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Beauden Barrett’s stunning four-try performance seals massive Bledisloe Cup victory in Auckland
BEAUDEN Barrett made history with four tries as the All Blacks smashed the Wallabies in Auckland to retain the Bledisloe Cup yet again.
THE good news is that if you’re a 16-year-old Australian you can drive a car on our roads. The bad news is you’ve never been alive to see Australia lift up the Bledisloe Cup.
The wretched All Blacks winning streak that began in 2003 continues for another year after the Kiwis blew Australia away 40-12 at Eden Park thanks to an extraordinary four-try performance from Beauden Barrett. PRESSURE: Heat rising on Cheika amid rankings slide WORLD CHAMPS: Dominant Black Ferns rout Wallaroos GOOD OLD DAYS: How amateurs professionally took All Blacks apart Pressure on Wallabies coach Michael Cheika is now searing, with the team suffering a bigger hammering than last week’s humiliation in Sydney. It just seems hopeless. Australia is showing no ability to contain the Kiwis, or even close the gap. If anything, it is widening, and the same issues are at play. Over and over again, the Wallabies turned over possession deep in attack, the All Blacks countered and scored sizzling long-range tries to the joy of the 48,493 fans crammed into Eden Park. SCROLL DOWN TO RE-LIVE OUR BLOG OF THE SECOND TEST How does this keep happening? When will this end? The answers to these questions are nowhere to be found in this group. NZ target Pocock's neck This time last year they bounced back from a first Test hammering to nearly clinch an epic second match, denied by a last-gasp New Zealand try. Here, they were putting up umbrellas to the All Blacks’ tsunami attack. A try two minutes before the break, and two inside the first eight minutes of the second half took the score from 7-all to 28-7. The game was gone right there. Cheeky Beauden Barrett act duds Wallabies As it was last week. As it has been countless times over the past 16 years in these encounters. Barrett was brilliant, becoming the first Kiwi to score four tries in a match against the Wallabies. He’d scored New Zealand’s first two to give them a 14-7 lead at half-time. Australia lost two early lineouts and then watched the Kiwis score the opener in the 13th minute. Barrett raced through lapse midfield defence after brother Jordie had put New Zealand on the front foot. Barrett stormed onto a pass from halfback Aaron Smith and sprinted through under the posts untouched from 20 metres out. Barrett's awesome foursome But the Wallabies showed grit to climb back into the contest, surprisingly through a dominant scrum. Australia camped in the All Blacks’ 22 for five minutes from the 26th, earning two scrum penalties due to loosehead Joe Moody collapsing, with skipper Michael Hooper opting to reset both times under the posts. The gamble paid off, as halfback Will Genia dummied from the third reset and barged over the line through the defence of rival Smith and Sam Cane. It was a statement by Australia’s set-piece and lifted the players visibly. However, as is so often the case, a Wallabies turnover led to an All Blacks try late in the half. Kurtley Beale spilled the ball with Australia deep in attack, and the Kiwis shifted wide. Ben Smith made a brilliant break, running inside and out of Marika Koroibete before passing to Jack Goodhue, who was tackled just short by a desperate Jack Maddocks. However, a quick recycle saw Smith fire to Barrett and he crashed over for his second in the tackle of David Pocock in the 38th minute. It was virtually the same time Smith scored the Kiwis’ first try in last week’s Test, opening the second half floodgate. By the time prop Joe Moody (43rd) and Liam Squire (48th) scored tries, it was a matter only of their margin of victory. Reece Hodge got Australia’s second try from a Bernard Foley break, but that was quickly quashed by Barrett’s hat-trick when he used his flashy pace to race past Adam Coleman, Genia and Dane Haylett-Petty to score. Barrett had a fourth disallowed in the 67th minute for a knock on earlier in the phase, but two minutes later had crossed for the record after sensational lead-up from near their own line. Brodie Rettalick produced the turnover, Damian McKenzie broke upfield, found Anton Leinert-Brown who passed to Ben Smith. The fullback found his five-eighth out wide and Barrett stepped inside Marika Koroibete to create history. The Wallabies could only gather under the posts, looking lost and beaten down, wondering when this nightmare will end. Many fans back in Australia had already tuned out. Get 3 months free Sport HD + Entertainment on a 12 month plan and watch the 2018 Bledisloe Cup & 2018 Rugby Championship with no ad-breaks during play. T&Cs apply. SIGN UP NOW >
Originally published as Beauden Barrett’s stunning four-try performance seals massive Bledisloe Cup victory in Auckland