The All Blacks continued their recent strong form over their Trans-Tasman rivals, running out 50-19 victors over the Wallabies at Eden Park.
The match was squarely in the balance at halftime, with the Wallabies drawing first blood and scoring the final points before heading into the break just three points behind.
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However, a clinical second half by the All Blacks saw the hosts score five tries, extending their impressive run to 54 matches at the venue, while setting a new record of consecutive results against the men in gold.
So, what did we learn?
If the ominous Kapo O’Pango delivered by the All Blacks didn’t send a message, the resulting second half certainly did.
The Wallabies, for 46 minutes, looked to handle the pressure of the men in black and of the occasion: generating chances, wrestling momentum back in the first half to sit 17-14 at halftime, and nearly scoring off the second-half kick-off.
However, once the All Blacks got into their groove, they proved nearly impossible to stop, scoring from pressure in the aerial game, then winning the physical battle in the second half, going through the Wallabies.
While losing at Eden Park is not exactly unusual given nearly every single rugby team plus the Lions have not been able to defeat the All Blacks there, this match proved especially tough to stomach for Australia, and not just because of the solid form coming in.
The result sees the All Blacks now extend their winning run over the Wallabies to 12 games - the longest winning streak either side has ever managed over the other.
It would be wrong to write the Wallabies performance off completely based on the scoreline, given the side were in the contest and asking questions for most of the match.
However, the final half hour saw the All Blacks exploit areas in the Wallabies game, and with a loss of composure from the visitors, piled on the points.
Ryan Lonergan missing a penalty straight in front in the first half set an ominous tone, with one percenters and lapses in execution at key moments proving significant.
When the maul was pinged for obstruction early in the second half on the All Blacks’ 5m line, the visitors were then marched up the field for back chat - a moment that started the All Blacks rampage.
Once the All Blacks found dominance off the box kick, the scrambling defence struggled, resulting in the hosts having 70 percent territory and nearly 60 percent possession in the second half.
With no possession, no continuity, and Len Ikitau also forced off early with a failed HIA, the resulting half hour will give Les Kiss’ side plenty of food for thought as they look to Sydney.
There were two key ways the All Blacks managed to break open the contest: the aerial game and ball in play.
When Jordie Barrett got the better of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii in the air early in the first half, it set the stage for a day where the men in back outdid the Wallabies with the boot, making over 600 kick metres compared to the Wallabies 472m and having them in prime position to move forward.
Once activated, the All Blacks focused on keeping the ball in play, with speed proving critical in overwhelming the Wallabies’ scrambling defence.
With Cam Roigard and Codie Taylor scoring in quick succession in the second half, the All Blacks were given permission to roam, finding ways both through the air and through the physical contest, with the effects felt on the scoresheet.
While it was a tough night in Auckland for the Wallabies, there was still plenty of performers who can give fans optimism that the side can turn things around quickly.
The composure seen over the last five matches of the Les Kiss era was there in the first half, Tom Wright’s opening try a well-executed piece of attack brilliance courtesy of Max Jorgenson and Ben Donaldson - the latter having a decent individual performance.
With Ikitau forced off early, Suaalii and Henry were forced into a unique combination in the centres, which also had it’s moments in the first half before the side was starved of possession in the second.
The scrum also stayed very competitive despite the All Blacks being the more experienced pack. However, a contender for an Australian highlight was the lineout, which bettered the men in black thanks to Jeremy Williams pinching three throws and causing all sorts of problems.
The lineout, though, will have to go head-to-head with captain Harry Wilson, who was best on ground in gold and individually put in one of his best performances ever, landing several bone-crunching hits, making seven carries and beating two defenders.
However, best of all, he finished the game with an astounding 28 tackles completed, by far the most of any Wallaby tonight. Adding to this impressive statistic is that he also didn’t miss a single tackle, finishing the night with a perfect tackle completion rate.
Dave Rennie was head coach of the Wallabies the last time the side tasted victory over the men in black, with the 12 matches since that 2020 victory at Lang Park making for tough reading for fans.
However, across the last six years, a steady pattern has developed whenever the sides have met in a calendar year: with one game being an All Black blowout, and the other being a thriller going down to the wire.
In fact, nearly half of the last nine matches between the sides have come down to a single-digit margin - two of which have been in Australia and two in New Zealand - with three of those four games being decided by a margin of three points or less.
While Les Kiss’ men have now tasted defeat for the first time under the new coaching staff, the previous six games suggest the Wallabies are more than able to match the All Black physical battle, and rebound strongly.
Although the Bledisloe Cup is gone for another year, all eyes will be on how the coaching staff and team react to this result, with a drought-breaking win in Sydney sorely needed with less than a year until the Rugby World Cup.
