‘It’s no good, mate’ – Eddie Jones’ Australia lose again as New Zealand fight back

A 79th-minute penalty goal from Richie Mo’unga consigned Eddie Jones to a fourth-consecutive loss as Australia head coach after the Wallabies surrendered a 14-point half-time lead under the roof in Dunedin.

Consistency over the course of a World Cup – let alone across 80 minutes of the same game – seems beyond this green side, whatever the tournament credentials of Jones and despite a relatively kind draw.

“It’s no good, mate; it’s a bad feeling,” Jones said at the final whistle after the 23-20 defeat. “We should have won that game. We did enough to win that game but we don’t have the capacity to keep doing the simple things well.”

Exciting and incisive at the beginning of this Bledisloe Cup dead-rubber, the visitors should have been further in front. In an improved performance, albeit against a significantly weakened New Zealand selection, they put together sparky passages of attack. As Sam Cane, the All Blacks captain, would admit later, Australia “fired all the shots” early on. However, they could not resist another strong second half from their hosts.

Desperate to grasp momentum and develop cohesion, Jones did not have the luxury of wholesale rotation. Ian Foster did, having secured the Rugby Championship and the Bledisloe Cup the previous weekend, and named a starting line-up showing multiple changes.

All three Barrett brothers were rested but, ultimately, familiar faces proved pivotal. Ardie Savea and Sam Whitelock exuded authority, with Aaron Smith and Mo’unga coming off the bench to guide New Zealand through a challenging afternoon. Just as it had been in fits and starts at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia’s potential was plain to see.

Tate McDermottt’s first box-kick was recovered by Mark Nawaqanitawase and the Wallabies were into their stride impressively. They spread the ball with accuracy and zip, offloading out of contact where possible and stretching New Zealand on both flanks.

Carter Gordon looked confident on his second Test match start at fly-half and Marika Koroibete squeezed over in the left-hand corner after Samu Kerevi slipped a short pass him as part of a sweeping move. Angus Bell built on his belligerent carrying display in Melbourne and the promising loosehead prop continued to dent the All Blacks with just about every touch. One bulldozing run began deep in his own territory.

After the effervescent Nawaqanitawase had combined with Andrew Kellaway to pierce New Zealand again, the Wallabies flooded the opposition 22. Bell made ground and Koroibete stepped up at first-receiver to feed Tom Hooper. Hooper tackled himself to a stand-still last weekend. Here, having moved from openside flanker to blindside to accommodate the breakdown scavenging of Fraser McReight, he barrelled through bodies to score out wide.

A second touchline conversion from Gordon gave the Wallabies a 14-0 advantage with just eight minutes on the clock. New Zealand were fortunate not to be trailing by more at the break. Whitelock and Savea combined to hold up McDermott., Australia’s scampering skipper, when a third try seemed certain.

Damian McKenzie and Gordon traded penalties but a lacklustre New Zealand did not deserve to be any closer than 17-3 behind. They had spent the vast majority of the first period defending, any attacking platform disrupted by fumbles, penalties and set-piece issues.

It did not take long for the tide to turn. Leicester Fainga’anuku stole off his wing and carved through Australia before Shaun Stevenson, New Zealand’s other wing, landed a debut try just four minutes after the resumption. Whitelock and Savea ruled the breakdown with a number of steals and Foster began to unload his illustrious reinforcements.

Mo’unga replaced McKenzie, kicking a penalty to make it 17-13, and Smith and Dane Coles were introduced for their farewell caps on New Zealand soil. On the hour, Gordon hit the post with a straightforward penalty that would have restored a seven-point lead for the Wallabies. Five minutes later, another All Blacks rookie, back-rower Samipeni Finau, stretched over.

Quade Cooper’s long-range kick tied up matters at 20-20 but the Australia scrum, suffering from a spate of injured props, was creaking. New Zealand muscled a penalty and Mo’unga stepped up from 45 metres to seal the result.