New Zealand Tramples Australia 33-13 to Clinch Bledisloe Cup Series
In a decisive performance, New Zealand surged past Australia with a 33-13 victory on Saturday, securing a clean sweep in the two-test Bledisloe Cup series.
The All Blacks displayed a more polished execution than in their recent outings, having previously retained the Bledisloe Cup following a win against the Wallabies in Sydney just a week earlier.
Despite Australia striking first and maintaining a competitive scoreline, New Zealand surged ahead just before halftime, entering the break with a 19-13 advantage.
The second half saw the All Blacks dominate, scoring two tries and accumulating 14 unanswered points to triumph in Wellington for the first time in six years. Winger Caleb Clarke marked a significant achievement by scoring his second try and New Zealand’s fifth in the 64th minute, breaking a six-test streak without points in the final quarter of play.
“We didn’t start too well, but I’m really pleased with how we finished,” said All Blacks captain Scott Barrett. “There was some real grit in defense in the way we held out the Aussies.”
Australia, seeking their first win against New Zealand on Kiwi soil in 23 years, initially exhibited promise after faltering in the previous week’s match. They opened the scoring with a try from Fraser McReight in the eighth minute, and led briefly at 10-5 and then 13-12 thanks to the contributions of Noah Lolesio.
Nevertheless, New Zealand’s resilience shone through as they capitalized on their chances, with tries from Sevu Reece, Will Jordan, and Clarke, who was ultimately sent to the sin-bin for an offside infraction.
Wallabies captain Harry Wilson expressed disappointment after the game, stating, “That’s not the result we wanted. I thought our first 40 was really good. We showed up, we started fast but we struggled with possession in the second half.”
With this victory, the stage is set for the next tournament showdown, featuring South Africa and Argentina in Nelspruit, South Africa on September 28 at 4pm.
