Wallabies crash in nightmare loss to All Blacks
The Wallabies have endured a nightmare Bledisloe Cup clash at the MCG, losing the trophy to the All Blacks for a 21st year and also prop Allan Alaalatoa to a ruptured Achilles.
Although the largest rugby crowd in more than 20 years – 83,944 – turned out, Australian fans left disappointed. The Wallabies went down 38-7 – now winless in their three Tests under coach Eddie Jones.
Allan Alaalatoa is carted off the ground. Getty
The All Blacks, in contrast, are unbeaten in wrapping up the Rugby Championship.
Two late tries in the first half on Saturday put New Zealand ahead 19-7, and then the wheels fell off the Wallabies with the visitors crossing three times in eight minutes to put the result out of reach.
They were again let down by some sloppy defence and poor discipline.
The Wallabies’ night was further soured with star prop Alaalatoa stretchered from the field in the 37th minute with a ruptured Achilles, ruling him out of the Rugby World Cup in France in September.
The 29-year-old’s leg got caught as a scrum went to ground. They also lost his replacement, Taniela Tupou, playing his first Test back from his own Achilles injury, early in the second half with a rib injury.
Jones lamented his team’s inability to turn pressure into points.
“Obviously very disappointed about the result. The scoreline, that’s a real negative for us,” Jones said.
“Big crowd – we wanted to show that this was a new team.
“The first 20 [minutes] I thought we showed what we’re capable of at the moment when we put pressure on we can’t convert that pressure to points and that’s a step we need to take but we’re not good enough at the moment to do that.
“All in all, disappointing… the team’s still a work in progress.”
Rob Valetini takes the ball
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