenzie slices his conversion from the wing. Jordan and McKenzie moved the ball quickly and forward to make that try happen.
McKenzie is at the heart of the move and as the momentum slows, Lakai wriggles free out of the grasp of two men to get over the line.
This is on the verge of becoming a rout as the conversion is good.
Quinn Tupaea is off after that early HIA proved the end of his match.
Lakai reacts to four quick All Blacks passes inside as he jinks through and breaks through the Australia defence. The ball is worked to Barrett, who dives over the line to double the advantage, but McKenzie fails to convert.
The visitors look far more confident than in the early exchanges.
The home crowd have lost their voice, perhaps fearful that another heavy defeat is coming.
The momentum switches again, with New Zealand pressing. Australia defend stoutly but New Zealand problem, and it’s Moorby who darts through for the try.
From the wing, the ball is moved inside, and the visitors have a penalty advantage. With the Australians increasingly disorganised, Suaalii and Valetini can only watch as Moorby drives through. McKenzie fails to convert.
Potter can’t reach a ball out wide when the wing is yawning for it to be attacked.
It’s out for a lineout, but Australia have New Zealand a little rattled.
Superb tryline defence from New Zealand after they resist 10 phases of attacking from the home side. The crowd are roaring their team on, who appear pretty inspired by the chance to level the series.
New Zealand have most of the ball but Lonergan turns over and Australia break down the right wing. It’s the All Blacks now on the back foot.
Nothing of note in the early exchanges, but we have an early pause for some treatment for Quinn Tupaea.
We have the haka from the vistors, and then get going with the game.
With kick-off a few minutes away.
Former Hyron Andrews, the South Africa rugby player, has died suddenly in France. He had been preparing for the Johannesburg Lions’ Champions Cup match against La Rochelle. You can read more on that here.
New Zealand head coach Dave Rennie was forced into a late change on matchday after influential midfielder Jordie Barrett pulled out due to a tight calf. Timoci Tavatavanawai steps into the starting backline in his place, with uncapped back Chay Fihaki called up to the bench.
Earlier in the week, Rennie had already made three planned alterations to his XV. Lock Fabian Holland replaces Josh Lord, George Bower comes in at loosehead prop for Ethan de Groot, and Josh Moorby takes over on the wing to cover the injured Leroy Carter.
With Richie Mo’unga still sidelined by a calf strain of his own, Damian McKenzie continues at fly-half, with Beauden Barrett once again named at full-back to offer additional playmaker support during attacking sequences.
Australia coach Les Kiss has made sweeping changes across his lineup, largely forced by a wave of injuries and suspensions.
The most notable alterations come in the playmaker role, where leg injuries to both Carter Gordon and Ben Donaldson leave Declan Meredith taking over the starting flyhalf duties, supported by the uncapped Harry McLaughlin-Phillips from the bench.
In the midfield, Len Ikitau’s injury alongside Hunter Paisami’s ongoing suspension sees Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii shift back into the centres to partner Isaac Henry. The reshuffled backline also features Harry Potter named on the left wing, with Filipo Daugunu dropping to the replacements.
Up front, former All Blacks loosehead prop Aidan Ross steps into the starting front row as Angus Bell moves to the bench. Josh Nasser is promoted to start at hooker, with Billy Pollard named as his backup and Brandon Paenga-Amosa left out entirely.
Kiss has also reconfigured his reserve pack, bringing in Josh Canham and Carlo Tizzano to offer late impact. Meanwhile, Kalani Thomas is named as reserve scrumhalf ahead of the omitted Tate McDermott, providing cover for starting nine Ryan Lonergan.
Good morning - or afternoon if you are geographically closer to the fixture - and welcome to Telegraph Sport’s live coverage of Australia vs New Zealand in the second and final fixture of the 2026 Bledisloe Cup. Kick-off at Sydney’s Accor Stadium is set for 4pm local time, or 6am for those of watching from the United Kingdom.
While the competition’s silver trophy has already been retained by the visitors for another year, there is still plenty of pride on the line for the Wallabies as they prepare to wrap up their 2026 home calendar. Chief among their motives is showing that they can respond after seeing their six-match unbeaten streak broken in last weekend’s 50-19 loss.
That defeat at Eden Park re-exposed familiar questions surrounding Australia’s options at fly-half, triggering another reshuffle in the backline. It also underscored wider concerns about squad depth. While Les Kiss boasts a formidable first XV when everybody is fit, injuries, suspensions, and unavailable overseas-based players have left the bench looking thin.
”We got a clear picture last weekend of where we need to be better,” Kiss noted during the week. “We’ve said all along we’ll continue to work hard and grow our game, and the squad has been impressive in the way they have prepared this week.” New Zealand enter the contest as firm favourites to stretch their winning streak over their rivals to 13 matches. Despite dealing with their own injury list, the All Blacks finished forcefully in Auckland, steered by an impressive performance from Cam Roigard alongside the creative pairing of Damian McKenzie and Beauden Barrett.
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