Major injuries add to pain of another all black night for ‘gutted’ Wallabies

Tiny green shoots, but the same old black story.

The All Blacks blew out the candles on the 21st year of holding the Bledisloe Cup after fighting off a spirited early showing from the Wallabies and racing away to a 38-7 win in Melbourne on Saturday night.

The sting of defeat was compounded by a “serious” Achilles tendon injury to tight-head prop Allan Alaalatoa, who was stretchered off and will almost certainly miss the World Cup. Taniela Tupou also suffered a rib injury and didn’t finish the game, and in another piece of bad news, coach Eddie Jones revealed post-game that co-captain Michael Hooper, who missed the game with a calf injury, is no certainty to be fit for the World Cup either.

A huge crowd of 83,944 jammed into the MCG – the biggest attendance at a Wallabies game since 2000 – but the home fans’ cheers were limited to the opening half-hour, when Australia played with pace and ambition, and led 7-5.

But when discipline problems reared their head again – the Wallabies received another two yellow cards – the All Blacks made them pay, scoring two tries before the break and then unleashing in the second half.

Rob Valetini takes the ball forward.Credit: Getty

After the Wallabies were repelled brilliantly by the visitors several times in the opening 10 minutes of the second half, the Kiwis cut loose against a tiring Australia, scoring another three tries to finish off a now-standard Bledisloe Cup humbling.

“Gutted. Just disappointing. 83,000 people showed up tonight to support us and we didn’t give them much,” Wallabies halfback Tate McDermott said.

Wallabies prop Angus Bell added: “We let down Eddie [Jones, coach] and we let down Australia. They are a great side, to beat them you have to be brilliant.”

It was another Bledisloe Cup loss, and the first time since Jones was last coach in 2005 that the Wallabies have failed to get a win in the Rugby Championship/Tri Nations.

As far as progress for the World Cup, the opening half hour was the best the Wallabies have shown this year and will encourage Jones, and so too the performances of McDermott, Bell and Mark Nawaqanitawase.

In his debut at No.10, Carter Gordon had a mixed night and was one of a number who failed to put a foot on the throat of New Zealand with a poor kicking game.

“I’m very disappointed about the result, the scoreline - that’s a real negative for us,” Jones said.

“Big crowd. We wanted to show that this is a new team but, and there is always a but, our first 20 minutes showed what we are capable of.

Andrew Kellaway takes a high ball.Credit: Getty

“At the moment, when we put pressure on we can’t turn that into points and then we release pressure.

“We still seem to get disappointed on the field when we don’t get the rewards we think we deserve, which is an area we continue to work on.

“All in all it’s disappointing, but I really like the way we came out in the first 20 minutes and the first 15 or 20 minutes in the second half as well.

“They scored four of their six tries through yellow cards. They made us pay for that.”

“The team is very much a work in progress but what I liked about the team tonight was the way they tactically took on New Zealand in the first 20 minutes.

Jordan Petaia charges for the Wallabies.Credit: Getty

’If you arrived from Mars and watched the first 20 minutes, you would probably think the gold team was the stronger team - that is the reality. But you’ve got to be able to do it for 80 minutes and when you have teams under pressure you have to convert that to points and that is a step we need to take.”

The Wallabies will travel to Dunedin on Sunday ahead of a second Bledisloe Cup clash on Saturday, but Jones said Hooper would not be back for the game after a calf injury.

In a surprise development - given Hooper has expressed confidence about a quick return - Jones then revealed there was uncertainty about the veteran flanker being fit enough for World Cup selection.

“Michael Hooper has a serious injury and when you have got a serious injury, there are deadlines and we need to find out the deadline on it,” Jones said.

“When you have got a calf injury, sometimes you don’t know how quickly you can recover.

All Blacks coach Ian Foster said his group were “delighted” with the win.

“I think the scoreline flattered us, to be perfectly honest,” he said.

“We clearly deserved the win but I thought there was enough in that Aussie performance they will take away some good points from that. But they will regret they couldn’t put prolonged periods of pressure on us.”

The Wallabies trailed 19-7 at half-time after an opening 40 minutes that showed glimpses of dangerous attack, mixed with errors that the All Blacks ruthlessly exploited for three tries.

Allan Alaalatoa is carted off the ground.Credit: Getty Images

Australia didn’t go in their shell, despite the shocking start. Displaying good continuity, the Wallabies tested the All Blacks defence wide and Nawaqanitawase got behind the line with a scything run.

Rob Valetini charged over the line and it was awarded via a TMO check. The Wallabies led for the next 20 minutes, with good muscle used in defence that held up and pushed back Kiwi runners, slowing their ball down.

But Australia’s kicking game was not effective and when .

Marika Koroibete was yellow carded in the 25th minute, the Kiwis expertly used the man up over the next 10 minutes. They scored a try to Codie Taylor and then exerted enough pressure to get another after the halftime siren.

Alaalatoa was taken from the field after being injured in a collapsed scrum.

The Wallabies began strongly after the break and camped in the All Blacks’ quarter. But in the next 10 minutes, they were repeatedly repelled, with the All Blacks sacking two rolling mauls successfully on the line, and turning over the ball twice via a pilfer.

To make matters worse, the Wallabies lost another prop when Tupou suffered rib damage on a ball carry, and he was later carded when he didn’t use his arms in a tackle, when trying to protect his ribs. The Kiwis showed their class to score three tries in the second half, and put Australia’s hopes to bed for yet another year.

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