Aussies stop NZ streak with draw
Print Edition
AUSTRALIA held New Zealand to a 12-12 draw in their Rugby Championship opener yesterday to prevent the All Blacks from claiming a world record 18th consecutive win.
In a gritty encounter played out in a Sydney rainstorm, Australia benefited from yellow cards shown to All Blacks Wyatt Crockett and Beauden Barrett either side of the break.
The host tied the match with flyhalf Kurtley Beale’s fourth penalty 10 minutes from time after Barrett was sin-binned but was unable to make the most of its superior numbers and secure a first victory over the All Blacks for three years.
Aaron Cruden scored all of New Zealand’s points with four penalty kicks of his own as the world champion came up short of a win for the first time in the three years of the Rugby Championship.
The Kiwis have not tasted defeat since losing to England at Twickenham in December 2012.
The draw means New Zealand continues to share the record of 17 consecutive victories by a top tier nation with the 1965-69 All Blacks and the South Africa side of 1997-98.
The Wallabies also stopped the last lengthy New Zealand winning streak with an 18-18 draw in Brisbane two years ago that halted the All Blacks on 16 wins.
“It is an improvement, we are improving in the last four games but it feels like a loss, considering we got so close and we had a chance to win it at the end,” said Australia skipper Michael Hooper.
The teeming rain was always going to make for a poor spectacle and the first half was certainly not one for the fan of free-flowing attacking rugby.
Cruden and Beale exchanged penalties in the first 11 minutes but the All Blacks had the edge in territory and countered the home side’s blitz defense with clever short kicks into the backfield.
Another two Cruden penalties put New Zealand 9-3 up after 21 minutes as Australia struggled to get its attack going amid a string of unforced errors.
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