Bledisloe Cup: Wallabies v All Blacks – as it happened

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2014/oct/18/rugby-championship-wallabies-v-all-blacks-live

Version 0 of 1.

9.59pm AEST11:59

Both teams are on the field to see Ashley-Cooper receive a cap, his 100th Test cap that is, not a trucker cap or anything.

I’ll let him take us out: “To play for Austalia once is something special, to do it 100 times is humbling. To the Kiwis, you boys have always got the best out of me and that’s a representation of the respect I have for you... but tonight was about doing it for my family and friends.”

Thanks for your emails and your virtual company. Good night and good luck.

9.53pm AEST11:53

Full-time. Wallabies 28-29 All Blacks

Can you believe that? What a way for the Wallabies to lose after enjoying a 10-point lead late on, and after that week from hell, too. Another failure to close out a game, but credit to the All Blacks. They just refuse to lose. I guess that game fits scenario 3 tabled here before kick-off:

3. The All Blacks, knowing the series is won, and with half a mind on their beachside bachs and full chilly bins, phone it in and win by a small margin, perhaps a late try conjured out of habit just when it looked like they’d pay for their indolence.

To be fair, the All Blacks put in a shift but they lacked cohesion. That was down to some Wallaby doggedness, however.

9.49pm AEST11:49

CONVERSION! Wallabies 28-29 All Blacks (Slade 81)

Colin Slade, cool as you like, makes no mistake from a tricky angle!

Updated at 10.04pm AEST

9.48pm AEST11:48

TRY! Wallabies 28-27 All Blacks (Fekitoa 80)

Advantage is played and the ball is swung right. A cut-out pass to Fekitoa allows him to get outside Foley and he crashes over! Bloody hell, ay? Kick to come to win it!

Updated at 10.04pm AEST

9.47pm AEST11:47

79 min: But a converted try will still win it for the All Blacks and they have the ball inside the Wallabies’ 22m. And here’s McCaw galloping down the left! Inside to Mealamu but he’s tackled 5m out.

9.45pm AEST11:45

78 min: The Wallabies dither over the ball during a pick and drive and the ABs get a penalty. But the touch-finder doesn’t find touch, contradicting itself dramatically. What a let off for the Wallabies!

9.44pm AEST11:44

PENALTY GOAL! Wallabies 28-22 All Blacks (White 76)

And he nails it! Can the Aussies hold on?

Updated at 10.05pm AEST

9.43pm AEST11:43

75 min: Kieran Reed pinged for not rolling away, mainly cause McCaw was in his way. Nick White is stepping up for a penalty shot from 45m out, just to the left of the posts.

9.41pm AEST11:41

73 min: But the Wallabies withstand the ABs and kicks are soon traded, Dagg having the last of them, finding touch 10m the Aussie side of halfway.

9.39pm AEST11:39

71 min: A penalty to the ABs sees them find touch 30m out. They have a sniff of blood now. You can see it coming...

Christine Allen, meantime, writes in to say she’s new to this game. How long is a game? she asks. Eighty minutes, Christine, played in two halves. So just nine minutes left!

9.37pm AEST11:37

CONVERSION! Wallabies 25-22 All Blacks (Barrett 69)

Simples.

Updated at 10.05pm AEST

9.37pm AEST11:37

TRY! Wallabies 25-20 All Blacks (Aaron Smith 67)

... and as easy as you like dives over between some exhausted defence after a smart left-foot step.

Updated at 10.05pm AEST

9.36pm AEST11:36

67 min: The All Blacks are building, working the ball from one side of the field to the another, time enough for Israel Dagg to sidestep in mid air. 8 phases, 9 phases, 10 phases... An advantage penalty to the All Blacks. Aaron Smith takes a quick tap...

9.32pm AEST11:32

65 min: Alexander drops a tough chance from Foley with the line beckoning! Moments later, a loose pass is kicked through by Barrett but Foley cleans up 22m out from his own line, and touch is soon found. A busy passage of play, that.

9.30pm AEST11:30

63 min: Some tough, frenetic rugby on the halfway line unfurls like the Kirkwall Ba.

But a knock on from the ABs gives the Wallabies a scrum feed on the 50m. They win the ball and shift left, Folau thundering into the defence.

9.27pm AEST11:27

61 min: John McEnerney is back to point out the curse of Murphy’s Law. But the All Blacks will still get up, he promises.

9.25pm AEST11:25

Yellow card (Tuipulotu 60)

And that’s a well-earned yellow. Advantage Australia. Fair? Yep.

