New Zealand v Australia LIVE: Latest updates as All Blacks battle Wallabies in first Bledisloe Cup clash

New Zealand produced a show of force at Eden Park as they surged away from Australia to retain the Bledisloe Cup.

The All Blacks extended their unbeaten streak at their Auckland fortress to 54 matches with a dominant performance in the second half particularly, with the Barrett brothers among their best in an all-round strong showing. With Damian McKenzie illustrating from fly half, the hosts blended collision dominance with backline creativity to turn a three-point half-time lead into a 31-point winning margin, controlling proceedings almost totally after the interval.

For the Wallabies, this was a first defeat under Les Kiss and a bit of a reality check after beating South Africa a fortnight ago. Having begun brightly, they could not consistently get their game on the park, and will have to improve greatly if they are to hit back when the two sides meet again in Sydney next week.

Follow all of the latest from Eden Park with our live blog below:

The Wallabies were in touch at 17-14 down at half time but the All Blacks scored five tries after the break to ensure they will retain the ⁠symbol of trans-Tasman supremacy for a 24th straight year ahead of next week's second Test in Sydney.

Harry Latham-Coyle10 October 2026 09:23

“It’s pretty special. The Bledisloe Cup means a lot to this country. We’ve spent a lot of time on the road this year and we wanted to show what it means to be an All Black in front of our fans at Eden Park. We’re bloody proud of the performance tonight.

“We wanted to just keep maxing out with our energy. We got a lot of physical dominance up front. We go to Australia next week and we’re going to have to move and get better.

“I just want to compete and battle on every play. I’m just trying to do everything I can for this All Blacks jersey and be the best I can each week. I want to keep getting better as a player, and if I can impact the game in any way, that’s what I’ll do.”

Harry Latham-Coyle10 October 2026 09:07

Dominant stuff from the All Blacks, in the end, mean and muscular up front and fluent with ball in hand to retain the Bledisloe Cup for another year.

Harry Latham-Coyle10 October 2026 08:59

Harry Latham-Coyle10 October 2026 08:58

And no All Blacks win is complete without a Will Jordan score! A ninth try of the international year for New Zealand’s all-time leading try-scorer, and Damian McKenzie’s conversion ensures his side hit 50.

Harry Latham-Coyle10 October 2026 08:57

Indeed they do. Segner and Aumua disappear for HIAs.

Scott Barrett has failed his, almost certainly ruling him out of next weekend’s Test in Sydney. That applies to Len Ikitau, too, the Wallabies centre replaced in the first half.

Harry Latham-Coyle10 October 2026 08:55

That try aside, it just feels as if the All Blacks have made a bit of a statement up front tonight – perhaps feeling the impact of that hard-fought series with South Africa, where they really had to stand up physically.

Eesh! This is a worry for Dave Rennie, though: with Scott Barrett already off for a HIA, Anton Segner and Asafo Aumua clash heads making a double-tackle. There’s blood on the shaved dome of the former, though he’s soon up and about again. They should both go off, though.

Harry Latham-Coyle10 October 2026 08:53

And there we go. Josh Nasser is the buried beneficiary of a rumbling mass.

Declan Meredith fails to convert the driving maul score.

Harry Latham-Coyle10 October 2026 08:51

The game, and Bledisloe Cup, have gone, but Les Kiss would love his side to show some spirit to take to Sydney in this last five minutes. It will be the first defeat of his tenure but a penalty, which is kicked to the corner, gives the Wallabies a great chance.

Harry Latham-Coyle10 October 2026 08:50

Simple things done well and Josh Moorby benefits! There’s not a lot that Australia could have done there, the forwards sucked in by a maul and numbers therefore short elsewhere. Asafo Aumua and Kyle Preston’s swift handling sets up Moorby to go in untouched.

Damian McKenzie makes his first error from the tee.

Harry Latham-Coyle10 October 2026 08:48