All Blacks beat Wallabies on final play to retain Bledisloe Cup 2022 – as it happened
Wallabies #Wallabies
Key events
FULL TIME: Australia 37-39 New Zealand
TRY! Australia 37-39 New Zealand (J Barrett, 81)
Penalty! Australia 37-34 New Zealand (White, 78)
TRY! Australia 34-34 New Zealand (Samu, 74)
Penalty! Australia 27-34 (Mo’unga, 72)
TRY! Australia 27-31 New Zealand (Kallaway, 67)
TRY! Australia 20-31 New Zealand (Kellaway, 61)
TRY! Australia 13-31 New Zealand (Jordan, 56)
TRY! Australia 13-24 New Zealand (Mo’unga, 52))
Yellow! Australia (Gordan, 51)
Penalty! Australia 13-17 New Zealand (Foley, 48)
TRY! Australia 10- 17 New Zealand (Taukei’aho, 41)
HALF TIME: Australia 10-10 New Zealand
Knocked on over the line!
Yellow card! Australia (Swain, 36)
Yellow card! Australia (Wright, 36)
TRY! Australia 10-10 New Zealand (Valetini, 26)
Held up! No try!
Penalty! Australia 3-10 New Zealand (Foley, 18)
Penalty! Australia 0-10 New Zealand (Mo’unga, 11)
TRY! Australia 0-7 New Zealand (Taukei’aho, 3)
Preamble
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Here’s Angus’ report. It’s feisty, it’s tasty, it should keep the debate going.
I’ll sign off with this. It was a genuine classic. An absolute ripper of a rugby match that will keep the flame burning in Australia even though the Wallabies lost and now sink to 9th on World Rugby’s rankings.
Brilliant. It was a joy to call it live for you.
Thanks for keeping me company. I’m back for the return match next week. Catch you then.
Updated at 08.51 EDT
The final words from the correspondence go to Joshua B and Sam Rowe.
First, Josh has this to say:
“For rugby, it’s not a good look to be dwelling on this decision, but maybe now the speed of the game will improve.
Wallabies had many chances, despite 3(!?) Yellow cards.
Foley played brilliantly. Shame the focus is on a controversial ref decision.”
Sam, who has ‘AUS’ in his byline, offers this:
“That’s the Lewis Hamilton/Michael Masi moment for rugby. Controversy to concoct a dramatic finish.”
David Britton is calling for cooler heads:
“Think the ref has to be more game aware there. Blow time off, call the captain in, even card him – but don’t give the ABs the ball in that situation. World Rugby will hide behind technical correctness, which is fine, but there’s no way that will be consistently enforced from now.”
“Time had been on about 10s and Foley was warned at the 5sec mark,” says Matthew Ross, who has shared a video of the incident which I’m struggling to put up. But no doubt we’ll get countless replays moving forward.
“You might not like it but the frustration shown by the boys tells you they knew what was going to happen and Foley ignored the ref so it wasn’t out of nowhere.”
We’ll be talking about this for years to come.
Keep the correspondence coming. While we wait for Angus’ report I’ll keep sticking them up.
Here’s Hayley Aldrich: “Absolutely ridiculous call – and underlying it is if the shoe was on the other foot, would the ref have done the same to the ABs? Of course not.”
Strong stuff, Hayley.
Robin Staines concurs (I think): “Penalty. Call for the tee. Waste a minute! He had every right to take his time like every other penalty in the game.”
Charles Grubb adds weight to the other end of the scale:
“Check the footage. Foley had his team mates screaming at him to kick it out. The ref then explained why he gave the ABs the scrum. Is it fair to clearly waste time? I think this should happen more in sport when there is clear time wasting. Foley takes the blame for this.”
There’s always a different perspective:
A blockbuster finish of note!
“Classic? Rubbish. What a dodgy way to lose. Rugby referreeing sinks to a new low.”
Doesn’t that add to the classic-ness of the Test, Mark Fetterplace? I think a little controversy adds to the dram. Even though I’d be livid if I were an Aussie.
Alleigances aside, that was bewildering, breathtaking, bat xxxx insane!
Phil Pemberton, though, has this to say on the decisive decision:
“Hi Daniel. Great live feed. I am an England supporter so no fan of either team, but ref decision at end was ridiculous, basically handed them the win. Ref was ok generally but that was a howler.”
“Mate, the whole Aussie backline were screaming at Foley to kick it, for 4-5 seconds, and he just didn’t do it. It was only Foley and White who were peeved, the rest know Foley just cost them a test match win over the ABs.”
