New Zealand beats Australia 41-33 in Bledisloe Cup

New Zealand beats Australia 41-33 in Bledisloe Cup

9:55 PM Saturday Oct 19, 2013

DUNEDIN, New Zealand (AP) Flyhalf Aaron Cruden scored one try, made another and kicked 18 points as New Zealand beat Australia 41-33 in a Bledisloe Cup rugby test on Saturday.

Cruden's first shot at goal, from more than 50 meters at Dunedin's indoor stadium, was a disaster, barely reaching the height of the crossbar and falling well short of the posts. He shrugged off that embarrassment to kick seven of his next nine attempts as New Zealand beat Australia for the third time this season and won its 30th straight test at home.

Cruden contributed a pin-point crossfield kick to create a try for flanker Sam Cane, then scored a try of his own as New Zealand opened a 30-19 lead by halftime. Winger Julian Savea and captain Kieran Read also touched down for the All Blacks while Adam Ashley-Cooper, Matt Toomua and Tevita Kuridrani scored tries for Australia.

Wallabies flyhalf Quade Cooper, treated as a pantomime villain by New Zealand crowds who boo his every action, restored himself a little in their affections with one of his best performances against the All Blacks.

Cooper kicked three penalties, three conversions and a dropped goal for 18 points, defended stoutly and provided the pass that led to Ashley-Cooper's try just before halftime.

Toomua and Kuridrani both scored their first test tries for Australia who outscored New Zealand by two tries to one in the second half and played with both spirit and enterprise.

Saturday's match bridged a gap in both teams' seasons between the end of the Rugby Championships, which New Zealand won for the second straight year, and the All Blacks and Wallabies' tours to Japan, Britain and Europe.

New Zealand had already won the three-test Bledisloe Cup series by beating the Wallabies twice during the Rugby Championships and, with the impending tours and players keen to avoid injury, the defensive intensity of Saturday's match was low. The five tries and 67 points scored gave the match the flavor of a festival game but it was fast-paced and action-packed, enthralling a crowd of just less than 30,000.

New Zealand remained unbeaten in 2013 ahead of a tour on which it will play tests against Japan, France, England and Ireland. Late injuries to captain Richie McCaw and winger Cory Jane disrupted its preparation but it was again able to produce an outstanding display of backline skill.

"It was a great match. I think both teams just wanted to keep on playing," stand-in captain Read said. "It's awesome to win a match like this and we had to work hard which is what you want in these games.

"I guess when we got down their end we got points and that was the key to it. It was great that we could stick at it for 80 minutes."

Coach Steve Hansen had hoped New Zealand would maintain the standard it set in its 38-27 win over South Africa in Johannesburg two weeks ago, which clinched the Rugby Championships. That match was hailed as one of the best ever played and it was unlikely, particularly with the intrusion of injuries, that New Zealand would replicate that form.

It was still able to produce some sublime tries Cane's and Cruden's were its best though the defense was more porous than it has been this season.

"It wasn't perfect but you wouldn't expect it to be with where we've been and what we've done in the past three weeks," Hansen said.

Australia had the first lead of the match with a penalty to Cooper after three minutes. Cruden's first, failed penalty attempt went astray but it claimed the lead with a try after 10 minutes to powerful winger Julian Savea who linked on the blindside with fullback Israel Dagg.

Cruden converted for a 7-3 lead and the All Blacks didn't trail for the remainder of the match. Cruden and Cooper swapped penalties through the middle of the second half then Cane scored a breathtaking try which epitomized New Zealand's skill and daring.

Cruden put in a crossfield kick which Savea caught on the fly and Dagg continued the movement before passing to Cane who scored. With Cruden's conversion, New Zealand led 20-9.

Cruden then scored a brilliantly skillful try of his own after strong leadup work by Cane, Keven Mealamu, Woodcock and Read. Backrower Liam Messam ran into space out wide, sawing infield in search of support and handing the ball to Cruden whose try and conversion made the lead 30-12.

All Blacks Rise Another Level

By Gregor Paul in Dunedin

9:19 PM Saturday Oct 19, 2013

NEW ZEALAND 41
AUSTRALIA 33

Anything the All Blacks can do, the All Blacks can do better. Brilliant against South Africa, they were somehow at a level above tonight.

Absorbing, relentless, brutal, deft, subtle, flexible, direct, brave - they were all of that and more.

They were, unquestionably, impossible to defend against: the point of attack was wherever they wanted it to be.

They were a threat when they defended; they were a threat when they kicked and they were most definitely a threat when they passed and ran.

And here's the crazy thing - Australia played better than they have all year. But what were they to do? They fronted, they gave all they had, cleverly attacked the right channels, recycled, tackled and still got blown off the park. They scored tries not many other teams would have had the flair or imagination to sniff out and yet they were always chasing without ever convincing they were going to quite get there. But the All Blacks will need to be wary - the Wallabies used Israel Folau well, Will Genia came good and they are on the right track.

But there is still a gap between them which begs the question: how good are these All Blacks? Definitive statements on that will have to wait, but when they score 30 points in a half while conceding the territory and possession stakes by a distance, then they cleanly have a fair idea what they are doing with the ball.

It's the clinical and ruthless way that they attack which sets them apart. So often the lament in the modern game is of chances missed: of precision only up to a point. The All Blacks haven't left much, if anything on the field this season and were operating at an incredible one attack-one try ratio that left the Wallabies dazed.

