All Blacks beat Wallabies 43-21 in second Bledisloe Cup match

Summarised from 4 outlets · 5 reports · Updated 17 Oct, 08:38 · Archive

New Zealand defeated Australia 43-21 in the second Bledisloe Cup Test in Sydney, extending their winning streak against the Wallabies to 13 consecutive victories.

New Zealand defeated Australia 43-21 in the second Bledisloe Cup Test at Sydney's Accor Stadium, securing their 13th consecutive victory against the Wallabies. The All Blacks controlled the match through superior speed at the breakdown, advancing the ball almost at will whilst limiting Australia to just three attacking opportunities.

The Wallabies made critical errors and execution failures throughout the encounter. Australia managed two second half tries that narrowed the margin slightly, but could not overcome the All Blacks' dominance.

Wallabies captain Harry Wilson was direct in his assessment after the match. He told Channel Nine the team's performance was not good enough, citing poor starts to halves as a key issue. "We can't be that far behind," Wilson said of the scoreline at various stages. "We showed a bit of grit" in the second half, he added, "but it's too late."

This defeat marks Australia's final home Test of 2026 and comes a week after a similar heavy loss to New Zealand. The result raises questions about the Wallabies' prospects ahead of next year's Rugby World Cup, with their standing in the tournament now significantly diminished from their earlier positioning as potential contenders.

The comprehensive nature of the defeat has prompted reassessment of Australia's rugby programme under coach Les Kiss, who had shown early promise but now faces criticism following the two heavy losses in successive weeks.

How it is being reported

• ‘Awesome’ New Zealand humiliate Australia with 13th consecutive win over rivalsAustralia 21-43 New Zealand: The All Blacks were rampant in the first half in SydneyIndependent Sport · 17 Oct, 09:13
• All Blacks thump Wallabies in Sydney to extend Bledisloe Cup streak to 13 matchesNew Zealand rode a first-half try blitz to a 43-21 victory over Australia on Saturday, extending their win streak over their rivals to 13 matches.Sky Sports · 17 Oct, 09:12
• Wallabies left wondering if Bledisloe pain will ever end after All Blacks thrashingWallabies left wondering if Bledisloe pain will ever end after All Blacks thrashingThe Telegraph · 17 Oct, 08:20
• Wallabies humiliated as ruthless All Blacks claim 13th straight Bledisloe Test victoryAustralia 21-43 New Zealand at Accor Stadium Concerns mount for Les Kiss’s side with Rugby World Cup on horizon The ruthless All Blacks embarrassed the Wallabies in their final home Test of the year, brushing aside the golden pretenders 43-21 in Sydney, a second thrashing in a week that makes a mockery of the hosts’ ambitions for next year’s World Cup. The All Blacks were too fast at the breakdown, the ball hardly slowing as the New Zealanders appeared to advance it at will. They spoiled all but three Wallaby attacking forays, aided by errors and execution failures. Continue reading...The Guardian · 17 Oct, 08:00
• Australia v New Zealand: Bledisloe Cup rugby union international – liveUpdates as the Wallabies seek redemption against the All Blacks Kick-off time in Sydney is 4pm local/6pm NZDT Any thoughts? Get in touch with an email Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of Australia v New Zealand in the second and final match of the 2026 Bledisloe Cup . Kick-off at Sydney’s Accor Stadium is scheduled for 4pm local time (6pm NZDT). The destination of the humungous silver trophy may already be decided for another year but there remains plenty to play for as the Wallabies sign off on home soil for 2026. Not least demonstrating the capacity to bounce back after a first…Guardian Sport · 17 Oct, 05:00

In this story: Australia · New Zealand · Wallabies · All Blacks · Harry Wilson · Les Kiss · Sydney

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