Updated at 9.25pm AEST

9.24pm AEST11:24

59 min: That’d smart! From the re-start Rob Simmons climbs high for the ball. Joining him at altitude is Tuipulotu who drags Simmons down by the shoulder and he (Simmons) hits the deck hard on his side.

9.22pm AEST11:22

PENALTY GOAL! Wallabies 25-15 All Blacks (Foley 58)

Good shootin’: 40m out, 10m to the right. Wallabies out to a 10-point lead again.

9.21pm AEST11:21

55 min: Some exciting play from the Wallabies’ right-side attack and Tomane makes a menace of himself again. But a kick in behind sails too far and is claimed easily by Savea.

Here’s a word from John McEnerney, emailed in the break. I’m just getting to it now, John. Better late than never, right? “Fair play to the Wallabies, they’ve put it up to the ABs & will be chuffed with a lead. Have no fear the ABs will come out in the 2nd half & have a period of play where they put daylight between themselves & the Wallabies, it’s that intensity the ABs bring to table that other sides can’t live with. If you could bottle that intensity you’d be minted! Great coverage man!”

Thanks, John. But here’s a penalty attempt for Bernard Foley after some shenanigans in a ruck.

9.17pm AEST11:17

PENALTY GOAL! Wallabies 22-15 All Blacks (Barrett 53)

No mistake.

9.16pm AEST11:16

52 min: A “side entry” penalty to the All Blacks gives Barrett a shot for goal 40m right in front. Counter rucking from Retallick set that up.

9.14pm AEST11:14

51 min: Barrett spills a poor pass following an All Blacks scrum win and the Wallabies work the ball towards the halfway line. They’ve had all the possession so far this half.

9.12pm AEST11:12

48 min: Slipper is down being treated, as we await a Wallabies lineout near the half.

Underway again, the Wallabies show some endeavour in attack, Folau throwing one behind his back to Foley. Not a lot of forward progress, however. Still.

9.09pm AEST11:09

45 min: And Ashley-Cooper finds space again after Folau accelerated and found the centurion on his left. Ashley-Cooper pinned his ears back and skirted the sideline but he just didn’t have the space to shoot clear.

9.07pm AEST11:07

CONVERSION! Wallabies 22-12 All Blacks (Foley 44)

A lovely kick from 8m inside the right touchline. A perfect start to the second half from the men in gold!

9.06pm AEST11:06

TRY! Wallabies 20-12 All Blacks (Ashley-Cooper 43)

He bloomin’ well is! Great moment for him, and it owed much to Kuridrani and Folau carving out hard metres in the lead up.

9.05pm AEST11:05

42 min: Crockett drops the pill in a manner he’d never drop a pie. Folau and Kuridrani combine to work the Wallabies into the All Blacks’ 10m. Phipps scoots left and finds Ashley-Cooper in space. He’s not going to score in his 100th Test, is he?

9.03pm AEST11:03

Peep!

New Zealand’s Barrett gets us underway. Can the Wallabies hold on for a stunning upset? “Only” 40 minutes to go. Park the bus, fellas!

9.01pm AEST11:01

.@IzzyFolau leads the way in attack for the #MenInGold with 71 metres gained from 11 runs! #Swoop100 #AUSvNZL pic.twitter.com/ECXDM84oGD

8.53pm AEST10:53

Half-time

Time for oranges after a frenetic first half. Not the greatest ball control by either team, but it was fast and willing as you’d expect. And the Wallabies have a lead, as you wouldn’t (expect, that is).

Back in a tick.

8.51pm AEST10:51

TRY! Wallabies 15-12 All Blacks (Foley 39)

Working the left, Higginbothan finds Hooper who, seeing two All Blacks in front of him, puts his head down and tries to plow through them. He comes up just short, but the ball is funnelled back and Foley picks up and plunges over in the left corner!

Foley misses the conversion from the left touchline.

8.47pm AEST10:47

37 min: Barrett, surprisingly, misses a relatively easy conversion attempt from 10m wide of the left upright.

8.46pm AEST10:46

TRY! Wallabies 10-12 All Blacks (Coles 36)

He will be now! Barrett’s quick hands find Coles standing one in from the left touch. 30m out, he steps off his left foot like Puck and dashes into a hole, winning the race to the line. Some speed for a big man!

8.44pm AEST10:44

34 min: The All Blacks trail, but they do lead in missed tackles. It’s 16-6 at the moment. Charles Hansen will not be pleased.

8.43pm AEST10:43

PENALTY GOAL! Wallabies 10-7 All Blacks (Foley 32)

From the McCaw penalty Foley steers it through from 30m, about 8m to the right of the posts.

