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All Blacks thrash Wallabies 50-19 to keep Bledisloe Cup

Carys BevanPublished 27m ago2 min readBased on 5 sources
All Blacks thrash Wallabies 50-19 to keep Bledisloe Cup
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New Zealand beat Australia 50-19 at Eden Park on Saturday to keep the Bledisloe Cup for a 24th straight year. The world No. 2 side scored five tries after half-time to win the opening Test of the 2026 series in Auckland. The Guardian

The Bledisloe Cup is the annual prize between the All Blacks and the Wallabies, New Zealand and Australia's national rugby union teams. A try, touching the ball down over the line for five points, is the game's main way to score. Holders keep the Cup if they defend it successfully, so victory in this first Test was enough to settle it for another year.

Australia started the brighter. Full-back Tom Wright crossed for the first try after a flowing backline move finished with a quick tip-on pass from Ben Donaldson. Captain Harry Wilson then drove over just before half-time to keep Les Kiss's Wallabies in touch.

New Zealand led at the break. They did not look back.

Scrum-half Cam Roigard lit the fuse. The No. 9, who whips the ball away from the ruck — the contest for the ball on the ground after a tackle — darted over soon after the restart. Eden Park roared.

Then came the flood. New Zealand played with pace and width as tackles slipped and fatigue set in. Australia, whose six-match unbeaten run was ended by the defeat, were held scoreless in the second half until replacement hooker Josh Nasser barged over late on.

Winger Will Jordan saved the loudest cheer for last. He raced clear to score at the final whistle and lift New Zealand to 50 points. The win stretched the All Blacks' unbeaten run against Australia at Eden Park into a fifth decade. The Guardian

The margin surprised many. New Zealand entered the opener on a three-game losing streak. Rugby.com.au Australia arrived with momentum and belief. It counted for little once the hosts found rhythm.

What makes this stand out is how quickly control shifted. Australia tackled with courage in the first 40 minutes and moved the ball smartly. After the break, New Zealand won the collisions, recycled faster and starved the visitors of the ball. For newcomers, that is union in miniature: win the breakdown, and pressure turns into points.

For Australia, the lesson is stark. Promise for an hour is not enough in Auckland. For New Zealand, a stuttering run is over, and the old trophy stays at home.

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