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 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,

The All Blacks led 21-0 after 15 minutes but faltered badly in the second half, only just holding on with 13 men at one point to beat Australia 31-28 in the first Bledisloe Cup test.

Fullback Beauden Barrett will return to the starting 15 in the All Blacks team that will play Australia in the Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup test in Sydney on Saturday. Barrett had been named on the bench for the second test against South Africa in Cape Town two weeks ago as head coach Scott Robertson tried to add experience to solve New Zealand's problem with closing out matches.

Fullback Beauden Barrett will return to the starting 15 in the All Blacks team that will play Australia in the Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup test in Sydney on Saturday. Barrett had been named on the bench for the second test against South Africa in Cape Town two weeks ago as head coach Scott Robertson tried to add experience to solve New Zealand's problem with closing out matches.

The Bledisloe Cup series between Australia and New Zealand comes around each year as a high point of the Southern Hemisphere rugby season.

The Bledisloe Cup will remain in New Zealand for a 23rd straight year after the All Blacks beat the Wallabies 31-28 in a Rugby Championship thriller in Sydney.

The All Blacks retained the Bledisloe Cup despite a nervous last 20 minutes in their 31-28 win over the Wallabies in Sydney on Saturday.