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All Blacks 16 Australia 16
NZ (Smith & Barrett tries; Barrett 2 penalties) Australia (Korobite & Daugunu tries; O'Connor 2 penalties)
Second half
Extra time: Mo'unga kicks for touch - All Blacks are chasing the win, but Vaa'i can't win the lineout. Aussies have the ball again.
They're inside the NZ half, trying to draw another penalty, but they knock on and All Blacks roar back on attack. Clarke making ground down the left.
All Blacks driving towards the line and lose the ball. Went backwards, but Tu'inkuafe drops it .
Phase after phase, beside the posts.
All Blacks lose control and Wallabies kick for touch - everyone is dead on their feet and the match ends in a draw after 89 minutes.
Phew!
40th minute: Aussies control the ball from the kickoff and build phases in their own half.
Siren goes, Wallabies still in their own half, but they have a penalty. They drop the ball and Williams brings them back just inside their own half - Reece Hodge points to the posts.
This will be a massive kick, but he has the wind behind him - it hits the post and All Blacks can't tidy it up.
Aussies are mounting an attack on the line and All Blacks defending grimly - they turn it over and break out through Sotutu and Clarke. All Blacks win a penalty.
39th minute: Barrett slots the goal from just left of the posts - we're all tied up.
38th minute: All Blacks win the lineout and drive towards the line. They have advantage and eventually their attack stalls - penalty in front of the posts to draw.
36th minute: All Blacks are building phases under advantage. Eventually the attack breaks down and Williams brings them back - Mo'unga kicks for the corner.
35th minute: Vaa'i has replaced Tuipulotu - what a time to debut!
34th minute: O'Connor slots the penalty and the Wallabies now lead for the first time.
33rd minute: All Blacks are penalised at a breakdown in midfield and Australia now have a chance to take the lead with eight minutes left.
32nd minute: Barrett's penalty attampt is blown wide.
O'Connor's dropout is looooong and Barrett eventually finds touch midway 10 and 22.
31st minute: Eventually the NZ attack breaks down and Williams bring them back for the midfield penalty.
30th minute: All Blacks milk a penalty at the scrum, but when the ball goes left, Clarke beats a couple of tackles.
29th minute: The rain is hammering down now, behind the Aussies.
28th minute: White puts up a high kick and McKenzie has this one safely, Barrett returns with interest and the Aussies take a quick lineout.
Wallabies eventually knock on and All Blacks have a midfield scrum. Caleb Clarke replaces McKenzie, with Barrett moving to fullback.
26th minute: Simmons replaces Wilson in the Wallabies pack.
25th minute: Sotutu and Lomax are on for Frizell and Tuingafasi - Sotutu's All Blacks debut.
22nd minute: TRY to Daugunu
Savea off the back of a scrum and the Wallabies line speed forces a turnover. Phillip charges towards the goal-line and when the ball bounces free, White snaps a pass to his speedy winger, who scores in the corner.
O'Connor's conversion is right, so scores are tied.
20th minute: All Blacks backline breaks down again, as Samu bats down Smith's pass. Slipper and Fainga'a are off for Australia, Sio and Uelese on.
19th minute: Wallabies still build an attack, but Tuingafasi earns a clearing penalty at the breakdown. The All Blacks have attempted and made more that twice as many tackles as the Wallabies.
18th minute: As the Aussies build pressure, To'omua kicks to the goal-line and McKenzie beats Korobite to touch down.
Coles replaces Taylor, Tu'inukuafe replaces Moody.
17th minute: Lienert-Brown enters the game for Ioane.
Whitelock wins the lineout, but the ball comes loose and the Aussies take off upfield.
16th minute: Aussies win a lineout in their own half, but swarm into All Blacks territory. To'omua loses the ball and McKenzie kicks deep.
Banks finds touch on halfway, but a quick lineout has NZ quickly back on attack and they earn a penalty. Mo'unga kicks to the corner.
15th minute: McKenzie again struggles with the swirling high ball, but he gathers it and eventually Taylor is in touch.
12th minute: TRY to Korobite
Aussies win a lineout on the 22 and O'Connor loops around to create an overlap for his winger on the left.
Korobite just gets the ball down in the corner as McKenzie's despairing tackle takes him into touch. O'Connor tries to hook the conversion through the posts, but it holds up right.
11th minute: Smith eventually gets the ball in and the All Blacks monster the Aussie scrum.
Wallabies turn the ball over and build down the left.
Ninth minute: Both teams struggling to set a scrum and eventually Williams awards a free kick to the All Blacks, who opt for another scrum, but their feed.
