New Zealand secured the Bledisloe Cup for a record 24th straight year after dismantling Australia 50-19 at Eden Park on Saturday. While the first half was a tightly contested affair, the All Blacks pulled away decisively in the second period to seal a comprehensive victory.
The opening half saw both teams trade blows, with the score remaining level at 16-16 at the break despite the hosts holding a narrow three-point advantage. Peter Lakai and Tupou Vaa’i crossed the try line for New Zealand, while Australia responded through full-back Tom Wright and No 8 Harry Wilson.
The second half belonged entirely to the Kiwis, who added five more tries to dismantle the Wallabies’ resistance. Cam Roigard, Codie Taylor, Leroy Carter, Josh Moorby, and Will Jordan all found the try line, showcasing the depth of New Zealand’s attack. Fly-half Damian McKenzie contributed six conversions and a penalty to round out the scoreboard.
The win maintains New Zealand’s impressive home record, keeping them unbeaten at Eden Park since 1994. It also confirms that Australia has not held the Bledisloe Cup since 2002, as the trophy is now beyond their reach for this series.
New Zealand will look to complete the series sweep when they travel to Sydney for the return clash on Saturday, October 17. The match is scheduled for a 6am BST kick-off and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event.
Can they actually sweep the series in Sydney? Eden Park is a fortress, but the track might be different.
16-16 at half-time makes this win even more impressive. The All Blacks turned it on when it mattered.
Australia still hasn’t won since 2002? That’s a brutal drought for the Wallabies fans.
That second half was absolute carnage! New Zealand’s depth is just terrifying to face.