All Blacks cut loose again as Wallabies overwhelmed in Sydney

New Zealand turned the second Bledisloe Cup Test into another rout. The All Blacks led Australia 36-7 at Accor Stadium in Sydney on 17 October, then struck again early in the second half to make it 43-7, according to live coverage from Rugby.com.au.

The Bledisloe Cup — the annual trophy contested by Australia and New Zealand — was already gone. New Zealand had retained it a week earlier with a 50-19 win at Eden Park in Auckland on 10 October, a result that sealed a 13th consecutive series win, according to analysis in The Guardian.

That first Test had been tight at the break. The All Blacks led only 17-14 at half-time at Eden Park before scoring five tries in the second half to pull clear, Reuters reported.

Sydney started in even more one-sided fashion. The Wallabies, captained by Harry Wilson, trailed 22-0 in the first half before finding a response. The venue was Accor Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park, staging the scheduled rematch on Saturday 17 October.

The half-time numbers told the story. New Zealand led by six tries to one. They also led 18 line breaks to one. A line break is a clean cut through the defensive line, and it usually means fast, front-foot ball.

Australia could not hold the ball or make the tackle. The Wallabies had conceded eight turnovers — times they lost possession to the opposition — compared with two by the All Blacks. They had missed 21 tackles compared with one missed tackle by New Zealand.

Remarkably, New Zealand did it short-handed. Four All Blacks were ruled out of the Sydney Test after the Eden Park win, Reuters reported. The team played without Ardie Savea, Ruben Love, Richie Mo'unga and Jordie Barrett.

For Australia, the drop-off was stark. The Wallabies had beaten world No. 1 South Africa the previous month and were unbeaten after six Tests before the Bledisloe defeats. A try is worth five points in rugby union, and New Zealand were collecting them in clusters while Australia chased shadows.

What makes this stand out is the speed of the collapse. A week after pushing New Zealand to 17-14 at half-time, Australia were buried by the break in Sydney. Fatigue does that. So does lost confidence at the ruck, the contest for the ball on the ground after a tackle, where turnovers piled up and New Zealand kept attacking in waves.