Bledisloe Cup Whitewash with Win over Wallabies

The All Blacks have maintained their 100 per cent record this year, beating Australia at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin 41-33 to seal a 3-0 Bledisloe Cup whitewash, the BBC reports. Having clinched the Rugby Championship two weeks ago with a victory over South Africa in Johannesburg, this was New Zealand’s 10th win from 10 Tests this year.

It also equalled their previous longest unbeaten run on home soil of 30 matches, set between 2003 and 2008. New Zealand’s last home defeat came four years ago, against South Africa in September 2009.

“It wasn’t perfect but we really didn’t expect it to be from where we’ve been and what we’ve done in the last three weeks,” head coach Steve Hansen said.

“Maybe we let a couple of soft ones in but at the end of the day it’s a lot better than last year,” Hansen added, referring to the 18-18 draw with Australia last October that followed New Zealand’s 100 per cent Rugby Championship campaign in 2012.

The Wallabies enjoyed an advantage in possession and territory in the first half, but were undermined by the ease with which New Zealand exploited half chances.

“We are bitterly disappointed,” Australian captain James Horwill said.

New Zealand travel to face Japan on 2 November on their way to Europe, where they play Tests against France, England and Ireland next month.