The Wallabies endured a Bledisloe Cup shutout in Wellington, squandering another promising start against the All Blacks to succumb to a disheartening 33-13 defeat. This loss relegates Australia to the bottom of the Rugby Championship standings, with just one win from six matches, and extends their losing streak against New Zealand to nine Tests and 22 consecutive series. After winning his first three matches as coach, Joe Schmidt's win-loss record has now dipped to 4-5, with a demanding grand slam tour of Europe, featuring Tests against England, Scotland, Wales, and the world's top-ranked Ireland, looming as his next colossal challenge. Australia has shown improvement under Schmidt's guidance, but this Test highlighted the significant work still needed.
Last week's Test in Sydney saw the Wallabies concede within the first 15 minutes, their passive defense torn apart by New Zealand's swift hands and relentless attack. At Sky Stadium, Australia began with vigor, quickly pressuring the All Blacks to disrupt their attacking momentum and dominating with intense aggression. The Wallabies were initially impressive in attack as well—Harry Wilson and Jeremy Williams winning the collisions, and Fraser McReight securing the clean-outs. Their innovative plays—switch passes, pop passes, chip kicks—seemed to pay off early when Jake Gordon raced to catch Andrew Kellaway's chip kick, but the ball was fumbled over the line. Power prop Taniela Tupou, injured on his first carry, toughed it out to stay on the field. Inspired, Australia kept pushing forward. They strung together 14 phases twice and opted for five points over three on three occasions. It paid off when McReight bulldozed over from a standing start to score the first try and give the visitors a 7-0 lead.
Desperate to end a six-game losing streak in Wellington, New Zealand bided their time for Australia to make mistakes, which they did. Hunter Paisami was twice at fault, pushing a pass and spilling another. Wallace Sititi exploited the space, and Anton Leinert-Brown delivered a pinpoint pass to Sevu Reece, who sprinted down the line to narrow the gap to 7-5. Australia extended their lead when Noah Lolesio converted a penalty, but the home side struck back, with Will Jordan accelerating to split the defense and score under the posts, putting the All Blacks ahead. The lead held until Lolesio kicked another penalty to make it 13-12. However, just before halftime, the All Blacks showcased their own flair, opting to kick for touch instead of the posts. They secured the lineout and advanced menacingly towards the goal line. Australia defended resolutely for a while, but Beauden Barrett and Leinert-Brown orchestrated a wide pass that sent Caleb Clarke bursting through for a third try.
At 19-13, the Wallabies had dominated the half in every aspect except the scoreboard. Despite holding 57% possession and making 52 tackles to New Zealand's 103, their six turnovers proved costly as the All Blacks capitalized on every opportunity. Aware that the All Blacks hadn't scored in the final 20 minutes of any Rugby Championship game, Australia clung to hope. But first, they had to tackle and keep tackling. New Zealand started the second half strongly, and only simple errors and Australia's resilient defense kept them at bay. Captain Wilson led the defensive effort, charging off the line and battering the All Blacks' attack. Yet, it wasn't enough as Tamaiti Williams powered over for a 26-13 lead.
Trailing by 13 points with half an hour remaining, Australia resorted to high-risk plays. However, too many chip kicks failed to gain ground or find chasers, and their attempts to attack from deep often backfired as the All Blacks seized on loose balls and communication lapses. Australia's penalty count mounted. The Wallabies' bench had sparked a remarkable comeback in Sydney, and after failing to breach New Zealand's half for 20 minutes, Schmidt introduced them at the hour mark. But it was too little, too late. All Blacks replacement fly-half Damien McKenzie soon wreaked havoc and eventually sent Clarke down the line for his second try. The score remained 33-13 until the final whistle, with New Zealand toying with the Australians until the merciful end, as they sought to correct errors and find the rhythm missing under new coach Scott Robertson. The gold-clad Wallabies melted into the turf at full time, having squandered yet another chance to make an impact on New Zealand soil.