8.41pm AEST10:41

31 min: Savea does extremely well to stay in the field of play metres out from his own line. His good work allows Smith, I think, to find touch on the half.

From the resulting play, Richie McCaw falls asleep after tackling Hooper and is penalised for not rolling away. The crowd enjoys the moment.

8.38pm AEST10:38

28 min: Foley declines a long-range penalty attempt and from the lineout Fardy appears certain to score, reaching out like Leonardo DiCaprio to Kate Winslet as he’s sinking into the Atlantic. But just as it looks like he’ll reach the stripe he’s hauled back.

But the Wallabies win a penalty and maintain their assault on the Blacks’ line.

8.35pm AEST10:35

26 min: The Wallabies finally put some phases together, controlling the ball into a 10th phase when they win an offside penalty.

8.33pm AEST10:33

24 min: Oh dear, some messy line up work from the Wallabies sees Phipps get the ball a little too close to the sideline and he is dragged into touch unceremoniously. It’s not always good to have a frame like a young Audrey Hepburn.

8.31pm AEST10:31

23 min: Owen Franks, with Playdoh in his ears it looks like, is penalised for not rolling away. Foley finds touch just inside the All Blacks’ 22m.

8.30pm AEST10:30

21 min: The All Blacks edge closer after about 10 phases but Scott Fardy wins a turnover when Owen Franks is left isolated.

8.27pm AEST10:27

20 min: Another scrum penalty to the All Blacks, and again they are down to the Aussie 22m.

8.27pm AEST10:27

18 min: A let off for the Wallabies. Still reeling from that try, the All Blacks could have been away again had Fekitoa held onto a slippery one. He would have been in space with support.

As you can tell, there’s a cracking pace to this game so far.

8.25pm AEST10:25

CONVERSION! Wallabies 7-7 All Blacks (Barrett 15)

From the right touch line. Just curled in at the last. Nice.

8.24pm AEST10:24

TRY! Wallabies 7-5 All Blacks (Jane 14)

Talk about hitting straight back!

From the kickoff, Conrad Smith claims after it seemed Retallick may have knocked on. The All Blacks go through the hands to the right and Jane reaches out to score inside the right corner post before cover converges.

8.22pm AEST10:22

CONVERSION! Wallabies 7-0 All Blacks (Foley 13)

An easy one for Foley, just 10m to the left of the upright.

8.21pm AEST10:21

TRY! Wallabies 5-0 All Blacks (Phipps 12)

Well well well... The Wallabies recycle the ball and from a ruck on the Kiwi line, Phipps peels off the back and dives over. Too easy!

8.20pm AEST10:20

11 min: The Wallabies attack! Leali’ifano shoots through on an angle 55m out and finds Folau in some space, 30m out. He cuts back inside and looks half a chance of busting though before being smothered.

8.18pm AEST10:18

9 min: Barrett breaks the line but his kick is smothered by Folau. That was timely. The All Blacks were charging through likes orcs at Helm’s Deep.

The Wallabies then win a turnover on their own 5m line. They crowd sighs with relief.

8.16pm AEST10:16

7 min: A scrum penalty give the All Blacks a free ride to the Wallaby 10m line. Whitelock claims the lineout throw but Higginbotham gets a toe to a loose ball and the All Blacks are forced to backpedal to the halfway line.

8.14pm AEST10:14

5 min: The Wallabies are working the short side, with Ashley-Cooper getting a couple of touches. But it’s jammed packed over there and as soon as the Wallabies realise that and move it left instead, another ball is spilled.

8.12pm AEST10:12

3 min: Folau and Tomane get their wires crossed as Folau passes to where he thought Tomane would be but instead finds empty space and a sideline. Good field position for the Blacks.

Higginbotham does well to earn a turnover but scoops the ball backwards and over the sideline again.

8.10pm AEST10:10

1 min: The All Blacks immediately shift the ball right, showing confidence before Barrett makes decent yards with a touch-finder.

Moments later, Tomane cleans up an Aaron Smith down-field kick, catching the Wallabies somewhat unawares. Tomane is cleaned up himself, giving the Wallabies a penalty.

8.07pm AEST10:07

Peep!

And we are off, Foley getting us underway to his right wing.

8.07pm AEST10:07

Almost there... last chance for a wee.

8.06pm AEST10:06

Now here’s the haka, led by Liam Messam. Typically menacing, but Michael Hooper has a enigmatic smile on his face, a little like the Mona Lisa.

