THE GREATEST RIVALRY OF ALL
50 SEVU'S WONDER TRY
Having lost the first Bledisloe of 2019, the All Blacks were under intense pressure to win at Eden Park in the re-match.
One man who did his bit in securing the trophy and his World Cup slot was Sevu Reece. A surprise choice on the wing he proved his worth when he managed to fly-hack a bouncing ball when he was at full speed and then chase after it to score a miracle try as part of the All Blacks' comprehensive 36-0 hammering of the Wallabies.
49 FOLEY SNAPPED IN HALF
The third Bledisloe of 2017 in Brisbane proved to be one of the more intense tests of the last decade. The All Blacks had already won the series, but the Wallabies, wearing their indigenous jersies, threw everything at this one.
So too did the All Blacks and some of the tackling was incredible. Sonny Bill Williams landed a ferociously memorable hit on Kurtley Beale but it was the tackle by Ofa Tuungafasi on Bernard Foley that was the most spectacular.
Foley was juggling for the ball as he flew into the heavy traffic, only for the All Blacks prop to hit him perfectly. Tuungafasi at 130kg had a near 40kg weight advantage and Foley showed amazing courage to get up and play on.
48 THE HAKA SNUBBED
In the first game of the newly professional Tri-Nations in 1996, the Wallabies hatched a plan to ignore the All Blacks' haka.
On a filthy day in Wellington, the Wallabies carried on their various warm-up drills under their own posts, trying to pretend they were blissfully unaware the haka was even happening.
It was a deliberate attempt by the Wallabies to show they cared little for the reputation and quality of the All Blacks.
But it backfired horribly. They were smashed 43-6 in a record defeat.
The Wallabies were a shambles and All Blacks coach John Hart said: “We were extremely disappointed with their attitude to the haka.”
47 WOODY WINGS IT
The All Blacks were in trouble in 2008 when they were 17-7 down at half-time of the third test in the series – which stood at one-all. A rare half-time blow up by the coaching panel set a few things stright in Brisbane and it was loose-head prop Tony Woodcock who sparked the comeback when he scored a spectacular try after the break.
Conrad Smith made a break and he passed to Woodcock, who was on the wing. Amazingly the big man took off, outstripped the defence and smashed through a despairing tackle to plunge the ball in the corner. Pace, power and awareness – and that was from a 120kg prop.
The All Blacks pushed on to win 28-24.
46 BRODIE’S BIG DUMMY
A tight opening Bledisloe Cup clash of 2018 ripped open in the second half when the All Blacks suddenly found space everywhere.
A 13-6 half-time lead had pushed out to 19-6 after 60 minutes when the All Blacks moved the ball left from a breakdown.
They popped it through the hands to Retallick who was cruising with a man outside him. He would surely give the pass and then support – but no, he threw an outrageous dummy and accelerated through the gap to score himself.
45 LITTLE’S SUPER QUICK TRY
Everyone remembers that the one-off Bledisloe test in 1994 had the most dramatic ending when George Gregan made his miracle try-saving tackle on Jeff Wilson.
But it also had one of the more memorable starts with the Wallabies scoring one of the quickest tries in Bledisloe history when Jason Little got underneath a David Knox bomb and outjumped All Blacks fullback Shane Howarth to crash down over the line.
The Wallabies were 6-0 up before most of the All Blacks had even touched the ball.
44 IZZY’S DIZZY MOMENT
The Wallabies were chasing the final Bledisloe test of 2018. They were 27-13 down with 13 minutes left and trying to run out of their own half.
There was space and potentially a half opportunity to attack left but when Israel Folau was looking for a gap there, he failed to see Ben Smith. Folau off-loaded out