That’s from Vincent Schumacher. I must say I didn’t see that but if that is true then Foley will be sick with regret.
I don’t want to start a referee bashing session so, in a way, I sort of hope that Foley is to blame. If you know what I mean.
Sam Cane up next. He thanks the AB support first.
“What a classic,” he says. That’s what I’ve been saying. “To win on the buzzer we’re hugely delighted.”
Bet you are Sam. I bet you are.
“Hi Daniel,” hi Sonia Ryan. You well?
”Just wanted to say how much I enjoy your live coverage. Thank you!”
No, thank you. Good to hear some positive feedback.
Slipper gives credit to the “AB’s” and says that “this one is going to hurt.” Please someone go give him a cuddle.
“Sorry, Daniel, but reading your commentary on line here in Spain, as a Kiwi couple we do not feel your viewpoint is unbiased.”
Hi Barbara Britton, thanks for checking in.
“We note that you are from South Africa. B pleased that the Mighty Ones have won.”
No bias on my part (at least not conscious). I’ve got to be honest and I think that was a really dodgy call from the ref. I’ve never seen that policed so strictly in the past and can’t believe it ended like that.
But fair play to New Zealand. They remain the masters in making teams pay and winning games they shouldn’t win.
James Slipper on the post chat:
“The most gutting way to finish the game”,” he’s not wrong. He’s being diplomatic but no doubt he’s seething.
“Momentum was with us”, “we blew it”. Ah James.
He’s struggling to hear the questions because of the noise. What a night for Australian rugby. I’m battling myself to find the right words.
FULL TIME: Australia 37-39 New Zealand
What a game. Genuinely one for the catalogue of great Bledisloe Tests. New Zealand exploded into a 10-0 lead before Australia roared back. Two yellows for the Wallabies meant New Zealand edged into a commanding advantage but a brace from Kallaway and a sensational score from Samu brought the sides level again. A White penalty from a different postcode meant they were ahead for the first time of the night but a controversial referee decision awarded New Zealand a scrum 5m out with no time left on the clock. Jordie Barrett had the decisive touch and scored in the corner to hand New Zealand the win. Heartbreaking stuff for the Wallabies. I think they deserved the win. They look absolutely gutted. Fair play to them. They played their part in a genuine classic.
TRY! Australia 37-39 New Zealand (J Barrett, 81)
Heartache for the Wallabies. I can’t believe it. How cruel is sport? It’s such a shame because Foley had the ball in his hand with a penalty kick to come with a minute to go before the referee decided he was wasting time. So it was an All Black scrum. They kept the ball alive and worked it left. They came close several times but the Wallabies kept them at bay. A penalty advantage. Space on the right and that’s where it went. Mo’unga with a swivelled pass and Jordie Barrett with a dart to the corner. He gets it. Game over. What a finish. New Zealand keep the Bledisloe Cup. A classic.
80 mins: Scenes! What an end to this match. I can’t keep up so please forgive any typos. Foley has given away a scrum when he had the ball in his hand. The referee has awarded a scrum to New Zealand 5m from the line. I have no idea why. The commentators are baffled. How cruel this would be if NZ win it.
79 mins: Oh wow! Australia win the penalty on the ground after New Zealand secure the ball from the line-out. They had the maul on and momentum with them but it fractured and allowed Foketi room to isolate Coles on the floor and got over the ball.
79 mins: New Zealand win a penalty but rather than take an easy three they go to the corner. Huge moment coming up.
Penalty! Australia 37-34 New Zealand (White, 78)
What a ripper! Nic White has nailed that 50m penalty. A heroic moment under the roof of the Marvel stadium. Australia lead for the first time tonight.
76 mins: Valetini has just won a turnover on the halfway line after smashing a big hit on Papali’i and then staying on his feet to emerge with the pen. The All Blacks had possession but no longer.
White is lining it up. It’s 50m out. Can he do it?
TRY! Australia 34-34 New Zealand (Samu, 74)
What. A. TRY! That will convert fans of other codes and get kids tossing around the fat oval ball. Just brilliant from Australia. The ball moves from left to right and finds Samu on the touchline. He’s got nothing on so stands up Jordan and absolutely skins the All Blacks winger. He finds a bit of space but is closed down so plays it inside to Koroibete on the support line. Samu stays with him and then gets it back on the one-two and puts his ears back to cap off a wonderful move.
Foley’s sixth consecutive kick, this one the most difficult of the night, means we’re all square yet again. What a game! Six to go.
