Well, the 1st round of the 2017 Rugby Championship season got underway but 1st here is the highly anticipated Bledisloe Cup clash between Trans-Tasman rivals & the 2 heavyweights of the rugby world, the green & gold of Australia & the all black of New Zealand (Well they need to bounce back & pick up the pace a little bit for a last couple of minutes following their disappointment against the British & Irish Lions which resulted in a series draw but they need to give them full power) at ANZ Stadium in Sydney so here is the full match commentary:
The 2017 Rugby Championship kicks off at ANZ Stadium in Sydney with the much anticipated Bledisloe Cup clash between Trans-Tasman rivals Australia & New Zealand.
It's been a tumultuous 2017 for Australian Rugby but there's nothing like a test match against the All Blacks to galvanise the men in green and gold. And the Wallabies will need to be at their very best if they are to even be competitive this evening - they haven't won a test match against New Zealand since 2015.
New Zealand come into tonight's match full of confidence, and as hot favourites, and so they should - the All Blacks completed a clean sweep in last year's Rugby Championship and have won their past five test matches against the Wallabies. They will also be desperate to return to their very best after they tied their recent test series against British & Irish Lions.
We are just moments away from kick off as both sides make their way out onto the middle of ANZ Stadium.
1ST MINUTE, 1ST HALF: The formalities are complete and it will be Bernard Foley to kick off to get us underway in Sydney!
A very solid start from the All Blacks from the kick off - they surge over the half way line with the penalty advantage being played.
2ND MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): An excellent response from the Wallabies who put together some useful phases before mounting an attacking foray inside the All Blacks' 22.
3RD MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): A penalty against the All Blacks for not rolling away after the tackle and it will be Bernard Foley to line up virtually right in front of the posts.
4TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), PENALTY GOAL!: Australia (Bernard Foley) 3-0 Australia
5TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): The flags are up with Bernard Foley nailing the penalty goal to give the Wallabies an early lead.
The restart from Beauden Barrett doesn't travel the required distance and so the Wallabies have the scrum feed right in the middle of ANZ Stadium.
7TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER): Allan Alaalatoa takes his eyes off the ball and spills the pill to hand possession back to the All Blacks right on the half way line.
8TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): From a penalty right on half way, Beauden Barrett thumps the ball into touch deep inside the Wallabies' 22 - a terrific attacking opportunity here for the visitors.
9TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), TRY!: New Zealand (Liam Squire) 5-3 New Zealand
11TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER), CONVERSION!: New Zealand (Beauden Barrett) 7-3 New Zealand
12TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Slick movement off the ball across the field from the All Blacks catches the Wallabies' defence short out to the left - with just the line ahead, Liam Squire pins his ears back before thundering over to score the opening try!
13TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): The Wallabies advance with purpose once again inside the All Blacks' 22 but their momentum is lost when referee Wayne Barnes gets tangled up in the play - scrum feed to the home side just 5m out from the try line.
15TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER): A penalty against New Zealand at scrum time - skipper Michael Foley points to the posts and Bernard Foley will line up his 2nd penalty goal of this 1st half.
16TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), PENALTY GOAL!: Australia (Bernard Foley) 7-6 New Zealand
17TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): A clean strike from Bernard Foley and the Wallabies draw within a solitary point of the All Blacks.
18TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): The All Blacks are looking dangerous once again in prime attacking territory just 10m out from the Wallabies' line and with all the momentum going their way.
TRY!: New Zealand (Rieko Ioane) 12-6 New Zealand
19TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), MISS!: The conversion attempt from Beauden Barrett has missed narrowly to the left hand side.
Outstanding play on the left wing from Rieko Ioane! With little space to work with, the winger accelerates from a standing start to show Israel Folau a clean pair of heels before acrobatically diving over in the corner.
21ST MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER), TRY!: New Zealand (Rieko Ioane) 17-6 New Zealand
22ND MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), CONVERSION!: New Zealand (Beauden Barrett) 19-6 New Zealand
Ryan Crotty reads the play to perfection to pull off the intercept and, in the blink of an eye, the All Blacks have turned defence into attack - Crotty shifts the ball to Rieko Ioane out to his left and the winger sprints away to score his second try in a matter of minutes!
24TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER): After a slow start, New Zealand have shifted into another gear altogether - the All Blacks are looking like scoring every time they get their hands on the ball!
25TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), TRY!: New Zealand (Ryan Crotty) 24-6 New Zealand
CONVERSION!: New Zealand (Beauden Barrett) 26-6 New Zealand
26TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Aggressive attack from the All Blacks opens up more holes in the Australian defence than Swiss cheese! Ryan Crotty steps through a gaping hole in the line on his way to scoring the All Blacks' 4th try.
27TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Some solid ball retention from the Wallabies who put together several phases however it comes to nought with the All Blacks awarded a penalty on the last line of defence.
29TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER): The Wallabies' defence, not for the 1st time in this 1st half, is opened up once again however Kurtley Beale has done well to scramble back deep inside his own half and apply a try-saving tackle.
31ST MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER): We are inside the final 10 minutes of this first half with the All Blacks well in control and with the Wallabies under the pump deep inside their 22.
32ND MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): A break in play with Ryan Crotty receiving treatment after being tackled without the ball - with the kick from the resultant penalty, Beauden Barrett puts the ball into touch right on the Wallabies' 22.
33RD MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Michael Hooper has been penalised for offside - the All Blacks elect to keep their foot on the Wallabies' throat with Beauden Barrett kicking the ball into touch just 5m out from the try line.
34TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), TRY!: New Zealand (Sonny Bill Williams) 31-6 New Zealand
35TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), CONVERSION!: New Zealand (Beauden Barrett) 33-6 New Zealand
37TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER): The All Blacks are not finished yet in this 1st half - the visitors have a line out inside the Wallabies' 22.
38TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Beauden Barrett cleverly chips over the top to his own advantage - he almost plucks the ball from the air however Samu Kerevi has done brilliantly in defence to claim the mark and save the day for the Wallabies.
40TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER): With time almost up on the clock in this 1st half, the All Blacks have the scrum feed just 10m out from the Wallabies' line.
TRY!: New Zealand (Ryan Crotty) 38-6 New Zealand
CONVERSION!: New Zealand (Beauden Barrett) 40-6 New Zealand
HALF TIME: What a stunning first half from the All Blacks! The Wallabies started well enough and held an early lead but, from that point onwards, it was all New Zealand - the men in black smashed open the flimsy Australian defence to score 6 unanswered tries and they head into the break with a commanding 40-6 lead.
40TH MINUTE, 2ND HALF: Beauden Barrett kicks off to get the 2nd half underway.
41ST MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Have the Wallabies got what it takes to, at the very least, make a contest of this 2nd half? The Australians had some promising moments in attack in the opening 40 minutes but were simply outgunned in defence.
43RD MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER), TRY!: New Zealand (Damian McKenzie) 45-6 New Zealand
45TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER), CONVERSION!: New Zealand (Beauden Barrett) 47-6 New Zealand
46TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Michael Hooper is stripped off the ball in the middle of the ground by Beauden Barrett who quickly releases Rieko Ioane - the All Blacks' winger has Damian McKenzie in support and it will be the full back who touches down for the first try of the second half.
The Wallabies have the play inside New Zealand territory but their movement of the ball, in stark contrast to the All Blacks in attack, looks all too static and predictable.
49TH MINUTE (3 MINUTES LATER), TRY!: New Zealand (Ben Smith) 52-6 New Zealand
CONVERSION!: New Zealand (Beauden Barrett) 54-6 New Zealand
50TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): The procession continues! With a multitude of options, Aaron Smith shares the ball with Ben Smith who becomes the All Blacks' 6th try scorer - the All Blacks have already broken the record for the most points scored by New Zealand against Australia and we still have half an hour left to play!!!
52ND MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER): The best attacking opportunity of the second half here for the Wallabies - the home side has the scrum feed 5m out from the All Blacks' line.
53RD MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), TRY: Australia (Curtis Rona) 54-11 New Zealand
54TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), CONVERSION!: Australia (Bernard Foley) 54-13 New Zealand
55TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Nick Phipps has replaced Will Genia at half back and he has an almost immediate impact! Phipps releases a short and sharp pass that puts Curtis Rona through a rare gap in the All Blacks' defence and the debutante has scored the Wallabies' 1st try.
57TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER), TRY!: Australia (Tevita Kuridrani) 54-18 Australia
58TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), CONVERSION!: Australia (Bernard Foley) 54-20 New Zealand
It's 2 in a row for the Wallabies! Tevita Kuridrani, who came onto the field at half time, offloads to Israel Folau before receiving the ball back - with just the try line ahead he powers over to at least give the home crowd something to cheer about.
59TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): A rare error from the All Blacks with Kieran Read losing the ball in the tackle - the Wallabies are quick to pounce, sweeping the ball clear from the last line of defence
62ND MINUTE (3 MINUTES LATER): The play opens up for the Wallabies however Rob Simmons is unable to hang onto an awkward high pass from Bernard Foley - the All Blacks have the scrum feed right on the half way line.
