Leroy Carter scores a try for the All Blacks. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
The All Blacks have beaten the Wallabies 33-24 at Eden Park to retain the Bledisloe Cup.
Former All Black Eroni Clarke sung the New Zealand national anthem at Eden Park, and it would be his son and All Blacks wing Caleb Clarke who would open the scoring for the hosts, diving over in the left corner inside the first five minutes.
Beauden Barrett missed the conversion to keep it 5-0 to the All Blacks.
The Wallabies hit back quickly with a James O'Connor penalty goal to cut New Zealand's lead to two, before the All Blacks kicked one of their own to go ahead 8-3.
The All Blacks began to attack Australia's tryline and were rewarded after several phases with wing Leroy Carter diving over from the base of the ruck to extend the host's lead to 13-3 with 15 minutes gone.
Cam Roigard celebrates his try. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
The All Blacks scored their third try in similar style with halfback Cam Roigard sniping over from close range. Barrett kicked the conversion to put the All Blacks up 20-3.
The Wallabies needed to score next and they did with hooker Billy Pollard going over to reduce the All Blacks lead to 20-10, and the visitors struck again just before halftime through wing Harry Potter to make it just a three point game at the break, All Blacks ahead 20-17.
Australia's Harry Potter scores a try. Photo: Marty Melville
The All Blacks scored the first points of the second half via a Damian McKenzie penalty goal to take a six point advantage and the replacement first five would kick another soon after to give the host's a 26-17 lead.
The Wallabies though wouldn't go away and scored in the 69th minute following a line out drive make it a two point game, 26-24, with ten minutes remaining.
The All Blacks mounted an attack in to the Wallabies 22 and Australia gave away a penalty with the offending player, wing Potter, yellow carded.
Australia managed to hold up the ensuing lineout drive over the line, but the All Blacks scored from the goal line drop out, with Roigard going over under the posts for his second try of the night.
McKenzie kicked the conversion to extend the All Blacks lead to 33-24 with less than five minutes to play and that's how the score would remain, as New Zealand locked away the Bledisloe Cup for a 23rd straight year.
The second test between the two sides is in Perth next weekend.
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