The All Blacks have completed a clean sweep of the Bledisloe series, defeating the Wallabies with a bonus point 28-14 win in rainy conditions in Perth.
After the hosts held momentum for the opening 30 minutes, two quick tries from Quinn Tupaea saw the All Blacks take a 17-9 lead at halftime.
Watch the Wallabies tackle the All Blacks live and on demand via Stan Sport.
A well-disciplined second half from the men in black saw them hold out the hosts, with a Damian McKenzie penalty and George Bower try on full time giving the All Blacks a crucial bonus point win.
So, what did we learn?
It was a night that would frustrate fans and Wallaby players alike – and it felt all so familiar.
After a promising 30 minutes, the mental game of the All Blacks kicked in after Tupaea’s first try, and once again, it proved devastating for the Wallabies.
With George Bower’s bonus point try adding insult to injury, the result in Perth sees the All Blacks set a record 11-match winning streak over the Wallabies, the largest ever in trans-Tasman rivalry history.
It is an ugly result for a side that ran the British & Irish Lions close earlier in the year, and snapped a 60-year losing streak at Eden Park, and it is one the Wallabies need to address.
The All Blacks are now an official ‘bogeyman’ team for the men in gold – and they need to address it fast if they wish to reclaim the Bledisloe Cup.
When you need momentum to go your way, sometimes that comes with a bit of luck.
After scoring the All Blacks‘ first try, it was the forehead of Jordie Barrett who proved the magic touch as Quinn Tupaea scored a critical try to get the All Blacks back into the contest.
Following with a second try off a poorly executed Wallaby restart, it was a crucial ten minutes – but one that proved all the difference for the visitors.
A legend departed the international rugby arena, and what a career James Slipper has had, with even the referee stopping to acknowledge the Wallaby prop.
In his 151st and final test, the Wallaby prop put in a strong showing at scrum time, holding his own well against Fletcher Newell across his 44-minute performance.
Despite the disappointment for the hosts, it was a performance that showcased maturity and discipline, and one that will be sorely missed by Joe Schmidt’s men and the Australian rugby public.
It’ll be the statistics that will tear Joe Schmidt’s hair out as the Wallabies head into a critical break before five Autumn series clashes.
The Wallabies had 12 lineouts across the match and lost four of them – an ugly stat after being an area the side has performed well in throughout the Rugby Championship.
If it wasn’t enough, discipline remained an issue: despite the penalty count being 14-all, the Wallabies saw two men sent to the bin, making their night even more difficult.
In the end, it proved to be another frustrating case of the Wallabies being their own worst enemy, and the All Blacks capitalised.
Bar a try to Leroy Carter inside the first ten minutes, the Wallabies looked to have finally overcome the slow starts that have plagued the side throughout the Rugby Championship.
Bouncing back well after Carter’s try, Tane Edmed’s boot saw the hosts regain the lead quickly off the back of repeated All Black issues at the ruck.
Reclaiming the lead was even more impressive considering that ten minutes of it were spent with Tom Hooper in the bin.
While the All Blacks reclaimed the lead just before halftime thanks to two quick tries, it was something to take out of on a frustrating night – one where, concerningly, positives were few to come by and where the script of previous games was somewhat flipped.
