Shock at Suncorp: Wallabies stun All Blacks to claim famous win in heated Bledisloe Cup dead rubber
Drama, controversy, off the ball cheap shots, two red cards and a stunning Wallabies upset. This match had it all.
Suncorp Stadium has again proved a problematic venue for the All Blacks, with one win from their last five attempts at the Brisbane venue.
Seven days after suffering a 38-point defeat, their heaviest against the All Blacks, Dave Rennie’s Wallabies pulled off a remarkable reversal to hand Ian Foster the first defeat of his tenure thanks to a 76th minute Taniela Tupou try.
Australian referee Nic Berry, who struggled to control the match, dished out four cards – two red and two yellow – but the All Blacks will not look for excuses.
Scott Barrett’s yellow card for a cynical ruck infringement with 12 minutes left proved decisive, forcing the All Blacks to courageously contest much of the closing stages with 13 men.
Ardie Savea delivered an inspirational performance and it was his charge which led to a late Tupou Vaa’i try that gave the All Blacks hope, but in the end that ultimately proved a consolation effort.
Tuning in as a neutral observer you wouldn’t know the Bledisloe Cup was locked away by the All Blacks last week. This wasn’t exactly a great endorsement for playing by the rules, but it sure was a passionate contest.
Debut Wallabies wing Tom Wright and All Blacks opposite Rieko Ioane exchanged early tries but the fourth Bledisloe of the year then turned on its head when Ofa Tuungafasi became the fifth All Black to be red carded in a test, following Cyril Brownlie (1925), Sir Colin Meads (1967), Sonny Bill Williams (2017) and Scott Barrett (2019).
The Blues prop caught Wright, who was ducking into the tackle, with a shoulder to the head in the 23rd minute, and Berry believed there were no mitigating factors at play so flashed his first red card.
After the selectors’ decision to make 10 starting changes, including two positional, the All Blacks suddenly found themselves under immense pressure – in a completely different situation to their record victory in Sydney.
Prop Ofa Tuungafasi has become the fifth All Black to be sent off in a test match following a tackle which contacted the head in the fourth Bledisloe Cup test in Brisbane. #AUSvNZL #BledisloeCup https://t.co/GOnZCgCymJ
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 7, 2020
Unfortunately for Akira Ioane when the next scrum was packed his test debut ended after 30 minutes as Hurricanes prop Tyrel Lomax was needed to replace Tuungafasi. Ioane, to that point, was highly impressive with one strong carry, several telling defensive plays and one lineout steal.
Twelve minutes after Tuungafasi departed, Berry had no choice but to issue his second red to Wallabies flanker Lachie Swinton, who, likewise, caught the eye with damaging defence on debut, after he copped Sam Whitelock with his shoulder to the head.
Debate will rage about Berry’s decisions but, if nothing else, he was at least consistent with his two reds.
Despite dishing out 16 first-half penalties, 23 in total, Berry struggled to control the match as cheap shots off the ball and tempers regularly flared.
With the All Blacks hot on attack as halftime approached Berry reduced the Wallabies to 13 men by sending Marika Koroibete to the bin for repeated team infringements.
While the All Blacks drew level at 8-8 before the break through a Jordie Barrett penalty, they couldn’t capitalise on their advantage with Koroibete off the field.
Codie Taylor’s try from a lineout drive in the second half edged the All Blacks ahead and the expectation from there was they would maintain composure to close out the victory.
Instead, though, Reece Hodge calmly slotted penalties to push the Wallabies clear and then Auckland-schooled prop Tupou crashed over to deliver the final blow.
The victory is sure to breathe life back into Rennie’s Wallabies after such a deflating result last week.
While in difficult circumstances the All Blacks will be disappointed with some of their game management when the game was on the line, and the passive nature of their close in defensive work.
Foster should now have a much clearer picture of his first choice starting side.
All Blacks 22 (Rieko Ioane, Codie Taylor, Tupou Vaa’i tries; Jordie Barrett 2 cons, pen)
Wallabies 24 (Tom Wright, Taniela Tupou tries; Reece Hodge con, 4 pens)
HT: 8-8
Comments on RugbyPass
Well said Mils. It is a big boost at last having Fergus Burke back at 10 for the Crusaders. Had a great season last year as the article says. Mils is also right about captain Codie Taylor’s performance in his return to the Crusaders last week. He was all class.
4 Go to commentsLet’s make them both Capt. I think we'd get the best of both of them and it would help alleviate some of the pressures of the role. They'd have to confer over on field decisions which should lead to “ learnings “ for both. They are our two best consistent performers.