TRY!: Australia (Kurtley Beale) 54-25 New Zealand
63RD MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), CONVERSION!: Australia (Bernard Foley) 54-27 New Zealand
Australia have scored the last 3 tries in the test match! The attempted pass from Damian McKenzie doesn't go to hand and it is Kurtley Beale who is the first to react - the Wallabies second five-eighth gathers the loose ball beautifully before striding away to score his 1st test try since 2015.
65TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER): Despite the lop-sided scoreline, the Wallabies would be pleased with their efforts in this 2nd half especially given the short turnaround to game 2 of the Bledisloe Cup which will be played in Dunedin next week.
66TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Outstanding defensive work from Anton Lienert-Brown who applies the crucial tackle that ultimately results in a penalty to the All Blacks.
68TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER): Some solid work at the breakdown from Tatafu Polota-Nau is rewarded with the Wallabies handed a penalty just short of the half way line - Reece Hodge, fresh onto the field, thumps the ball into touch deep inside New Zealand territory.
69TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), TRY!: Australia (Israel Folau) 54-32 New Zealand
CONVERSION!: Australia (Bernard Foley) 54-34 New Zealand
70TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): From broken play, Israel Folau puts on the after burners to step away from the defence before dotting down under the posts. There is an extensive delay with the TMO called upon for a potential accidental offside however the video replay is inconclusive and so the try will stand.
72ND MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER): We are inside the final 10 minutes of the test match - the momentum is with the Wallabies who would dearly love some more points to cap off what has been a creditable fight back in the 2nd half after a disastrous opening 40 minutes.
73RD MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Delightful combination from the All Blacks who almost pick a path through the Wallabies' defence however the linesman's flag is up with the pass from Beauden Barrett to Ben Smith ruled forward.
75TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER): On the counter attack, Beauden Barrett chips the ball ahead inside the Wallabies' 22 however Reece Hodge has scrambled back to claim possession for the home side.
76TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), TMO!: Bernard Foley's attempted clearance is charged down brilliantly by Beauden Barrett inside the in-goal area - the 2 men desperately lunge for the ball and the TMO will have to review the tape to see who got there 1st.
77TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), NO TRY!: After a lengthy review, the TMO rules that the grounding was simultaneous and so the end result will be a 5m scrum to the All Blacks.
78TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): The smallest of knock ons from the Wallabies at the break down will hand possession via a scrum feed to the All Blacks on the Australian 10m line.
80TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER): The All Blacks are awarded a free kick at scrum time - the visitors will have just enough time to have one last crack at the Wallabies' line.
FULL TIME: The All Blacks have opened their 2017 Rugby Championship campaign in brilliant fashion by recording a comprehensive 54-34 victory over the Wallabies in Bledisloe 1. Australia were gallant in the 2nd half scoring 4 tries to 2 but all the damage was done in the 1st half when the home side was blasted in a withering 6 try blitz from New Zealand.
And what do I think of the game? Because we were high flyers in the 1st 40 but the Wallabies were dominant in the 2nd half by scoring 28 unanswered points but it was too little too late.
And the Springboks open their Rugby Championship campaign by taking on Argentina at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth hoping for a win after dominating the test series against France in June with a news report:
South Africa began their Rugby Championship campaign on a positive note with a 37-15 victory over Argentina at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
Tries from Courtnall Skosan, Raymond Rhule, Siya Kolisi and Pieter-Steph Du Toit proved too much for Argentina who scored through Martin Landajo and Emiliano Boffelli.
The Springboks had a healthy 23-8 lead with half an hour to go but the Pumas gave them a bit of a scare bringing it back to an eight-point game. However, the Springbok substitutes made a big impact in the last quarter of the game and ensured a comfortable victory.
It means the Springboks exact revenge for the 26-24 defeat in Salta in the 2nd round of Rugby Championship 2016, the last time the sides met.
Meanwhile, the Boks continue their fine record at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium where they remain undefeated in five matches at the state-of-the-art venue.
After New Zealand's 54-34 bonus-point win over Australia, the Boks move in to 2nd position on the Rugby Championship standings behind the All Blacks.
It was not the free-flowing game we saw earlier in the day between the Australasian rivals as frequent handling errors and indiscretions made it a stop-start affair.
It is the Boks' 4th win in a row after the 3 - 0 series whitewash of France. The last time the side achieved this was a 4-match winning streak during the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
Crucial to the Boks' success was their dominance of the scrum and breakdown.
An Elton Jantjies penalty gave the Boks a 10 minute 3 - 0 lead after Tomas Lezana was guilty of going off his feet at the breakdown when trying to steal the ball.
And after 20 minutes, Jantjies added three more points from the tee as this time the Pumas were penalised for offside.
