All Blacks crush Wallabies

New Zealand has continued their unbeaten 2006 international season with a crushing 32-12 bonus-point victory over Australia in their first-up Tri Nations encounter at a frosty Jade Stadium on Saturday night.

The Wallabies held a 7-0 advantage almost 30 minutes into play, but the sin-binning of Rocky Elsom provided the All Blacks with an extra man and they used it to their advantage, slamming on 14 unanswered points before eventually running away victorious.

The result extends New Zealand’s home winning streak to 19, not having lost an international match on their own soil since June 2003.

Tonight’s fixture also acted as the first game in the three-match Bledisloe Cup, with the All Blacks requiring a victory at either Suncorp Stadium on July 29 or at Eden Park on August 19 to clinch the title for the fourth successive year.

Australia will look back at what could have been after entering the match in red-hot form following three convincing victories to start their international season – two over England and one against Ireland.

The Wallabies made a stunning start to a match played in freezing conditions, almost crossing over inside the first two minutes after some well-worked play.

Both Stirling Mortlock and Dan Carter blew penalty shots at either end to register the first points of the match by both sides.

While both kickers were having trouble finding their range, Chris Latham’s brilliant chip-kick and gather from a long drop-out guided the way for Lote Tiqiri to cross for the first try, after receiving the ball from Mat Rogers, who won a fierce foot race to the ball against Carter.

The All Blacks were creating plenty of run, but Australia’s defence was proving too difficult to break – for the time being.

As Carter continued to blow the home side’s chances of recording their first points of the evening from penalty kicks, Keven Mealamu crossed in the 30th minute after taking the ball from a Wallabies line out.

Carter eventually negotiated the ball through the uprights for the first time of the night to draw scores level at 7-7.

New Zealand then took a 14-7 lead into half time after hooker Mealamu ran in for his second try in five minutes.

The All Blacks continued to out-muscle their opponents in the second half, as Carter converted his first penalty kick of the match just minutes after the restart, which was followed by a Richie McCaw try.

Carter’s conversion blew New Zealand’s lead out to 24-7.

Wallabies’ replacement Scott Fava mauled his way to the try line following a line-out for Australia’s first and only points of the second half.

The conceded try by the All Blacks infuriated them, but respite was provided when Carter converted from a penalty to push the score out to 27-12.

The visitors, however, continued to surge into attack and thought they had secured their third try and at least provide hope of keeping the match open, but with so many bodies around the ball in the maul on the line, the ref was unable to judge whether a Wallabies’ player had his hand on the ball.

While Australia refused to give in, the result was well and truly shut in the final 10 minutes when Carter charged down a Larkham chip-kick inside his own half, feeding it to Isaia Toeava, who ran over half the length of the field to cross.

The Wallabies have their chance to register their first win of the Tri Nations tournament when they clash with the Springboks in Brisbane next Saturday evening.

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