After a strong start, the Wallabies lost 33–13 to the All Blacks in Wellington, capping a poor Rugby Championship campaign. In new coach Joe Schmidt’s debut tournament as head coach, the Wallabies finished bottom of the ladder having only won one game. Keeping possession of the ball, the Wallabies launched deep attacks that placed the All Blacks on the defensive.
But despite that strong start, the Wallabies were beset by old habits; they seemed unsteady in one-on-one defence and ill-disciplined in defence when the game was about to run away from them.
The hard-earned confidence from the All Blacks’ second-half performance in Sydney quickly vanished as they played with sheer brutality and precision, inspired by their slick fullback Will Jordan.
Harry Wilson, the captain of the Wallabies, stated, “That’s not the result we wanted.” “Our first forty was excellent, in my opinion. We turned up, got off to a quick start, but in the second half, we had trouble keeping possession.” After a resourceful and aggressive start, Fraser McReight’s early touchdown put the fast-starting Wallabies on the scoreboard early.
Soon after, Will Jordan scored after scuttling over the line, then Sevu Reece crossed for the All Blacks’ first offensive usage of the ball. But with just over forty minutes remaining in the first half, the Wallabies led 13–12 thanks to two penalties goals from Noah Lolesio. News for The Daily Rugby
The Wallabies led 19–13 at halftime, however they let up a Caleb Clarke try right before the break. They never turned around again. After making his debut as a starter, Dylan Pietsch said to Channel Nine, “Turning the ball over makes it difficult to be a great team.”
Additionally, the Wallabies consistently gave away possession, giving the All Blacks the upper hand. In the second half, Tamaiti Williams and Clarke scored tries, while the hosts’ strong defence held the Wallabies at bay and prevented them from scoring in the second half.
Scott Barrett, the captain of the All Blacks, remarked, “We didn’t start too well but I’m really pleased with how we finished.” “There was some real grit in defence there in the way we held out the Aussies.” See our live blog to see how everything happened in retrospect.
We really appreciate your attendance this evening, especially in light of the several other events. In the end, the Wallabies simply lacked the quality to effectively oppose the All Blacks who significantly improved in the second half.
It has been a long drought for the 24 years since a Wallaby victory in New Zealand. However, a rigorous trip of the northern hemisphere will serve as yet another test for these Wallabies.