The movement, the awareness, the skill, the speed - it was devastating. The pressure the All Blacks exerted was total. Kieran Read and Sam Cane were immense at stopping Wallaby runners on the gainline, lifting and driving them back and then this black wave would swarm over the ball and they'd be off. Defence one second, attack the next and runners were everywhere, queuing up, knowing the man in possession would have the ability to make the pass before, through or after contact.

Cane needs particular mention because he filled every inch of his No 7 shirt. He graduated from being in all the right places to being in all the right places and doing all the right things.

He had both presence and presence of mind to own the contact zones and perhaps, finally, demand to be seen as Sam Cane rather than the bloke standing in for Richie McCaw.

The physical contest wasn't really anything of the sort - that's the best way to sum it up. The world knows the Wallaby tight five love nothing more than a girls night in, with a weepy movie and a bottle of Chardonnay - but they ditched the handbags and got stuck in. That they came off second best was down to the technical excellence of the All Blacks.

They held their line to the point where they would isolate a ball carrier, double team and keep him off the ground. Charlie Faumuina was frighteningly good at it, twice stripping the ball in a flash.

It was demoralizing for Australia. All that effort, all those phases and only as they turned to chase back did they realise they had been pawns in the All Blacks' game-plan: that all the time, the All Blacks were keeping them where they wanted them, just biding their time to pounce.

What also helped in that regard was the tenacity of New Zealand's scrambling defence and solidity in the tackle when they needed it.

No one did more on that front Charlie Piutau. Early in the game he managed to halt Israel Folau twice in 20 seconds.

Not only was his defence outstanding, but so too was his wider contribution. He danced away from the touchlines when he had to, chased high balls and was always on hand.
The power and work-rate of Ma'a Nonu was a big part of the offering as was the composure and spark of Israel Dagg.

New Zealand 41 (J. Savea, S. Cane, A. Cruden, K. Read tries; A. Cruden 3 pens, 2 cons; B. Barrett pen) Australia 33 (A. Ashley-Cooper, M. Toomua, T. Kuridrani tries; Q. Cooper 3 cons, 3 pens, DG)

Australia hit back just before halftime with a try to Ashley-Cooper, created by a long and accurate pass from Cooper, who also converted.

Toomua scored after Kuridrani intercepted a pass from Savea in the 47th minute, cutting the lead to 33-26 and inflaming Australia's hopes of an upset. But Read's 54th minute try, after brilliant interpassing by Brodie Retallick, Cruden and Ma'a Nonu put New Zealand ahead 38-26 and snuffed out the Australian challenge.

"We're obviously bitterly disappointed with the result," said Australian captain James Horwill, who was replaced early in the second half. "We came here to win and we never like to lose but we're proud of the effort the boys put in. We went out swinging and that's what we wanted to do."

_____

New Zealand 41 (Julian Savea, Sam Cane, Aaron Cruden, Kieran Read tries; Cruden 3 conversions, 4 penalties; Beauden Barrett penalty), Australia 33 (Adam Ashley-Cooper, Matt Toomua, Tevita Kuridrani tries; Quade Cooper 3 conversions, 3 penalties, dropped goal). HT: 30-19.

All Blacks: Bench play vital role in stunning All Blacks' win

By Wynne Gray

5:30 AM Monday Oct 7, 2013

As predicted, NZ reserves had major influence on test outcome.

Impact from the bench, former All Black coach John Mitchell predicted, might prove to be the critical difference in the Rugby Championship shootout.

Mitchell and the NZRU do not see eye to eye but his conjecture proved right on the money with current supremo Steve Hansen.

"We emptied our tank and theirs because we think we have one of the best benches in the world," Hansen said after the pulsating 38-27 victory against South Africa.

Beauden Barrett found some gold nuggets when he came on for the injured Aaron Cruden and the coach delivered higher praise for Steven Luatua who was used on the blindside and then lock in a busy last quarter.

The All Blacks were stunned when Bryan Habana scored twice inside the opening quarter.

A double response came from Liam Messam whose selection has never been watertight and who came under further heat this week with confirmation Jerome Kaino was returning to New Zealand. Messam surged over for his first with help from Chiefs teammate Brodie Retallick and then, crucially, skipped over when the match had run well into halftime.

The Boks clocked off and the All Blacks dialled in after Kieran Read pilfered the ball from a breakdown. His teammates kept the ball moving until Andrew Hore offloaded the last vital transfer for Messam on a damaging cut run to the line.

It was a crucial blow to the Boks' morale and an example of the work ethic and All Black skill components. Their widespread athletic flair is a shade up on the Boks who have dextrous forwards like Francois Louw to offload out of the tackle but also a few clunkers.

In the same move which delivered Messam's double, five eighths Aaron Cruden caught and passed so quickly under pressure that he sucked in a defending forward.

Later there was a telling grubber kick out of defence by Sam Whitelock which changed the momentum and Read showed his class to claim the last vital try. Defensive heroes from both sides littered Ellis Park but Julian Savea's race back to clobber Willie Le Roux then Barrett's desperate chase and ankle tap on the same player were vital All Black gems.

It was compelling rugby. It was a test in which the All Blacks matched everything thrown at them.

Altitude, counter-attack, forward menace - they brought their combat kit with all the physical and mental weapons needed to confront the Springbok armoury.

Two decades ago Warwick Roger wrote Old Heroes which was a compelling account about his teenage connection to the 1956 series in New Zealand as the All Blacks clashed with the Springboks. In 2013 the country has some New Heroes, a group who kept cool as they journeyed to the red-hot atmosphere of Ellis Park and claimed their prize in the heart of enemy territory.