It’s a good thing the home fans didn’t head for the exit gates early.
In one of the more unlikely finishes, the Wallabies resembled a cat with nine lives as the All Blacks bottled what should have been a comfortable victory as they allowed the home side to stay in the contest. They almost finished completely over the top of their trans-Tasman rivals.
Along the way, Damian McKenzie blew two tries with poor passes while Ardie Savea was also held up over the line after some last-ditched defence from Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson and Nic White.
The Wallabies’ frailties were certainly on display early.
When the game was alive, they didn’t show up. The All Blacks scored three tries in the opening 15 minutes.
They weren’t helped by the opening sequences of play, where Jeremy Williams was banged into touch from the opening kick-off, before Noah Lolesio shelled a simple McKenzie kick backward and Tom Wright was forced to scramble a kick that didn’t find touch.
The Wallabies’ defence was also ripped apart early as they failed to stop the All Blacks with first-up, dominant tackles and the lack of momentum meant they couldn’t slow the ruck down.
Nor were they helped by their big poppers early – Taniela Tupou and Angus Bell – who couldn’t work their way into the contest, while Len Ikitau was barely mentioned during the opening 50 minutes.
But in scenes barely believable, the Wallabies found their groove with the injection of the bench and some timely turnovers and almost made the All Blacks pay for their wastefulness.
So how did the players rate?
Tom Wright – 7
One of the Wallabies’ best.
Although he couldn’t bring down Will Jordan or Caleb Clarke early, the Wallabies’ fullback often tried to take the game on.
He snuffed out a Rieko Ioane linebreak by intercepting the centre’s attempted cut out pass, before making a linebreak 30 minutes later after showing a split defensive line.
Andrew Kellaway – 5
Standing on the edge of a defensively exposed backline, Kellaway looked at sixes and sevens early on.
But right throughout the contest the winger had some nice touches, including early on when the Wallabies found space on the All Blacks’ edge after another neat move from the scrum in the sixth minute.
He also summed up the situation nicely in the 62nd minute when he found some space on the edges and almost won his side a 50-22 in the 62nd minute.
Kellaway couldn’t quite reel in a tough pass from Langi Gleeson in the 73rd minute, where Ikitau got people up and about when he spliced through a split second later.
Len Ikitau – 5
Barely sighted in the first half, it took until the 46th minute for Ikitau’s name to be mentioned.
From that point though the outside centre had some sound touches, including a lovely clearing kick in the 54th minute which once again showed his left-boot can be better used.
Hunter Paisami – 5
Made a meal of a pass in the 28th minute when a backline play unravelled. His failed out the back effort summed up the Wallabies’ opening half-hour, as Sevu Reece swooped on the ball and sent Ardie Savea away to score.
Paisami, however, built his way into the match and scored in the 65th minute.
The centre, who missed the previous two Tests because of an MCL injury, made eight tackles.
Marika Koroibete – 3.5
A mainstay of the Wallabies since debuting in 2017, has Koroibete lost his way or just out of form?
Either way, he once again struggles as the winger’s hands eluded him. Twice he dropped simple passes, including in the sixth minute after another nice backline move from a scrum.
Defensively he made a couple of good reads, including in the 13th minute, but he also was part of a backline that was often left clutching at straws.
Noah Lolesio – 5
Lolesio got off to a shaky start as he fumbled McKenzie’s first kick. Fortunately it was backwards, but it set the tone of the Wallabies’ horrible start.
Although Lolesio kicked well from the tee, it took until he ran the ball in the 60th minute for him to assert himself in attack. That’s too late.
Nic White – 5
Defensively White was sound but was leaving Jake Gordon out the right call?
White spilled one ball at the back of the scrum in the 57th minute.
Tate McDermott managed to lift the game’s tempo in the second half. It could have come a few minutes earlier.
Harry Wilson – 6
With 16 carries and a game-high 22 tackles, Wilson was everywhere and never went away. It was a captain’s knock, including his scramble to bring down Savea over his line.