16 Go to commentsOur best player by far..but not a good Captain..poor tactician cost the AB'S and Canes games by not taking the easy points and going for tries when the lineouts were a shambles..can he read a game? And his throat slitting gesture should disqualify him from the AB Captaincy..it is not the appropriate behaviour of an AB Captain.
16 Go to commentsForget what was said or how many players said it. TONY BROWN IS THE NEW ATTACK COACH. That’s the only story worth freaking out over. The springboks are going to grow their game an awful lot over the next cycle and it’s not just the 19 disgustingly arrogant Irish players who refused to shake Ebens hand and said “see you in the final if you can cheat your way past France” who will find that out first hand.
121 Go to commentsOn one hand I think it's a bit ridiculous that this gar into the season and with only 2 wins the Crusaders may make the finals. On the other hand if it was only top 4 or 5, then that last several weeks may be mainly dead rubbers. Nope, 8th place after round robin shouldn't be able to lift the trophy.
4 Go to commentsI do think the media in NZ treated him badly. Sam is a legend. He is humble, a great rugby mind and leader. What happened in the final could happen to anyone. The margins is so fine these days. I lay blame at the feet of the coaching staff and NZ rugby. The stats tell’s all. The AB’s was the worst disciplined side in the WC with more red and yellow cards than anyone else. Problem is NZ rugby is not training their players to play safer. And thats the danger a fast game brings. More yellow and red cards. But Sam Cane in my eye was and still is a great ambassador for the game, that just had a stroke of bad luck.
5 Go to commentsI hope Jim and co. Add this to their list of icebreaker questions they can ask all their guests going forward. So we can eventually hear what everyone thinks about this subject. “What do you think Ireland meant…”
121 Go to commentsHe’s a dominant personality. That might be both a good and bad thing in team dynamics. Certainly it ruined Smith’s first crack at 10 with Owen at 12. BTW, Bristol flatter to deceive. When things really matter, they tend to deliver less rather than more. Farrell would have been good for them
36 Go to commentsGot a lot of over the top abuse from Crusader fans, in particular, who thought every 7 they had was miles better. Now we will see if anyone is better? Laid his body on the line every game so finishing early makes sense. A lot of life left after rugby.
5 Go to commentsA poor decision to appoint Carley as not only is Pearce a better referee but also importantly speaks French.
2 Go to commentsHe is 100 % on the mark. Malicious arrogance with a lack of respect for the other teams mostly the south. they must learn from True rugby nations like the Boks and Kiwis
121 Go to commentsThis Outiniqua boy has played sublime rugby and deserves a spot in BI LIONS team. Well played son
4 Go to commentsI don’t like to see players miss big matches but this ban looks to be tailored to allow him to compete in the final. In principle a suspension for a very dangerous tackle in a semi should warrant missing the relevant final. Done now. One the flip side having both teams with very strong squads/teams available for the final will add to the occassion hopefully.
1 Go to commentsTalent to burn and a huge engine..hope he gets a shot at higher honours
2 Go to commentsIf anything like his dad he has a bright future, Soane was the best ball carrying props ive ever seen using a combination of pace power and footwork.
1 Go to commentsThose who saw Sharks vs Clermont and Ox N'Che vs Rabah Slimani should have a good idea of the best scrumagers… May be not the best props…
2 Go to commentsIt's been an unusual era of unpopular, highly competitive, domineering, fairly big fly halves in the home nations with Farrell, Sexton and Biggar. Russell is different in personality and player I think. I'd rank Sexton first of the three because he is just as good a game controller but also has a great passing game. And his competitiveness never seems to cause problems with refs.
36 Go to commentsThank goodness he wasn't born in Scotland, he'd have been a great candidate for the Scottish Barbarians. I wouldn't put it past them to push for a “where the player was conceived” rule 😂
2 Go to commentsOwen Farrell is one of the most polarising figures in the game. His entire attitude on the field (and sometimes off of it) smacks of arrogance and he is about as brash as Donald Trump in a political debate. Yet behind that facade is a calculating, determined and powerful leader who drives any team forward with an Iron will. You are right in that he gets better in the heat of battle and in the face of overwhelming odds. He develops a narrow focus and he delivers his best in a way that few others can. He is one of Englands great performers who sacrificed alot for the team and who often bears the weight of responsibility of leadership alone on the field and in front of the media. Despite what many think of him he is a fantastic game manager with a good rugby brain. He will be sorely missed from the international stage
36 Go to commentsAlways proud of the effort, Sam. The All blacks never stop fighting, never just roll over. He didn’t get anywhere near the respect he earned, but that’s due to results, not commitment to the cause. Have fun dominating in Japan!
1 Go to comments