8.03pm AEST10:03

Ashley-Cooper leading the Aussies out and he gets a mighty cheer. Do they know he’s from NSW? The Wallabies, to a man, give him their congratulations. He even gets a kiss on the scone.

Anthem time... It could be because I have New Zealand relatives and love the place, but I find the Kiwi national anthem rather moving. That’s not why I’m crying, however. Just got something in my eye.

And here’s Advance Australia Fair. If you’ve got nothing nice to say, say nothing at all. That’s the little known 11th Commandment, I believe.

7.58pm AEST09:58

Not long now, folks. The teams are in the sheds getting their final briefings. The Wallaby lads still have their trackies on, however. When in Queensland....

And here they come!

7.55pm AEST09:55

To put tonight’s game in perspective, the Wallabies have won just two of their past 22 against the All Blacks. Considering their build-up to this one, they can’t possibly win, can they?

7.53pm AEST09:53

The Fox Sports crew —including John Eales and George Gregan (how good to have them back, even now)— have just finished saying that if the Wallabies can finish the Rugby Championship on a high by winning tonight they can go to Europe on a high. It could be a new beginning, not a terrible ending, they reckon.

So can they win? they were asked. It would be great if they did, they answered, without quite answering the question. A career in politics awaits them.

7.43pm AEST09:43

Tonight’s first email is from John Boon (no relation... or he would have mentioned it, surely), and he’s got some worthwhile thoughts, which is more than I’ve had for quite some time. “I would like to put out a congratulations to Uruguay for sealing the final world cup spot at the expense of Russia. It’s a credit to the IRB that they’ve invested so much time and money in the lesser lights. By the way, Georgia had 66000 attend their recent fixture against Romania. Surely they and other sides deserve a pathway to the top table in Europe? Or maybe the six nations should be swapped for an 8 team European championship every fourth year?”

7.39pm AEST09:39

And here, although when you’re asked to do it it’s not quite the same thing:

@drew_mitchell @AdamCoopy @QantasWallabies go on champion. Smash it!

Here’s AAC in action:

7.35pm AEST09:35

Adam Ashley-Cooper is playing his 100th Test match tonight —only the 6th Wallaby to reach that milestone. I was about to write “celebrating his 100th Test” but the celebrating part may depend on how the match unfurls. He should be proud of his achievements, nonetheless, and deserves to raise his bat.

.@AdamCoopy raises the bat to celebrate his 100th Test! What a legend...#Swoop100 #AUSvNZL #BledisloeCup pic.twitter.com/eo5lQCYXb3

Nice to see the Wallabies smiling.

And congratulations have come in from all sides, including the other side of the equator. Some class shown here.

Congrats to @adamcoopy @QantasWallabies on 100th Cap from all @lionsofficial

7.33pm AEST09:33

The teams:

Wallabies: 1. James Slipper, 2. Saia Fainga’a, 3. Sekope Kepu, 4. Sam Carter, 5. Rob Simmons, 6. Scott Fardy, 7. Michael Hooper (c ) 8. Scott Higginbotham, 9. Nick Phipps, 10. Bernard Foley, 11. Joe Tomane, 12. Christian Lealiifano, 13. Tevita Kuridrani, 14. Adam Ashley-Cooper, 15. Israel Folau. Reserves: 16. Josh Mann-Rea, 17. Benn Robinson, 18. Ben Alexander, 19. James Horwill, 20. Matt Hodgson, 21. Nic White, 22. Quade Cooper, 23. Rob Horne. All Blacks: 1. Wyatt Crockett, 2. Dane Coles, 3. Owen Franks, 4. Brodie Retallick, 5. Sam Whitelock, 6. Liam Messam, 7. Richie McCaw, 8. Kieran Read, 9. Aaron Smith, 10. Beauden Barrett, 11. Julian Savea, 12. Malakai Fekitoa, 13. Conrad Smith, 14. Corey Jane, 15. Israel Dagg. Reserves: 16. Keven Mealamu, 17. Ben Franks, 18. Charlie Faumuina, 19, Patrick Tuipulotu, 20. Sam Cane, 21. TJ Perenara, 22. Colin Slade, 23. Charles Piutau.

So no Kurtley Beale. Did you hear? No Matt Toomua at inside centre, either. He’s injured and will be replaced by Christian Leali’ifano. Rob Simmons returns at lock after a concussion, and Quade Cooper will make his return from shoulder surgery via the bench.

