The All Blacks have scored a try after the fulltime hooter to win a dramatic first Bledisloe Cup test against the Wallabies in controversial circumstances.
Jordie Barrett scores Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Jordie Barrett's 81st-minute try secured a 39-37 victory in Melbourne on Thursday night.
The result helped New Zealand lock away the Bledisloe Cup for a 20th straight year.
But the All Blacks needed a unique late decision from French referee Mathieu Raynal to do so after blowing an 18-point second-half lead and falling behind.
After a late long-range Nick White penalty gave Australia a 37-34 advantage, the home side looked to have wrapped up a stunning come-from-behind win when they won a penalty on their own line.
But, when first-five Bernard Foley delayed his kick for touch, Raynal ruled it was time wasting and awarded the visitors a scrum.
After several close attempts, the All Blacks eventually got the ball wide for Barrett to dot down in the right-hand corner.
The decision left the enraged home fans booing through the trophy presentation.
Fuming Wallabies coach Dave Rennie said he had never seen a similar decision in his long career coaching at elite level.
"I'm gutted for our men because I reckon we deserved better," he said.
"The disappointing thing from our point of view is it was a fantastic game of footy. We should be celebrating the game as opposed to talking about a ref decision at the last minute."
Barrett's match winning try not only allowed New Zealand to once again retain the Bledisloe, it gave them their first back-to-back wins of 2022.
Sam Cane with the Bledisloe Cup Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The two teams were locked at 10-10 after a first half in which both had players sent to the sin-bin and the All Blacks lost captain Sam Cane and midfielder David Havili to head injuries.
A three-try burst after the break, with hooker Samisoni Taukei'aho, first-five Richie Mo'unga and winger Will Jordan all dotting down, kicked the visitors well clear at 31-13 going into the final quarter.
The Wallabies, though, weren't done.
A brace of tries to winger Andrew Kellaway and another to flanker Pete Samu, converted by Foley, brought them level again at 34-all.
White's 48-metre penalty with two-minutes on the clock then gave Australia an unlikely lead, before the late drama ensued and the All Blacks snatched victory.
All Blacks captain Sam Cane clashed heads with midfield team mate David Havili in the first half and both were ruled out of the match.
"Obviously there was a lot of carnage out there, a fair few injuries," Cane said.
"To win it on the buzzer we're obviously hugely delighted. To the Aussie boys what a test match."
The win also kept defending champions New Zealand at the top of the Rugby Championship table ahead of the second Bledisloe Cup test in Auckland next weekend.
- RNZ, Reuters
