All Blacks thrash Wallabies 39-10 - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

All Blacks thrash Wallabies 39-10

By David Beniuk 02/08/2008 07:39:07 PM Comments (0)

Robbie Deans' Wallabies bubble well and truly burst on Saturday night as the Kiwi coach tasted his first defeat since taking the helm of the Australian side, a 39-10 loss to the All Blacks in his homecoming Test at Eden Park.

Injury-depleted New Zealand dominated Australia from the outset with a pinpoint kicking game, some smothering defence and lineout pressure allowing them to score four tries to one in front of a jubilant sell-out crowd of 46,000.

Deans had taken Australia to five straight Test wins since assuming control in June, including a first-up win over his homeland in Sydney last weekend.

But the All Blacks returned to their clinical ways after two straight losses, stretching their winning streak over the Wallabies at Eden Park to 10 games and recording their biggest Bledisloe Cup win at the venue.

The Wallabies now need to win the remaining two Tests against New Zealand this year to win the Bledisloe Cup.

Bullocking prop Tony Woodcock got a first half double for the All Blacks, while Ma'a Nonu scored two in the second half and Dan Carter booted five penalties and two conversions.

For Australia, Adam Ashley-Cooper provided some hope with a first half try, which Matt Giteau converted after kicking an early penalty goal.

Leading 21-10 at halftime after scoring two tries to Australia's one, the All Blacks went further ahead four minutes after the break when Luke Burgess fumbled from a lineout and rampaging centre Nonu handled twice before scoring his side's third try.

Carter's conversion made it 28-10 and the Wallabies' winning streak under Deans was looking shaky.

The lead went out to 31-10 in the 57th minute when Carter slotted another penalty goal and, when George Smith was penalised, and roundly booed, for a 64th minute high shot on namesake Conrad Smith, the flyhalf's three points made it 34-10.

Nonu completed his double controversially in the final minute when he streaked down the left and appeared to lose control when planting the ball, but the try was awarded by TV match official Shaun Veldsman.

Earlier, Giteau and Carter had traded early penalty goals and the All Blacks flyhalf made it 6-3 with another in the 13th minute.

The pressure from the All Blacks' superb kicking paid dividends for the home side in the 20th minute when Woodcock got the first of his double, barging through a Giteau tackle close to the line.

The conversion made it 13-3 to the All Blacks.

They extended their lead to 18-3 four minutes later when Woodcock grabbed a ball deliberately tapped to him from the lineout by Ali Williams and easily charged over.

The Wallabies briefly settled and executed a sublime backline move in the 32nd minute for fullback Ashley-Cooper to touch down under the posts.

But the All Blacks were soon mounting the pressure again and Carter knocked another penalty goal over in the 38th minute for the 21-10 halftime lead.

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