'One of the most incredible Test matches' - All the best social media reaction after thrilling Bledisloe Cup opener

Internationals

7:42am, 11 October 2020

Social media was understandably buzzing after Test rugby made a thrilling return in Wellington. With over 30,000 supporters present for the opening game of the Bledisloe Cup series, the All Blacks escaped with a draw after Jordie Barrett nailed a 79th minute penalty to earn a face-saving stalemate against Dave Rennie’s Wallabies.

A superb contest was packed full of incident, providing social media with no shortage of talking points, including Rieko Ioane’s costly failure to ground the ball after a mesmerising All Blacks attack, and a 50m Reece Hodge penalty shot after full-time which crashed off the upright.

Here’s all the best social media reaction to the game, which has ramped up expectations for next week’s second Test at Eden Park.

Epic test match! What a finish!
Thought @wallabies had them after collecting Hodgey's kick off the post and building pressure like that ??
Congratulations to Hoops on 100 tests!
— David Pocock (@pocockdavid) October 11, 2020

What a game @AllBlacks ??????
— Malakai Fekitoa (@MalakaiFekitoa) October 11, 2020

One of the most incredible test matches. #NZLvAUS pic.twitter.com/KdhyiQdt39
— Jim Hamilton (@jimhamilton4) October 11, 2020

Congrats Hoops on becoming the youngest Wallaby to reach 100 test caps today. Legend on and off the field ?? Also a very impressive shuffler ??
All the best @wallabies today ?? pic.twitter.com/BthwxMRJjR
— Matt Giteau ?? (@giteau_rugby) October 10, 2020

What a Test Match ?? ???? @allblacksrugby AllDay
— Jerome Kaino (@jeromekaino) October 11, 2020

What a game! Exciting play between both sides after the siren. Enjoying my first Bledisloe as a spectator! #NZLvsAUS #BledisloeCup
— Tatafu Polota-Nau (@tatafu267) October 11, 2020

The @AllBlacks fans booing the @wallabies kickers just isn’t ruggers and why didn’t James O’Connor go for a drop goal to win it at the death after they got the ball back 5m out, or Richie Mo’unga once NZ got up the other end in the 88th minute?! Some finish to a game though!
— Andy Goode (@AndyGoode10) October 11, 2020

The big fella would have stepped up ????
— Ian madigan (@Ian_madigan) October 11, 2020

That was one of the best rugby games in a long time! Great shift! Congratulations to Michael Hooper on his 100th @wallabies test match! On to next week. #NZLvAUS #BledisloeCup pic.twitter.com/5HtGk7A5UX
— Petrus du Plessis (@PetrusduPlessis) October 11, 2020

The first thing Ian Foster must do in the All Black dressing room is step up to Reiko Ioane in the dressing shed and say "Youre not playing next week – you have missed a possible easy seven points. This is a test match! Not a show pony parade!'
— Keith Quinn (@KeithQuinn88) October 11, 2020

All blacks lost because Reiko Ioane was being a show off.
— ???????. (@leextuai) October 11, 2020

Rieko Ioane will be working hard for a long time to remove that from the memory….
— Tim Murphy (@tmurphyNZ) October 11, 2020

That test match this morning has showed that both the All Blacks and Australia are still terrified of drop kicks. Shocking decision making. Wallabies robbed of a penalty right in front of the posts straight after the kick hit the post too. As blatant as they come. #NZLvAUS
— Owen Webb O Rourke (@OwenWebbORourke) October 11, 2020

Matt Philip was absolutely outstanding today for the Wallabies, I thought he was comfortably Man of the Match, epic performance in the loose-worked tirelessly #NZvAUS #BledisloeCup #MattPhilip #Wallabies
— Graeme Peacock (@graemepeacock05) October 11, 2020

Feeling for Reece Hodge who was so close to being part of Rugby folklore. Feeling for AR Angus Gardner. Feeling for Reiko Ioane who butchered a try. Feeling for whoever should have made a drop goal attempt after the siren. It’s sport .. anything can happen! Bring on next Sunday.
— Greg Clark (@greg_clarkie) October 11, 2020