The All Blacks recorded their 11th consecutive victory over Australia with a 28-14 win in a Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship match played in Perth on Saturday.
Center Quinn Tupaea scored two tries in quick succession during the first half to give New Zealand a 17-9 lead at the break. Leroy Carter added another try for the visitors before halftime. Australia’s points in the opening period came from three penalty goals by flyhalf Tane Edmed.
The Wallabies closed the margin to 20-14 in the 65th minute through a try by Len Ikitau, but New Zealand responded with a penalty and a late try from prop George Bower to secure the result.
The match was played in front of a sold-out crowd of 60,000 and marked the final international appearance of Wallabies prop James Slipper, who retired after earning his 151st test cap.
Australia’s Will Skelton, who joined the squad from his French club La Rochelle, left the field after 15 minutes with a concussion.
Following the match, Australia captain Harry Wilson said his side remained focused on results despite showing improvement. “We’re not out to be competitive, we’re here to win,” he said. Fullback Max Jorgensen added that errors continued to be costly for the Wallabies.
All Blacks coach Scott Robertson described the win as a determined performance in difficult conditions. “It wasn’t the most entertaining at times, but it was built on effort. We’re proud because we backed up last week’s result,” he said.
New Zealand had already secured the Bledisloe Cup for the 23rd straight year with their 33-24 victory in Auckland the previous week. The All Blacks concluded the Rugby Championship with a record of four wins and two losses, while Australia finished with two wins and four defeats.
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