Penalty! Australia 27-34 (Mo’unga, 72)
New Zealand lead by seven with Mo’unga nailing a long range penalty in front of the sticks. Not what Australia wanted just after scoring back to back tries, but that is the threat of the All Blacks. Even when they’re down, they’re never out. And now they’re back in control.
TRY! Australia 27-31 New Zealand (Kallaway, 67)
Andrew Kallaway is turning this match on his own! Well, not on his own, obviously, but his second try in just a six minutes has reduced the 18 point gap to just five. A line-out on the left is clean (again, credit to the Australia set piece tonight, it’s been very good) and the ball goes right. Kallaway finds another perfect line and hammers it at pace. He meets the ball at it’s zenith and busts through a hole. He holds the ball as if he’s going to offload which means he’s able to stand up Beauden Barrett just long enough to work the space and score in the corner. Foley’s tight conversion means Australia are a converted try away from a famous win.
65 mins: Australia riding high now but unable to work a gap. Their line-out is sent to the back where it’s plucked out of the air and sent back down to earth. Swift hands means it reaches Pataia out on the right touch line. He cuts in field to Vaeletini but there’s no hole to burst through. They come back for a penalty and Foley gets it a little closer to the All Blacks line.
64 mins: An early shove on the scrum means the All Blacks give away a free kick on the half way line. That’s turned into a straight arm penalty and Foley boots it towards the 22m on the right. Australia in the ascendency here.
TRY! Australia 20-31 New Zealand (Kellaway, 61)
That’s more like it! Rugby made simple. A line-out on the 22m line on the right is clean and sent through the hands. It reaches Foley who pops a delicious short pass to Kellaway on the angle and the fullback busts through a hole and finds an extra gear as he gallops away for a diving score. Lovely bit of rugby. Foley takes the conversion quickly and gets it. Still plenty of time to turn this around.
Mo’unga kicks the restart straight out. Momentum shifting, perhaps?
Updated at 07.41 EDT
60 mins: Kellaway is having a top game and he’s put in a scything hit on a runaway All Black. Australia win a penalty and kick it back upfield. They’ll have the feed on the 22m line.
58 mins: Fainga’a has missed his jumpers 5m out from the New Zealand line. When you’re 11 points down on the All Blacks you can’t make mistakes like that. Rather than kick New Zealand look to run it up to create some breathing room and win a scrum.
Oh wow! No yellow card. I think they’ve got that one wrong. Just a penalty. Foley, incredulous at the decision, kicks it into touch.
58 mins: Could see a yellow here for a tip tackle from Lomax on the substitute Sio. It looks nastier than it is, but it is a tip tackle after the ball has moved on.
TRY! Australia 13-31 New Zealand (Jordan, 56)
Pure class. Beauden Barrett collects a flat pass and in the blink of an eye dinks a perfectly weighted kick for the onrushing Jordan. He collects, jinks around a defender and then puts on the after burners to canter for an easy finish. This is getting messy for Australia. Mo’unga kicks the extras with ease.
Updated at 07.28 EDT
TRY! Australia 13-24 New Zealand (Mo’unga, 52))
That is clinical from the All Blacks. Don’t you worry about the recent troubles, the men in black still know how to hurt you when they’re in the red zone. A clean line-out from the penalty is swiftly sent into the back line. A few phases later Smith eyes up the space and meets Mo’unga’s perfect run on the angle who cuts against the grain and brushes off a challenge to score. He dusts himself off and converts the extras to open up the biggest lead of the night.
Photograph: Hannah Peters/Getty Images
Updated at 07.35 EDT
Yellow! Australia (Gordan, 51)
Another yellow for Australia. There can be few complaints about this one. New Zealand form a maul from a line-out and it steams ahead 5m, 10m, 15m before Gordan has no choice but to bring it down. Could that have been a penalty try? The ball is then shifted right before another penalty is conceded for infringement on the ground. So they come back for the original sin and Australia are a man down again.
49 mins: Australia win a scrum after a knock on. It looks like Australia are looking to kick more. Not just more, but higher, challenging the All Black’s back three. Beauden Barrett makes a mess of that one. Australian ball on the halfway line.
Penalty! Australia 13-17 New Zealand (Foley, 48)
Australia are back to 15 with Swain and Wright back on. They reenter the scene with Foley slots a penalty with a lovely curve from right to left and through the posts. That was won by Foketi who got over the ball after some ding dong kicking.
44 mins: Poor decisions from New Zealand let Australia get away with a penalty. After scoring a try, New Zealand are back on the attack. But inexplicably they kick ahead when passing through the hands would have been the better option (I missed who kicked it, please do let me know). What I do know is that Ikitau then put in a high tackle which was penalised and Australia have the chance to relieve the pressure with a clearing kick.
