New Zealand has claimed the coveted Trans-Tasmanian Bledisloe Cup for the 16th consecutive time with an emphatic 40-12 win over Australia in their second Rugby Championship match at Eden Park in Auckland. Fly-half Beauden Barrett scored four tries, a new All Blacks record in a Test against the Wallabies.
It would not have been easy for the Australians to have travelled to the All Blacks stronghold that is Eden Park, a venue where the Wallabies last won a match more than three decades ago.
As expected, it was another commanding performance from New Zealand. The home side eased into the lead in the opening half, with fly-half Beauden Barrett scoring and converting two tries. The Wallabies though, stayed in touch with a try from Will Genia just before that as they went into the break with New Zealand leading 14-7.
Sadly for the visitors however, it was pure carnage in the second half. Prop Joe Moody charged over the line, just three minutes in and the All Blacks simply ran away with the match as it was one way traffic after that. Liam Squire, the loose forward added another five-pointer a few moments later before Barrett assumed control.
He crossed the white-wash two more times in the space of eight minutes, setting a new record against the Wallabies in a single Test match. His four tries surpassed the previous record of three set by Henry Taylor way back in 1914.
Barrett ended up with a match haul of 30 points having also contributed five conversions in the All Blacks comprehensive 40-12 victory. The win also saw New Zealand retain the Bledisloe Cup for the 16th straight year.
“We respect this cup, we respect what the Wallabies bring every week when we play against them and really happy to be back in front of our fans and lift it another year. It doesn’t just come easy for us, we have to work bloody hard and we have to show respect for the work the boys put in and they are really happy to have that cup,” says All Blacks Captain Kieran Read.
The third and final Bledisloe Cup clash, although a rubber will be played in Yokohama, Japan in late October.
