Australia 37-39 New Zealand: Jordie Barrett clinches Bledisloe Cup victory in final play for All Blacks after ref drama
Australia and Bernard Foley penalised in the final minute for taking too long to take a penalty from hand near the Wallabies try-line after storming to the lead from 18 points down, handing All Blacks attacking scrum from which they won the game through Jordie Barrett try
By Michael Cantillon
Last Updated: 15/09/22 3:51pm
A Jordie Barrett try in the final play saw New Zealand win a stunning Bledisloe Cup clash 39-37, but only after high drama between Australia and French referee Mathieu Raynal.
A late Nic White penalty from distance had capped a remarkable Australia comeback from 18 points behind and looked set to win the game when the Wallabies forced a late defensive penalty close to their own goal-line in the final minute.
That was until Raynal instead chose to punish Bernard Foley for delaying kicking the penalty, and hand New Zealand a five-metre attacking scrum, from which they won the Test.
A highly dramatic final minute
78:25: Breakdown penalty awarded to Australia near the Wallabies try-line.
78:50: Referee Raynal: "Play on please. We play."
78.55: Referee Raynal: "Quick play"
78:57: Raynal calls "Time Off". Says to Foley in seven-second conversation: "We play now. Time back on"
79:00: Raynal to Foley: "10!"
79:04: Five-metre attacking scrum awarded to New Zealand due to delay.
79.14: Raynal calls "Time Off": says to Nic White: "Captain, I said first, we play. Then I switched off the time. I said to your player: 'I switch the time on and you play immediately', and he wait, he wait, he wait. So that's a scrum to the All Blacks."
Tim Horan (80 Australia caps) on commentary: "I have never seen that." Andrew Mehrtens (70 New Zealand caps) on commentary: "Never seen it."
80:34: Jordie Barrett scores Test-winning try in the corner after NZ attack from final scrum.
- Rugby Championship: Australia 37-39 New Zealand as it happened
- Australia advance on the All Blacks Haka!
- Red Roses score 11 tries vs Wales in world-record 25th Test win in a row
- Argentina recall four regulars for South Africa Tests
Australia 37-39 New Zealand - Score summary
New Zealand - Tries: Taukei’aho (4, 41), Mo'unga (52), Jordan (55), Jordie Barrett (80+1). Cons: Mo'unga (5, 42, 53, 56). Pens: Mo'unga (12, 69). Yellow cards: Papalii (26).
Australia - Tries: Valetini (26), Kellaway (61, 66), Samu (72). Cons: Foley (27, 62, 67, 73). Pens: Foley (18, 47), White (78). Yellow cards: Wright (36), Swain (36), Gordon (51).
An action-packed contest saw the All Blacks race into a 10-0 lead following a converted Samisoni Taukei'aho try at the base of a rolling maul and a Richie Mo'unga penalty, before the Wallabies hit back through a Rob Valetini try and Foley penalty - the latter back playing for Australia for the first time in three years.
After New Zealand had earlier lost Dalton Papalii to a sin-binning for collapsing a maul, Australia then survived the final four minutes of the first half with just 13 men after wing Tom Wright and second row Darcy Swain were sin-binned for cynically slowing the ball down and a dangerous clear-out respectively.
The second half saw the All Blacks strike early through Taukei'aho again for the lead, making numbers count, and though Foley reduced the deficit with another penalty, a third Wallabies yellow card to scrum-half Jake Gordon saw New Zealand punish the hosts with further Mo'unga and Will Jordan tries at pace for a 18-point lead.
The Wallabies refused to be beaten, however, as two Andrew Kellaway tries, plus a sensational Pete Samu effort either side of a Mo'unga penalty left the game at 34-34 with five minutes to go.
White then struck a brilliant penalty from distance for an extraordinary lead, before the All Blacks turned down a penalty shot attempt in favour of a kick to touch to try and win the game, but coughed up a penalty at the breakdown.
It was only then the true controversy unfolded, however, as with Wallabies captain James Slipper off the pitch and some confusion as to whether the clock had started up again or not, Foley was penalised by Raynal in brutal fashion, and Barrett went on to score the winning try in the corner.
Slipper: We blew it | Taukei'aho: I always had faith; Cane hails 'classic' Bledisloe clash
"Absolutely gutted. I actually don't know what to say but we really wanted to put in a performance tonight and we just fell short there," Wallabies skipper James Slipper said post-match.
"It is probably the most gutting way to finish a game in my opinion.
"It was hard to see from where I was on the bench but we were confident. I feel like we had the momentum there in the last 20 minutes.
"Look the All Blacks are a good team and when you play the All Blacks you have got to make everything count, you have got to take your opportunities.
"Everything in that last 20 minutes was in our hands and we blew it."