TRY! Australia 10- 17 New Zealand (Taukei’aho, 41)
What a score from the All Black hooker. This one’s a stepping, jinking run that sees him ride several tackles and crash over the line towards the left. It started way back with Beauden Barrett kicking to his brother Jordie across the field. Jordie then toed it up field. Australia clean up but the counter ruck has the All Blacks back on the ball. With a two man advantage there is a massive overlap out left but the players in the wide channels are surplus to requirement as Taukei’aho goes at it alone for his second of the night.
Photograph: Hannah Peters/Getty Images
Updated at 07.19 EDT
Right then. Foley gets us underway for the second half.
Here’s a replay of the Swain incident. It looks a lot worse now than it did when I first saw it. In fact, I missed it as I was hacking away at my keys trying to make sense of that hectic period.
This tweet below makes a really important point:
Updated at 07.09 EDT
HALF TIME: Australia 10-10 New Zealand
There have been more scintillating Bledisloe Tests, but it’s hard to imagine there have been many more as physical. By my count that’s four enforced substitutions (three for the All Blacks, one for the Wallabies) as both outfits have thrown themselves into the maw. There has been some quality though. Valeteni has underlined his status as one of the best No 8s in world rugby at present, doing everything from catching at the line-out, turning the ball over on the ground, busting tackles and scoring tries, which he did to drag his team back into the contest.
It was New Zealand that did the early scoring as hooker Taukei’aho bust over after three minutes as the All Blacks looked primed to steamroll their trans-Tasman rivals.
In truth, they should be ahead at the break, and Taukei’aho could (should) have had another. But for the intervention of Gordan over the try line, he would have.
Two yellows in the same minute for Swain and Wright (ten minutes after Papalii copped one himself) means that Australia start the second half two men in arrears.
So hard to predict which way this contest will turn. Momentum seems to be back with New Zealand but it’s undulated this way and that throughout the first half. I’m going to catch a breather. See you in a bit.
A few Aussies getting attention from the medics. It’s been a bruising encounter. A few injuries for both camps. Final scrum before the break coming up.
Correction: Thank you Michael Wood for clearing things up.
“Just to point out that Swain yellow was for an intentional targeting of Tupaea’s standing leg. Very lucky boy to stay on – that was a clear intent to injure a player.”
Thanks mate. Appreciate the help.
38 mins: Australia get out of jail. Or should I say that New Zealand let them off the hook? New Zealand win a scrum off an Australian scrum feed and the ball is fizzed right. They have an overlap but can’t exploit it. Scrappy defence and messy link up play means that the ball is spilled and Australia get a penalty and kick up field. That should take them to the safety of the interval. Big let off though. New Zealand will be kicking themselves.
Photograph: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images
Updated at 07.02 EDT
Knocked on over the line!
37 mins: It looked for all money that Taukei’aho would get his second of the night. From the base of a line-out 5m out, the All Blacks hooker take charge and rumbles over, but a hopeful tackle from Gordan nudges the ball just enough and the burly New Zealand front rower knocks on. How decisive could that be? Australia not out of the woods just yet. They’re down the 13 men for the rest of the half.
Yellow card! Australia (Swain, 36)
Two yellow cards in the same play for Australia. Swain, on as a substitute for Holloway, has been sin-binned for dangerous play. He’s come in from the wrong side and gripped the All Black cleaning out the ruck around the head. There’s no damage done so it’s just a yellow, but it was potentially dangerous, so fair play.
Yellow card! Australia (Wright, 36)
Clarke rampages up field. He’s beating Wallaby tacklers and eating up ground. He runs away from his support runners though and straight into Wright who holds up. But Wright is on the wrong side of this ruck and is yellow carded for holding play up when New Zealand might have recycled it and created an opportunity out wide. Very much against the run of play.
Also, captain Cane has failed his HIA and will take no further part in tonight’s action.
Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
Updated at 06.57 EDT
34 mins: 16 phases with Australia in possession and it ends with a New Zealand penalty. A Wallaby line-out on the right is well worked with Valetini collecting in the air and dropping it for Samu on the run down the blindside. A few players come close. Foketi, Ikitau and Gordan all make dashes for the line, but nothing doing. The Black wall holds and eventually they win a turnover penalty.
32 mins: Yet another scrum penalty for Australia. They’re making mincedmeat of the All Blacks set piece. Foley kicks into the corner within touching distance of the New Zealand line.
Updated at 06.38 EDT