Bledisloe Cup 2015: Wallabies smashed by All Blacks as Richie McCaw is farewelled a winner   16 Aug 2015

Phil Lutton

The sumptuous 41-13 All Blacks victory in front of 48,457 fans was the perfect way to farewell the wonderful Richie McCaw, who became the most-capped player in Test history with 142 outings. By the time he left the field in the 68th minute, the hatchet job was complete.

It really did feel like the Wallabies believed they could do it – that they could retrieve the Bledisloe Cup for the first time since 2002 and win at this slaughterhouse of a rugby ground for the first time since 1986.

Slowly but surely, their grip on the Cup was pried loose by a home side madly motivated to send their departing heroes, Dan Carter and the rampaging Ma'a Nonu amongst them, out on a fitting note. The celebrations were never in danger of being doused.

Here was a show of force that proved why the All Blacks are the best in the business. They were rattled last week in Sydney, no doubt, and responded with a clinical, powerful performance that strengthened their spot at the top of rugby's world order.

The Wallaby effort was disappointing in so many ways, yet much of the blame will simply be passed off to Quade Cooper. The five-eighth had booted a pair of goals to see his side trail 13-6 at the break but the second half was chaotic.

He chased halfback Aaron Smith in the 48th minute and collected him high, with a penalty try being awarded and Cooper being shown a yellow card by referee Nigel Owens. It was another unhappy chapter for him here yet to pin this all on Cooper would be to overlook a litany of Wallaby weaknesses.

It was a night to forget for the Wallabies, who could do little to prevent the All Black onslaught as the Bledisloe Cup slipped away. Photo: Anthony Au-Yeung
          
The scrum, so strong in Sydney, struggled as Scott Sio was under siege virtually from the outset. The line-out yielded turnovers and the defence became worse as the night ground onwards.

Yet for Cheika it would have been the lack of fight that disappointed him most. This improved Wallaby side had shown it was up for 80 minutes of hard football in recent weeks but the body language said it was all too much.

Perhaps the glut of changes left the Wallabies exposed but all along Cheika has made it clear the World Cup was his final destination. Being humbled to this degree on such a big occasion would not have been helpful.

"It is very disappointing, we did a lot of hard work during the week. We just got outclassed a bit tonight," Wallaby captain Stephen Moore said.

"There was a lot of positivity during the week and we've done a lot of good stuff in our time together. We just have to stick tight and work hard."

From the moment the All Blacks deployed their 'Kapa o Pango' haka it was clear they were here to take care of business. They had every reason to be bullish, not having lost a game here since 1994 when they were upset by the French.

The start wasn't all bad for the Wallabies. They seemed to be able to get themselves into the contest but it was the All Blacks turning the screws as the half approached.

By that point they had amassed 253 run metres to Australia's 93, while the Wallabies were content to mindlessly kick the ball away and give their foes more opportunity to build pressure and points.

It was always essential for Cooper to have a few early touches, all of which were greeted by a chorus of jeers. The long pass to Israel Folau was spot on but a popped pass over the sideline evened the ledger.

He soon edged Australia ahead 3-0 before Carter responded with a penalty and a run to set up Dane Coles, who swerved the sliding Adam Ashley-Cooper to make it 10-3 after 25 minutes.

Cooper kicked another to have the Wallabies in touch 13-6 at halftime but that was as promising as it would get. The All Blacks would cross twice while he was in the bin and tackles were slipping off with worrying ease.

A pair of tries to the unstoppable Nonu and another to centre partner Conrad Smith sealed the deal, although Folau would cross late for the Wallabies. He looked to the skies but for him and the team, there was little to celebrate.

After the match, Cheika was quick to defend Cooper but said the side didn't handle the 10-minute period when they were a man down, with the All Blacks crossing for two tries during while the Wallabies had a man on ice.

He said he was troubled by his side's tendency to kick the ball away and gift counter-attacking ball to a dangerous opponent.

"I thought we were in it. I felt at that stage of the game we were kicking the ball away too much. We needed to keep it a bit more, get a bit of flow," Cheika said.

"Then the sin bin came and we didn't manage that period well. The try itself and two more after that. We have to manage that better."

Source:  Sydney Morning Herald

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