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Wallabies player ratings vs All Blacks | 2026 Bledisloe I
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All Blacks scrape past Lions with wild comeback win
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The All Blacks have survived an almighty scare in Johannesburg, beating the Lions by just six points after trailing for the majority of the match.
The first half ended with the teams each scoring three tries, but the Lions enjoyed the advantage thanks to Chris Smith’s accuracy bettering that of Beauden Barrett. It wasn’t until after the hour-mark that the All Blacks earned their first lead of the Test, and then secured the win with a final-minute try.
A poor exit from Noah Hotham went out on the full and gave the Lions an attacking opportunity early in the match. A chip-and-chase put the Kiwi backfield under huge pressure in the second minute, but it was booted over the touchline on the bounce.
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The All Blacks resisted once more with their maul defence and physical tackling on the line, but Ethan Blackadder knocked the ball on after stealing it at the breakdown. Nico Steyn wasn’t going to let another opportunity slip by, and darted through a half-gap to reach the line for a famous opening try.
The crowd had even more to cheer for when Sibabalwe Mahashe shot the gap and plucked Noah Hotham’s pass out of the air, cantering 40 metres to score his side’s second try within the opening seven minutes.
The ball hit the deck with New Zealand’s next attack, but Fehi Fineanganofo recovered on one wing, and a moment later, Emoni Narawa broke free down the other sideline. The winger escaped three tackles and lobbed an offload to Hotham, who scored under the posts.
The Kiwis tried their luck exiting with the ball in hand, a consistent theme in the match, but were called for cleaning past the ruck. The Lions’ missed penalty attempt led to another period of rapid play, with Rieko Ioane breaking the line. In the 18th minute, the New Zealand wingers combined again but were cut down just inches short of the line, knocking the ball on in the ensuing ruck contest.
The All Blacks’ persistent attempts at playing quickly with every penalty fell short a number of times before it bore fruit in the 25th minute, with the ball swinging through the hands until it found an open Narawa, who scored his side’s second of the night.
New Zealand’s big ball-carriers, Wallace Sititi, Ethan Blackadder and Timoci Tavatavanawai, produced consistent front-foot ball, but the Lions’ defensive line speed and breakdown work provided staunch resistance, keeping them in the lead.
The hosts’ attack came to life once more after the half-hour mark, with another chip ahead making the All Blacks work for an exit. But the Lions’ attack had the wind in its sails and came straight back, running direct and over the gainline until Kelly Mpeku was able to win the race to the corner.
The Lions’ 21-12 lead was reduced to 21-17 within two minutes when Ethan Blackadder finished another period of dynamic All Blacks attack. Fineanganofo went over moments later after some Harlem Globetrotters-esque running rugby, but the play was called back for a forward pass.
With another scrum penalty and a successful lineout, the Lions ended the half nursing a four-point lead thanks to their superior accuracy off the tee.
The second half started with a bang from the Lions, with Mahashe breaking free down the left edge and narrowly avoiding the sideline as he offloaded to Erich Cronje, who scored.
The heat on the All Blacks was turned up even higher when the Lions’ defence caught them behind the gainline on consecutive plays and then won a turnover. In a flash, the hosts were back on New Zealand’s line, and a powerful scrum got them over, where Francke Horn grounded it.
Down 35-17 after 48 minutes, the All Blacks needed a response, and they got one through Rieko Ioane, who split the Lions line and swerved with pace to score. The kicking tee was handed to Richie Mo’unga, who nailed his first attempt of the night.
Timoci Tavatavanawai made a barnstorming break upfield from the restart, but his cleaners couldn’t keep up with him and the Lions won another turnover once the big man was eventually cut down. The Lions responded but were shown the touchline.
By the 56th minute, the Lions’ lead was back down to four thanks to a Ioane intercept try and another Mo’unga conversion.
A handling error and another breakdown penalty stopped New Zealand from building any further attacking momentum for the next five minutes, but that all changed when Richie Mo’unga took the ball to the line in the 62nd minute. Fast recycles, swift ball handling and acceleration saw the All Blacks chew through 70 metres and score through Ethan Blackadder. The 61st-minute try gave New Zealand their first lead of the game.
New Zealand had their chances over the next 15 minutes, but the Lions’ superb breakdown work and scrum continued to disrupt their play. As was the case for the Kiwis against the Springboks, the reserve front row won a crucial scrum penalty late in the piece, and the game ended with Narawa beating a wave of defenders to score one final try. Final score: 41-35, All Blacks.
