Tri Nations – NZ 26 v 12 Australia

Follow the Tri Nations \ Bledisloe Cup finale live on Ou Grote with blow-by-blow commentary.

The Teams

New Zealand – Australia

Tony Woodcock – 01 – Matt Dunning
Anton Oliver – 02 – Stephen Moore
Carl Hayman – 03 – Guy Shepherdson
Keith Robinson -04 – Nathan Sharpe
Chris Jack – 05 – Dan Vickerman
Jerry Collins – 06 – Rocky Elsom
Richie McCaw (c) – 07 – George Smith
Rodney So’oialo – 08 – Stephen Hoiles
Byron Kelleher – 09 – George Gregan
Daniel Carter – 10 – Stephen Larkham
Joe Rokocoko – 11 – Mark Gerrard
Luke McAlister – 12 – Matt Giteau
Isaia Toeava – 13 – Stirling Mortlock (c)
Doug Howlett – 14 – Drew Mitchell
Mils Muliaina – 15 – Adam Ashley-Cooper

Replacements

Keven Mealamu – 16 – Adam Freier
Neemia Tialata – 17 – Al Baxter
Reuben Thorne -  18 – Hugh McMeniman
Chris Masoe -  19 – Mark Chisholm
Brendon Leonard -  20 – Phil Waugh
Aaron Mauger  – 21 – Scott Staniforth
Nick Evans – 22 – Chris Latham

Match details

Competition: Tri Nations & Bledisloe Cup
Date: Saturday 21 July 2007
Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
Kick-off: 19:35 NZ (07:35 GMT)
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Touch judges: Craig Joubert (South Africa), Mark Lawrence (South Africa)
TMO: Johann Meuwesen (South Africa)

The Test

00 – Kick off. Penalty Australia – kick out for the lineout. Oz attack up midfield, well organised AB defence turns the ball over.

03 – First scrum to Oz on their 10m – good scrum from them as they shove the ABs back 5m, box kick Gregan, ABs gather and Hoiles penalised at the ruck. ABs lineout on Oz 10m, Collins up the blind, Woodcock loses it, Larkham kicks out far upfield. Very wet and rainy conditions not helping the handling so far.

06 – Sharpe smashed by Kelleher, ball goes out, AB lineout on half way – stolen by the Aussies – box kick Larkham, Carter gathers and hoofs the ball back to the Oz 22m, AB throw – McCaw, Woodcock – ABs attacking 5m out – Elsom gives away a penalty 5m out – killing the ball. Carter slots it.

11 – Wallaby handling been good so far under the conditions, Aus attack on half way, hospital pass from Giteau to Mitchell who’s smashed by Howlett. Carter launches midfield bomb and NZ regather just inside Oz half – Carter goes for the longrange dropkick and misses.

13 – Kelleher knocks on from the ruck on the AB 22m, Carter kicks back into Oz half and they run it back strongly. Scrum Oz on halfway line – Dunning trying his tricks again as the scrum is reset three times. Eventually Oz monstered in the scrum and ABs turn it over, pass to no-one from Kelleher, knock on ABs, scrum Oz on halfway line. Penalty Oz, McCaw not staying bound in the scrum. Mortlock lines up the long range penalty – it’s over.

25 – Aus still getting plenty of ball, running everything and displaying good handling, ball popped to Giteau just outside the AB 22m and he hits the drop goal – which sneaks over the crossbar.

27 – Larkham tackles just inside halfway and pinged for not rolling away. Carter slots the long-range penalty.

30 – Lineout Oz on AB 10m, Gerrard cuts in on the angle, Oz swing wide once again, Mortlock breaks, ruck, Smith pick and go, Elsom to Dunning, Oz up to AB 22m, McCaw penalised for not rolling away, Mortlock kicks the easy penalty.

33 – Oz lineout on halfway, Sharpe takes, Larkham grubbers through but Giteau is offside. Penalty ABs 50m out – Carter steps up – and slots it!

37 – Ashley-Cooper penalised on Oz 22m for throwing the ball away at a lineout. Carter converts.

40 – Buzzer goes and it’s half time.

