The ruthless All Blacks embarrassed the Wallabies in their final home Test of the year, brushing aside the golden pretenders 43-21 in Sydney, a second thrashing in a week that makes a mockery of the hosts’ ambitions for next year’s World Cup. The All Blacks were too fast at the breakdown, the ball hardly slowing as the New Zealanders appeared to advance it at will. They spoiled all but three Wallaby attacking forays, aided by errors and execution failures.
Captain Harry Wilson was blunt after the Wallabies’ 13th straight loss against their trans-Tasman rivals. We had a terrible second half in the first game [of the series]. We had a terrible first half this game.
We can’t be having terrible halves against the All Blacks. In the second half, we showed a bit of grit, but it’s too late, mate. We can’t be that far behind.” Two second half tries by the Wallabies thinned the margin slightly, but could not temper the conclusion obvious to all those who watched.
So comprehensive was this defeat, Australia’s standing ahead of next year’s rugby showpiece must now be re-evaluated. From outsiders for the trophy aided by home support, Les Kiss’s side are now utterly irrelevant, likable entertainers at best. Maybe they will provide a good excuse for a party after the victory over Hong Kong in the opener.
The turnaround of the past two weeks is such a disappointment for the longsuffering Australian rugby community after the early promise shown under Kiss. Any momentum has now evaporated and the Wallabies find themselves in reverse. Kiss was scathing in his assessment of the team’s first half.
Stationary in the late afternoon sun, the Australian pair were little more than a guard of honour for the All Blacks winger who crossed untouched. Much of the speculation among the Australian rugby community before the match was how Declan Meredith would fare. The fly half was responsible for two outstanding moments in the second half, including a near try when put through by impactful substitutes Angus Bell and Josh Canham, and a counterattack from a cheeky Tom Wright short drop-out.
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