Fourth minute: TRY to Smith
All Blacks win a lineout and execute the exact move the Aussies attempted at the end of the first half - except they are successful.
Taylor runs around the back of the lineout and finds Bridge inside him. When confronted, he offloads in field, where Smith stumbles before the line, but recovers to score.
Barrett just missed the conversion from wide and there's a suggestion that Moody impeded his opposite at the back of the lineout to open up that huge gap for Bridge.
Third minute: Aussies back on attack, but the All Black win a relieving penalty for incorrect entry to the breakdown.
Second minute: O'Connor lines up a penalty from midfield, about 40m out, but it's drifted right.
First minute: All Blacks kick off into the wind. McKenzie struggles to tidy up a kick and he's penalised for holding on in the tackle.
Halftime
Replays show that Rieko Ioane put his foot in touch during the build-up to Barrett's first-half try, so how much will that come back to bite the Aussies? Australian touch judge Angus Gardiner missed the call.
First half
40th minute: Tuipulotu wins another lineout, but Hooper is over a breakdown and earns a penalty for Australia - great battle of the skippers/sevens.
Banks finds touch as the halftime siren sounds.
Wallabies try a tricky move off the lineout, but the ball goes loose, Cane snaps it up and the All Blacks take off upfield.
There's a forward pass in there uncalled, but at the end of the line, Ioane fails to force the ball and the try is ruled out anyway - the ball doesn't lie.
39th minute: Off the scrum, Daugunu threatens, but is driven back by Cane. All Blacks have another penalty for an illegal cleanout at the breakdown.
37th minute: O'Connor probes and Aussies continue to build an attack. Whitelock is over the ball at the breakdown and earns a penalty, but McKenzie's long kick dribbles dead and the Aussies will have the ball in NZ territory.
36th minute: Tuipulotu wins a lineout on the 22 and when the ball goes left, Bridge kicks aimlessly.
35th minute: Phillip wins the lineout and the Aussie forwards drive for the line, but Cane is on the spot to kill the attack and earn a clearing penalty.
34th minute: Banks kicks to the corner and the Aussies have an attacking lineout.
33rd minute: White breaks from the scrum, but O'Connor kicks and McKenzie returns.
Aussies build an attack and the All Blacks are penalised for offside. Bridge intercepts a pass and races off, but he's called back.
32nd minute: Aussies put up a high kick that holds up again and McKenzie knocks on.
31st minute: O'Connor slots the penalty to get Australia on the board.
29th minute: Wallabies win the lineout, but NZ forwards hold them up in the maul. Williams playing another advantage for All Blacks not releasing in the tackle and Hooper points to the posts.
28th minute: All Blacks drop the kickoff and Australia go on attack - Tuipulotu is penalised for offside. Banks kicks to the corner.
27th minute: Barrett lines a penalty attempt from right in front of the posts and slots it - although it looks like he slices it wide.
25th minute: All Blacks backline is untidy again, but McKenzie kicks to the corner, Tuipulotu steals the lineout and the forwards go on attack.
Savea is over the line, but held up. Williams is playing an advantage for Aussie offside.
24th minute: Aussies feed the lineout, but it's not straight. All Blacks have a scrum feed on halfway.
23rd minute: Tuipulotu barely wins the lineout and Smith finds touch near halfway.
22nd minute: Phillip charges towards the line, but he's dragged down just short and when McKenzie ties up the ball, there's no release - All Blacks have relieving penalty.
21st minute: Off the scrum, To'omua slips over, but the Aussie forwards drive on.
20th minute: Tupou charges over the 22, but the All Blacks rip the ball free and knock on. Attacking scrum for the Aussies.
19th minute: Smith clears outside the 22.
18th minute: Mo'unga threatens to break free on halfway, but Aussies turn the ball over and To'omua's kick finds touch about eight metres out from the goal-line.
17th minute: Aussies can't get the ball into a scrum and concede a free kick.
15th minute: McKenzie kicks high and Banks is safe again, O'Connor kicks long, but when the ball comes back, the Wallabies clear unconvincingly.
That northerly is playing a part in proceedings - Bridge knocks on, trying claim a kick that holds up in the breeze.
13th minute: All Blacks win the lineout, but Mo'unga is nailed in midfield. Smith kicks to the goal-line and Daugunu almost makes a hash of it, as he slides over in goal, but forces.
12th minute: NZ field the kickoff and control possession. Smith kicks high again, Banks leaps to claim.
Korobite is penalised for leaving his feet at the breakdown, Mo'unga kicks to the corner.
