Minute-by-minute report: Australia take on arch-rivals New Zealand in the first Bledisloe of the year, which doubles as a crucial Rugby Championship match
kicking off at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne at 7:45pm AEST/10:45am BST.
It’s Australia versus New Zealand. The Wallabies versus the All Blacks. The 153rd Bledisloe Test. Both sides enter this historic contest after “two dazzling wins and two dizzying losses apiece,” as Angus Fontaine wrote in his preview piece:The All Blacks are ahead in this duel by a score of 140 to 45 with eight draws but the Walalbies will fancy themselves.
If they’re able to get on the front foot then Bernard Foley will need to pull some strings to unlock the All Blacks defence. The 33-year-old will start at No 10 after Noah Lolesio failed a concussion test. Foley hasn’t played for the Wallabies since 2019 and hasn’t played at all since May. A Bledisloe Test is one heck of a reintroduction.The All Blacks are vulnerable, and Australia’s coach Dave Rennie has highlighted New Zealand’s four defeats this year. But come on. It’s still the All Blacks.
Anyone can beat anyone. There are no guarantees. No matter your allegiance, this is a gift. We’re in an age of uncertainty. Northern clubs continue to siphon the hottest talents with the alluring pull of pounds, yen and euros. Super Rugby is a shell of what it once was. The Springboks may yet follow the franchises that feed them and head north and leave the Championship altogether.
Those are anxieties for another day. Right now, one of the sport’s greatest rivalries is about to write a new chapter in its 90-year history.
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