Wilson’s performance was far from perfect.
He was intercepted by Clarke in the 15th minute with a poor pass and later, in the 56th minute, having split the line his attempted pop pass was swooped on by the All Blacks who ended up going the length of the field but were denied a try because of a forward pass from McKenzie.
Fraser McReight – 7
One of the Wallabies’ best.
McReight had a quiet opening 15 minutes, but helped the Wallabies strike back with a try in the 18th minute.
He then won the Wallabies an attacking lineout after an incredible 22-22 kick in the 23rd minute.
Rob Valetini – 6
Eight carries, 11 tackles and one crucial turnover in the 59th minute that helped turn the momentum as the Wallabies’ replacements came on.
Jeremy Williams – 5
Early on the rising lock/blindside flanker lost the contact battle, which allowed the All Blacks to set the tone and take the advantage.
He was a bit soft in contact in the eighth minute which allowed Clarke to get through and free arms to Wallace Sititi, which paced the way for Cortez Ratima to snipe and put Rieko Ioane away.
Williams also spilt a kick restart on the 20th minute.
There was no faulting Williams’ work-rate though as he made 17 tackles.
Nick Frost – 4.5
Another tight-five forward that didn’t always win the contact battle.
Frost was penalised for coming in from the side in attack in the 11th minute.
He did however help to win a lineout in the 48th minute.
Taniela Tupou – 5
Two turnovers – 23rd minute and 29th minute – were Tupou’s highlights in the first half where the scrum battle was even.
But the Wallabies needed ball carrying out of Tupou, with his first thundering carry in the 32nd minute, where he knocked Jordie Barrett back, not good enough.
Matt Faessler – 5.5
The Wallabies hooker scored a try with an astute decision to bounce out of the maul quickly and made 18 tackles.
Faessler had four lineout throws stolen though.
Unfortunately pinged for playing the ball on the ground in the 44th minute, which allowed McKenzie to bang over three points.
Angus Bell – 5
One poor defensive read to allow Will Jordan to coast through in the second minute.
Bell made 12 tackles and held up the scrum well, but the Wallabies missed his destructive ball carrying.
Reserves
Brandon Paenga-Amosa – 5
One knock-on under advantage and a lost lineout in the 62nd minute, but Paenga-Amosa had an otherwise eye-catching return as he made a linebreak and linked up well with McReight and McDermott in the 67th minute.
James Slipper – 5
After coming on after 50 minutes, Slipper was forced off with a Head Injury Assessment but later returned.
The milestone man, who ran on for his 140th Test to surpass George Gregan’s two-decade national record, made six tackles and made a good fist of it after a shocker in Argentina.
Allan Alaalatoa – 5
A solid performance after coming on for Tupou after 45 minutes, Alaalatoa’s experience was undoubtedly helpful in the final half-hour as the Wallabies kept themselves in the contest.
Lukhan Salakaia-Loto – 6
One thundering carry where he burst through a hole and over McKenzie, it was the type of carry the Wallabies’ tight-five has needed for years. Neither Williams and Frost can offer that bite.
Salakaia-Loto also heled shore up the lineout.
Langi Gleeson – 5.5
An on-ball penalty in the 70th minute was Gleeson’s highlight.
Having floated under the radar to date this year, Gleeson took a step forward in Sydney. The back-rower can break the line and put sting in the tackle.
Gleeson did however lose a point for failing to hit Kellaway in the 73rd minute.
Tate McDermott – 6
Another energetic cameo, McDermott helped inject pace and tempo into the contest. He was well brought down by TJ Perenara in the backfield after a stunning linebreak from Paenga-Amosa.
Tom Lynagh – N/A
The replacement playmaker didn’t get on the field.
Dylan Pietsch – 6
An on-ball penalty win in the 74th minute was the highlight, but Pietsch did plenty well on both sides of the ball after coming on in the final 16 minutes.
The Force-bound winger is firming for a start.
