Wallabies left ruing late advantage call as horror All Blacks run continues

New Zealand overcame a big halftime deficit to keep Wallabies coach Eddie Jones winless since his return to the helm.

AFP

2 min read

August 5, 2023 - 4:15PM

Leicester Fainga'anuku of New Zealand charges forward during The Rugby Championship & Bledisloe Cup match between the All Blacks and the Wallabies at Forsyth Barr Stadium on August 05, 2023 in Dunedin, New Zealand. (Photo by Joe Allison/Getty Images)

The All Blacks surged back from a 14-point deficit to beat Australia 23-20 in Dunedin on Saturday and retain their winning form ahead of the Rugby World Cup.

Trailing 17-3 at halftime, New Zealand responded with two unanswered tries in the second half and a 79th minute penalty to Richie Mo’unga to run down opponents they’d beaten 38-7 in Melbourne last week.

Both All Blacks tries went to debutants, winger Shaun Stevenson and flanker Samipeni Finau, as they put an error-prone first half behind them and sealed victory when flyhalf Mo’unga landed his angled penalty shot from 35m out.

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It was a heartbreaking result but an encouraging performance from the Wallabies, who remain winless under Eddie Jones since he returned this year for his second stint in charge.

“It’s a bad feeling. We should’ve won that game,” Jones said.

“We did enough to win that game, but we don’t have the capacity to keep doing the simple things well.”

A vastly inexperienced Australian side, led by new captain Tate McDermott, crossed for two tries in the first seven minutes and threatened to produce a first win over the All Blacks on New Zealand soil since 2001.

But an All Blacks side featuring 12 starting changes held their nerve to make it four wins from four this year and extend their unbeaten streak to 11 Tests.

Fans of the Wallabies were left fuming by a late advantage call that ultimately set up New Zealand’s winning penalty.

How can you carry the ball 30m over the ad line and still maintain penalty advantage? Plz explain #AUSvNZ
— Chloe Dalton (@ChloeDalton7s) August 5, 2023

The advantage rule, as interpreted by refs, is garbage #NZLvAUS
— Mark O'Shea (@markoyaaaay) August 5, 2023

How long before advantage is deemed taken in rugby union? Three years?#BledisloeCup #NZLvAUS
— Rewster (@Rewster7) August 5, 2023

It was still the All Blacks’ patchiest performance of the year, with greater cohesion achieved in the second half when experienced halves Mo’unga and Aaron Smith were introduced off the bench.

Flyhalf Damian McKenzie was guilty of wayward kicking and replaced early in the second half after being outplayed by inexperienced opposite Carter Gordon.

Gordon’s retention was staunchly defended by Jones in the lead-up following a mixed performance in Melbourne, when New Zealand comfortably retained the Bledisloe Cup.

The visitors snatched early command and silenced a crowd of 28,265 with near-identical tries in the left corner, both converted by Gordon.

The first went to winger Marika Koroibete, before flanker Tom Hooper barrelled over minutes later following a break from fullback Andrew Kellaway.

Richie Mo’unga kicks the clutch penalty to give the All Blacks a 23-20 lead against the Wallabies. (Photo by Peter Meecham/Getty Images)

Australia had the better of the remainder of the first half, coming close to a third try when McDermott was held up over the tryline, but the only further points were a penalty each to Gordon and McKenzie.