Ninth minute: TRY to Jordie Barrett
Frizell steals a lineout for NZ, Ioane sets off down the left touchline and when the ball comes right, Barrett has an overlap and enough speed to beat Korobite to the corner.
Barrett slices his conversion just outside the right upright.
Eighth minute: Wallabies showing good continuity early, they put a kick behind the defence, but Jordie Barrett is there to tidy and Smith clears.
Seventh minute: Australia win a lineout, but All Blacks forwards stop their momentum in midfield.
Sixth minute: Smith puts another high kick up from his 22 and Daugunu takes the catch. He makes an explosive run back onto attack, but Ioane latches onto the loose ball and launches a counterattack.
Fourth minute: Smith puts up a high kick and Banks is safe underneath. All Blacks have a wind at their backs for the first half.
Daugunu makes a long run down the right sideline, but when he offloads, Wilson spills the pass into touch.
Third minute: All Blacks win the lineout, but are untidy. They eventually gain some control, but Aussie defensive is up quickly.
Second minute: O'Connor slips a couple of tackles, but the All Blacks earn a defensive penalty at the breakdown and clear to Australian territory.
First minute: Aussies kick off and Goodhue almost makes a mess of it, before the All Blacks control and Mo'unga clears.
Australia win the first lineout and launch an attack.
*****
Weather in Wellington is windy (no kidding) from the north, with showers possible.
Michael Hooper leads his team out for his 100th test for Australia. Sam Cane looks excited to finally lead out HIS All Blacks for the first time.
After national anthems, the All Blacks launch into their 'Kamate' haka, with Perenara leading and Cane at the head.
Paul Williams will be referee today - first time since 1992 a Kiwi has reffed the national team.
*****
Kia ora, good afternoon and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the opening Bledisloe Cup test match between the All Blacks and Australia from Wellington.
Many times over the past eight months, the chances of staging international rugby this year have looked extremely slim, due to the international chaos caused by COVID-19.
More recently, the relationship between the New Zealand and Australian rugby unions has hit the rocks, making any form of cooperation between the two a near miracle.
Yet, here we are at Alert Level 1, settling in to watch the age-old trans-Tasman rivalry on a Sunday afternoon.
Since the respective line-ups were named on Friday, the All Blacks have already lost two players - fullback Beauden Barrett to an Achilles niggle and Nepo Laulala to "personal reasons".
New coach Ian Foster has resisted the temptation to move Jordie Barrett from the wing, instead calling up Damian McKenzie from outside the gameday squad to fill the No.15 jersey.
Laulala was due to start off the bench and he has been replaced by Tyrel Lomax, who had been released to play for Tasman in Mitre 10 Cup.
Ioane completes midfield transition with Bledisloe start
Rieko Ioane's selection at centre for the All Blacks' first Bledisloe Cup test on Sunday completes a transformation that the former wing has had in his sights since last season.
Playing in the All Blacks midfield has always been a dream for Ioane and his stellar form for the Blues this season has seen him rewarded with a start there this weekend.
"I had an ambition prior to making the All Blacks that I wanted to play 13," Ioane says.
The biggest development in Ioane’s game has been defensively, where he's dealt with the added responsibility of a shift infield in impressive fashion.
"The challenges come defensively," he says. "The attacking side and distributing comes naturally enough to me.
"It is something that has grown over the years, and every now and then, you chop and change into the 13 spot, and you pick up more and more."
An integral part of playing at centre is the combination with your partner at second-five, which is something Ioane and Jack Goodhue have been developing at training through the week.
"The relationship is definitely new, but we have all trained together a lot over the last 3-4 weeks," the Blues midfielder says.
"It is building nicely, so hopefully it's the goods, come Sunday."
Although he was named in last year's Rugby World Cup squad, Ioane was pushed to the outer, with the national selectors favouring George Bridge and Sevu Reece on the wings.
Over the past 12 months, Ioane has been vocal about wanting to play in the midfield and was eventually granted a full season in No.13 for the Blues, where he took the opportunity with both hands.
"It's something you definitely talk about with the coaches," Ioane says. "At the start of the season [Ian Foster] and I talked, and he didn't know how I would do."
Initially, Foster wasn't convinced with Ioane's move to the midfield, but has been won over by the 23-year-old's impressive form during Super Rugby Aotearoa.
"I’m excited by it, but let’s be frank, I’ve always said he is a wing that can play centre," Foster says. "We didn’t know how quick it was going to be and he has done well.
"He has worked really well throughout the Blues campaign, he's been committed to it and has put forward such a compelling case that it has changed our mind."