40 – Larkham kicks off, McCaw runs it back and feeds to McAlister who clears to halfway. Oz lineout, Elsom takes, pick and drive but the ABs hit the ruck hard, smashing the Aussies back and the ABs turn it over. AB scrum on halfway. Oz penalised at the scrum and the ABs tap and go, running it up strongly to the Oz 22m. Penalty ABs and Carter sets it up for a kick at posts – and slots it.

44 – Latham on for Mitchell. Robinson knocks on on AB 10m, Oz scrum. Larkham to Mortlock – some missed tackles and Mortlock makes good ground, Elsom, Gregan almost breaks through, advantage Oz – McAlister interference at the ruck. Penalty on AB 10m line and Mortlock kicks it straight down the middle.

46 – Leonard, Mealamu on for Keleher and Oliver. Mealamu already in the thick of things, driving strongly, McCaw takes out Elsom away from the ball, Aus kick the penalty out on the AB 10m line. Good lineout again from Oz and they swing it wide. Smith not releasing in the ruck, penalty ABs – Carter kicks cross field to Howlett. Morlock penalised for a supposed high tackle on Howlett. Bad call from ref. Carter slots the penalty from the touchline.

50 – Latham bundled into touch on Oz 10m line, McCaw knocks on, Oz scrum. Leonard intercepts and runs it up strongly down the middle, 1m out, Mealamu drives and looks to have scored on the base of the posts. To the TMO for the decision…inconclusive. AB scrum 5m out. Oz wheeling and collapsing…

53 – ABs win it and attack down the blind side, Leonard breaks well to Woodcock who crashes over in the corner – ref refers it to the TMO…the ball has been grounded and the try is awarded! Carter misses the conversion.

59 – Larkham clears to halfway and it’s an AB lineout. ABs driving up to 10m, Carter grubbers through by Ashley-Cooper gathers, Gregan to Giteau who kicks it out on the AB 10m line. AB lineout – Jack takes, Carter puts up the bomb and Aus gather, Gerrard kicks out on AB 10m. McMeniman on for Elsom, Waugh on for Hoiles.

63 – ABs get it back and Leonard kicks directly into touch, Oz lineout, Smith knocks on. AB scrum on their 10m line. Dunning penalised for bringing it down and not binding. Carter kicks out on Oz 22m. Robinson takes and the ABs drive it up through So’oialo, Mealamu, McCaw – back to Carter who tries the right-footed dropkick and pushes it wide…

67 – Huge kick from Latham takes play up into the AB half. Oz penalised for pulling down Jack, quick tap from Carter, ABs run strongly up to Oz 22m, Howlett to McAlister, Rococoko tackled by Gerrard, advantage Oz who turn over the ball and get the defensive scrum on their own 22m. ABs look to have upped the tempo for the last 10m. Oz defense holding though.

71 – Baxter on for Shepherdson. Friar on for Moore. ABs win their lineout and swing the ball out, driving on half way, Muliani breaks through, Oz pinged for offside in the centre of the field, 22m out. Carter makes no mistake.

74 – Oz attacking on halfway, throwing everything into it, ABs turnover to McAlister then wide to Rococoko, Mortlock knocks the ball out of his hands. Evans on for Toeava. Oz defensive scrum on their own 22m. Staniforth on for Giteau.

77 – Nick Evans kicks out on the full, Oz lineout on AB 10m line. Chisholm on for Vickermann. Frier drives strongly, Larkham to Staniforth, Oz taking through the phases, ABs putting in some solid defense. Oz up to ABs 22m line, ball goes loose and Howlett hoofs it upfield. Oz regather on their own 10m line. The final whistle goes.

80 – Full time – the ABs win the Tri Nations and the Bledisloe Cup.

Richie McCaw – “Putting a couple of cups in the cabinet is satisfying. We wanted to do this right and I think we put in a performance worthy of playing for these two trophies”

Stirling Mortlock – “You live and learn mate, and we’ll learn from this tonight”

Scorers:

New Zealand (26)
Try: Woodcock
Pen: Carter (7)

Australia (12)
Pen: Mortlock (3)
Drop: Giteau