For the All Blacks, flyhalf Aaron Cruden is still on the naughty step where he’s been for some time. Ma’a Nonu is carrying a knee injury, meaning Malakai Fekitoa will start at 12 for the second straight week. Jerome Kaino is having a spell, so Liam Messam will start at blindside flanker. Wyatt Crockett comes back at loosehead prop while Cory Jane is on the right wing for Ben Smith who also has his feet up.

7.26pm AEST09:26

Your thoughts

So what do you think? What’s on your mind? About anything, really. Even tonight’s game. It’s good to talk, so drop me a line at paul.connolly@theguardian.com.

7.22pm AEST09:22

Predictions

So what’s going to happen tonight? There are a few likely scenarios. Let’s explore some of them:

1. The All Blacks —coming off a loss to South Africa in a classic encounter— demolish the fractured Wallabies to such a degree that dental records will be needed to identify the victims.

2. The All Blacks, knowing the series is won, lack some of their usual ruthlessness and win comfortably, but without quite rubbing the Wallabies’ noses in it.

And...

Oh, okay, it should be tabled:

4. The nothing-to-lose Wallabies, galvanized by the turmoil of their own making, and steeled by the public’s lack of faith in them (even though the public has no reason to have any), shock an under-par All Blacks and win through grit, intensity and desire. Something to build on, they’ll say, ahead of their spring tour of Europe/European vacation, whatever applies.

7.12pm AEST09:12

Good evening

Welcome dear readers to the third and final Bledisloe Cup match of 2014, a trophy that has been out of the Wallabies’ possession for so long that for young Australians it’s fast approaching mythical status, like the bunyip, the abominable snowman and home ownership.

Of course there’s no actual Bledisloe Cup on the line tonight at Brisbane’s Lang Park. After drawing the first match in Sydney six weeks ago, then belting the Wallabies at Eden Park a week later, the All Blacks have secured the thing (for the 12th year running) no matter what happens tonight. The cup may as well be bolted down in the All Blacks’ trophy cabinet.

But that doesn’t mean tonight’s match is a dead rubber, even though it’s a dead rubber. An All Blacks v Wallabies clash always has something going for it, even if the usual ending —an All Blacks win— fails to surprise. As you know, tonight’s match has been prefaced by the extraordinary, tawdry, and regrettable happenings in the Wallabies camp. To avoid rehashing the whole internecine saga, mainly because I’m over it and it’s depressing to read, it involves some disgusting behaviour from sidelined Wallaby Kurtley Beale, the bizarre and unspecified role of now former Wallabies staffer Di Patston (the victim of Beale’s crassness and stupidity), and a coach, Ewen McKenzie, who failed to foresee icebergs coming and now doesn’t appear to have the dressing room behind him. In fact, the dressing room itself (themselves?) may be divided, as you would have read in Rajiv Maharaj’s preview linked to above (or below, depending on when you read this).

How bad does it seem in the Wallabies camp? Well, if the Wallabies camp was an actual camp, it’d be one that had been hit by a storm. Tent poles have snapped, tent flies have been filled like spinnakers and blown into the treetops and everything is drenched; fire pits, sleeping bags, clothes, boots, food, even the children that were suspended from the trees the night before to stop bears eating them. Compounding the misery, transport out of the camp isn’t due for some time, and the weather forecast is for more of the same.

But on the bright side, I’ve just put in my tax return so that’s a long overdue dirty job finally out of the way.

7.12pm AEST09:12

Preamble

Let’s be up front from the outset, shall we? Against the All Blacks in the final Bledisloe Cup Test at Suncorp tonight, it could get very ugly for the Wallabies and, in particular, Ewen McKenzie, who has endured a rather trying week in the wake of the on-going Kurtley Beale text message furore.

No doubt Paul will have more about that in due course, but while he makes his way to his keyboard to guide you through the misery, why not have a read of what Guardian Australia rugby writer Rajiv Maharaj thinks of this week’s shenanigans in the Wallabies camp:

One day out from a dead rubber Bledisloe Cup Test in Brisbane and the Kurtley Beale saga rages on. It’s an unholy mess and far from over. The Australian Rugby Union’s attempts to regain control of the situation have been farcical and self-destructive to date.

One issue from the Beale saga that hasn’t been mentioned is the impact it will have on playing list retention, especially Israel Folau who is also handled by Beale’s manager. Guardian Australia understands Folau has been far from impressed with the professionalism displayed by the ARU in its handling of the Beale/Patston situation. He comes off contract at the end of next year and he won’t extend unless he sees a dramatic improvement in the way the team is managed. And with Jarryd Hayne’s departure for a crack at the NFL, an approach by the Parramatta Eels is a certainty.

Read Raj’s preview in full here.