Australia stunned New Zealand with two second-half tries to storm home for a 20-15 win in the Tri-Nations rugby tournament in Melbourne on Saturday.
The Wallabies looked second-best to the World Cup favourites for more than an hour before unleashing two converted tries to keep their hopes alive of wresting back the trans-Tasman Bledisloe Cup.
It was the Wallabies’ first win over the All Blacks since August 2004 after a run of five straight defeats.
The Wallabies finished full of running as the All Blacks lost their grip when tight-head prop Carl Hayman left his team a man down when he was sin-binned in the 60th minute for repeated infringements.
In the time Hayman was off the field, the Wallabies scored both of their converted tries to hit the front and seize momentum before more than 79 000 fans at the vast MCG arena.
The All Blacks, feeling the effects of their trip back from beating South Africa 26-21 in Durban last week, can still retain the Bledisloe Cup, which they have held since 2003, by winning the second match against the Aussies in Auckland on July 21.
The win lifted the Wallabies to a three-way share of the lead with New Zealand and South Africa on the Tri-Nations standings ahead of their match with the Springboks in Sydney next weekend.
The Wallabies began nervously with fullback Julian Huxley kicking out on the full to put the All Blacks on the attack and leading prop Tony Woodcock to burrow over for his first Test try after four minutes.
South African referee Marius Jonker went to the video referee, who adjudicated that Woodcock had grounded the ball on the try line for Dan Carter to convert and give New Zealand a jolting 7-0 lead.
Stirling Mortlock and Carter exchanged penalties before Mortlock had the Australians trailing by four points, 10-6, with a penalty goal after 20 minutes before the All Blacks struck tellingly in the 26th minute.
Outside-centre Luke McAlister intercepted to put the Kiwis on the attack, and from another quick tap they drew in the Wallabies’ outside men for McAlister to send winger Rico Gear over untouched in the right-hand corner for a 15-6 advantage.
New Zealand’s superior line speed and cohesion increasingly put the Wallabies under pressure and the rattled home side began to commit mistakes.
All Blacks number eight Rodney So’oialo bombed a likely try when he knocked on with Gear unmarked outside him with five minutes left to half-time. Mortlock had a chance to get the Wallabies back in the match, but missed his 40m penalty goal in the final minute of the half.
The Wallabies started the second half strongly with Mortlock making a line break deep into the All Blacks’ territory, and prop Guy Shepherdson was penalised for not releasing the ball right on New Zealand’s try line.
But the All Blacks looked set to score, only for Aaron Mauger to fumble Carter’s pass with the Australian defence backpedalling inside their quarter.
George Gregan came off after 57 minutes and Matt Giteau went to scrumhalf, and for a time Australia had more territory and possession, but the All Blacks’ defence was aggressive.
The All Blacks crucially went a man down with 20 minutes left when Hayman was sin-binned. The Wallabies scored soon after when winger Adam Ashley-Cooper determinedly beat the tackles of Gear, McCaw and Chris Jack to plant the ball over in the left-hand corner.
Giteau landed the angled conversion to pull within two points of the All Blacks with 16 minutes left.
The Australians, playing their best rugby of the night, hit the front for the first time with eight minutes left when Mortlock broke McAlister’s tackle and eluded McCaw to send replacement back Scott Staniforth diving over under the crossbar.
Giteau’s easy conversion gave the Wallabies a 20-15 lead, which looked beyond them in the first half.
The Australians had a few anxious moments trying to kill off the game after the full-time siren as New Zealand searched unsuccessfully for a winning move. — Sapa-AFP