Australia seek to snap a 21-year hoodoo against New Zealand in the first Test in Sydney. Join Jonathan Howcroft for updates.   08:57 Blimey. That escalated quickly. The All Blacks could have been 60 points up at half-time and ended fortunate winners,

A nice dash late in the first half hinted at a Wallabies spark after he’d spent much of the first 40 scrambling back to tidy up or stand behind his own sticks. Was vibrant in a surge that gave chance of a remarkable turnaround and bagged an important try.

The All Blacks took a commanding 28-14 lead into the break and, despite Australia storming back into contention, held on to retain Bledisloe Cup, a trophy they have owned since 2003.

The Aussies were mounting pressure and forced the All Blacks down to 13 when Anton Lienert-Brown and Caleb Clarke went to the bin for repeated infringements and a deliberate knock on. The Wallabies were full of running but yet to deliver the killer blow as the All Blacks survived multiple late attacks on their line.

On a sun-drenched Sydney afternoon, the All Blacks fired and almost fatally fizzed to deliver another erratic performance that anxiously locked away the Bledisloe Cup. Securing the coveted Bledisloe for a 22nd straight year ensures the All Blacks trophy cabinet won’t be bare after losing the Freedom Cup and Rugby Championship following successive losses in South Africa.

Australia and New Zealand will look to salvage difficult Rugby Championship campaigns as they meet in the first of back-to-back Bledisloe Cup clashes. Joe Schmidt’s hosts are reeling after a record defeat in Argentina that raised yet more tough questions over the state of the Wallabies.

The All Blacks lost starting fullback Beauden Barrett to illness before kickoff but they came out firing in Sydney with 28 first half points.

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