Wallabies player ratings vs All Blacks | Bledisloe Cup I

Saturday afternoon’s contest between the Wallabies and the All Blacks at Eden Park in Auckland promised to be a bruising encounter, with both teams fighting for the 2025 Rugby Championship title.

Both teams came into the Test on the back of a defeat, with the All Blacks recording their worst ever defeat against the Springboks, and the Wallabies couldn’t come back from a half time deficit as they went down to Argentina in Sydney.

But in this one at Eden Park, it was the All Blacks who came out on top, 33-24, against the Wallabies.

Here’s how the Wallabies players rated.

1. James Slipper – 6
On Slipper’s 150th Test match for Australia, the loosehead prop was steady around the park like usual. Slipper made twelve tackles in the first half, and held down one side of the scrum like he has done for many years. Off at 40.

2. Billy Pollard – 8
Pollard, who has been consistently solid for the Wallabies in 2025, broke the line on his first touch with a smart snipe from the base of the ruck.

Pollard’s work at the breakdown can’t go unnoticed, winning an important penalty during the opening 20 minutes.

Pollard’s first half lineout efficiency was near perfect, and on the back his successful lineout throw, he went over for their first try close to the posts.

Pollard’s 16 tackles in the first half was a game high, pairing that with six carries. Off at 62.

3. Taniela Tupou – 6
Tupou’s matchup against Ethan de Groot in the scrum was set to be an important one for both sides, but with only three or four scrums in the first half, neither prop really dominated proceedings. Off at 40.

4. Nick Frost – 5
Frost was dealt the task of going up against Tupou Vaa’i and Fabian Holland at lineout time, a challenge that Frost took with both hands, imposing himself on both sides of the ball in the first half. Made 14 tackles and 11 carries in his 80 minute shift.

5. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto – 6
Salakaia-Loto finally got his chance in the starting lineup after impressing against the British and Irish Lions in multiple different teams. He started the game busy on attack, and continued to carry hard and get over the gain line in the first half.

Salakaia-Loto made an equal game high nine tackles in the first half and didn’t look out of place in the starting jumper.

6. Tom Hooper – 7
With Rob Valetini out of action for the first Bledisloe Cup Test, Schmidt was able to move Hooper to the side of the scrum, but the position change didn’t impact the way Hooper played the Test. Hooper’s work rate was one of the Wallabies’ best, and a breakdown steal highlighted what he offers to Schmidt’s side.

7. Fraser McReight –  7.5
McReight was forced into making multiple tackles in the opening 15 minutes, but couldn’t manage to impact the breakdown as much as he would’ve liked. He continued to work hard across the field with a number of important tackles.

McReight started the second half by immediately winning a breakdown penalty that put the Wallabies on attack. The Reds loose forward battled away at every ruck, putting constant pressure on the All Blacks at the breakdown. Solid 80 minute performance, finishing with a game high 24 tackles.

8. Harry Wilson – 8
The Wallabies skipper was relentless on both sides of the ball as usual, making nine tackles and nine carries in the first half. Wilson was penalised for a no arms tackle after the Wallabies thought they had secured a penalty.

Wilson’s second half performance, like the first half, was mostly spent shifting bodies on defence, and charging at the All Blacks defensive line with ball in hand. The inspirational captain wasn’t done there, holding an All Blacks player over the line, stopping a certain try in the last ten minutes.

9. Tate McDermott – N/A
McDermott has often been used by Schmidt off the bench, but an afternoon kick off at Eden Park meant that the milestone man was needed from the start. That start only lasted 18 minutes, with the Reds halfback forced to leave the field with what looked like a lower leg injury.

10. James O’Connor – 4
After a standout season for the Crusaders as the closer, O’Connor looked slightly shaky to start the Test match, with multiple wobbly kicks to touch. It was far from the cool, calm and collected performance that we are accustomed to by the experienced playmaker, and his 48th minute overcooked kick-off told you all you needed to know about the 35 year-old’s performance.

11. Corey Toole – 6.5
Toole got up and won a contest in the air early, which helped the Wallabies get on the scoreboard after six minutes. It seemed like the Wallabies’ best chance at winning the ball back was through box kicks, an area where Toole held his own during the first 40 minutes. Quiet second half for Toole, but like many of the other Wallabies backs, wasn’t able to get time and space with ball in hand.

12. Len Ikitau- 7
Ikitau was forced to make some early tackles in the contest, with a couple of All Blacks players running directly at him and Sua’ali’i in midfield. Ikitau was mostly used as a battering ram to carry the ball, and struggled to link up with his midfield partner. Off at 61 minutes after a huge performance in the effort stats, with 15 tackles and 11 carries.

13. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii – 5.5
There’s been a fair share of discussion this week surrounding the midfielder, but the former NRL star was kept very quiet in the first half as the Wallabies weren’t able to string any phases together. As the game went on, the longer you got the feeling it wouldn’t be his night. Suaalii’s performance wasn’t one to remember at Eden Park.

14. Harry Potter – 5
It wasn’t an ideal first 38 minutes for Potter, making a couple of unforced handling errors in the opening twenty. Not only was Potter struggling to get hold of the ball, his discipline let him down on defence, giving away a penalty in the lead up to Cameron Roigard’s try. Had a nice carry in the middle of the field, before popping up at the right time just before the half, to score Australia’s second try.

Just as you thought the Wallabies were gaining momentum with just under ten minutes to go, Potter made a covering tackle that looked to have stopped a certain try. But he was up on his feet and had a go at the ball, illegally, receiving a yellow card in the 71st minute.

15. Max Jorgensen- 6
Jorgensen’s shift to fullback didn’t have the impact Schmidt probably would have liked, but the game didn’t suit the way Jorgensen likes to play. You could count the amount of times Jorgensen touched the ball with two hands, and struggled to impact the game with the way the Test unfolded in the second half.

Substitutes

16. Brandon Paenga-Amosa – 5 – No lineouts when he was on the field, but it was hard to have much impact in 15 minutes while down a player.
17. Angus Bell – 5 – Bell’s 40 minute performance was solid, and effective, continuing the Wallabies’ stability at set piece. A penalty against him in the dying stages didn’t help, but the Wallabies being down a man ruined any chance that they had in the last ten minutes.
18. Allan Alaalatoa  – 5 – Alaalatoa battled hard for 40 minutes, but the first scrum with their whole replacement front row on the field went straight to ground.
19. Jeremy Williams  – 6 – 19 minutes of graft on the defensive end, but was only on the field for a short period.
20. Carlo Tizzano –  7 – Just as Tizzano made his way onto the field, he found himself at the back of a Wallabies rolling maul, and referee Andrea Piardi deemed him to have placed the ball over the line. Tizzano proved to be solid impact off the bench for Schmidt, and doesn’t look out of place in Schmidt’s side.
21. Ryan Lonergan – 6 – Lonergan was forced to play 62 minutes at Eden Park after the McDermott injury, and it started with an unforced handling error at a breakdown. Lonergan’s box kicks in the second half was about all he was required to do, but showed reasonable signs in his first Test.
22. Tane Edmed – N/A
23. Filipo Daugunu – 6 – Daugunu had a couple of nice touches with ball in hand when he came on the field, and hit Peter Lakai with a nice tackle in the ribcage on defence.