Nicolas Sanchez missed an opportunity to half the deficit when Malcolm Marx was penalised for a high tackle. Surprising given that the Pumas fly-half boasted a 87 percent kicking rate with 20 from 23 in Rugby Championship 2016.
But on the half-hour mark, the away side hit back with an excellent counter attack. Tuculet picked up a Jantjies grubber kick and weaved his past a couple of defenders before offloading to Emiliano Boffelli who showed great vision to put it on the boot for Landajo to chase. The pacy scrum-half kicked it further ahead doing well to outstrip Raymond Rhule to collect and dive over in the corner.
The Boks remained in the lead, however, as Sanchez missed the conversion.
Soon after, the Boks scored their 1st try. From another solid Bok scrum out on the left, Cronje shifted play to the right to Serfontein who passed to Jantjies whose inside ball found Skosan who wasn't held in the tackle. The speedy winger showed good game awareness to get up unheld and race through to dot down for his 1st Test try.
The 1st points of the 1st half came from the Pumas via a Sanchez penalty in the 45th minute. However, Jantjies responded with a penalty of his own after strong work from Jaco Kriel at the breakdown to win the penalty.
As if to emulate Kriel's good work at the breakdown, it was his loose forward partner Kolisi this time who was the catalyst for the turnover after a strong Springbok counter-ruck. Turning down a kick at goal, Springbok captain Eben Etzebeth opted to go for the corner. From the 5-metre lineout, the Boks' driving maul was halted. Cronje recycled the ball to Jantjies who passed to Rhule who ran a fine line and was not going to be stopped on his way over the whitewash. Just reward for some sustained Springbok pressure. Jantjies added the extras as the home side led 23-8 after 55 minutes.
Soon after, it was the Pumas who had a 5-metre attacking lineout on the right touchline. After a series of powerful carries from their forwards, the ball was switched out to the left where the Pumas showed good hands and created the overlap where Boffelli was waiting to dive over in the left-hand corner. It was well converted by Sanchez out on the left touchline as the Pumas cut the deficit to 8 at 23-15.
With 15 minutes to go, the Springboks won another scrum penalty and opted for touch 5 metres out on the right-hand side. Taking the ball out left and then back to the right, the home side dragged the Pumas' defence one way before coming back to the other side quickly with slick handling ensuring Kolisi had a clear run to the line, making the score 30-15.
Great work from substitute Du Toit gave the Springboks their 4th try as he reached over after a series of powerful carries from his teammates in the build-up.
And there were no further scores as the Springboks ran out 37-15 victors much to the delight of the Port Elizabeth faithful.
And here's the report about the review of the 1st round of the 2017 Mitre 10 Cup season (This'll be the 1st time I'm doing a report about the Mitre 10 Cup):
Defending Mitre 10 Cup Premiership champions Canterbury set the pace when the 2017 competition opened this weekend but hints of thrilling rugby ahead were offered across both the Premiership and Championship sections.
Tasman, last year's beaten finalists in the Premiership, succumbed to Canterbury in their replay in Nelson when going down 0-39, yet still offered enough to suggest that once they have combinations sorted they will far much better.
Newcomers North Harbour got their campaign off to a good start with a crossover 19-17 win over Otago. They too showed off some new talent to merge with that nurtured through recent seasons and the continuing guidance of first five-eighths – Gatland was invaluable.
Taranaki demonstrated the quality of their backline in securing a 34-29 win over Waikato. Look for fireworks during the season from Stephen Perofeta, Charlie Ngatai and Sean Wainui during the year while Jordan Manihera's hat-trick of tries showed just how competitive Waikato is going to be.
Counties Manukau dished out a 16-14 loss for Auckland at Pukekohe although it took a late long-range penalty goal from Baden Kerr to seal the deal. Auckland paid the price for indifferent play during the first half, but did enough to suggest that once they are more settled they should be capable of much better, although the same could be said of the home side.
In the Championship, Hawke's Bay showed some spirit to overcome Southland 24-16 in Napier while Northland demonstrated a welcome return of the Taniwha spirit when coming from 7-23 down to beat Bay of Plenty in Whangarei. Deadly in the backs, Northland also showed great defensive heart to finally secure their win.
Completing an action-packed Sunday afternoon, Wellington travelled to Palmerston North and after being up 26-22 at halftime went on to record a 41-29 win that should give them a big boost towards attempting regain Premiership status. Former All Blacks wing partners Julian Savea and Nehe Milner-Skudder both showed moments of attacking brilliance in a thrilling encounter.
It would have been satisfying to end a run of losses to their northern neighbours that stretched since 2013.
New faces of ability abounded in the round while some old faces lent experienced hands to sides and the signs point to closely contested battles for the Premiership and Championship before season's end.
And finally before I wrap this blog up for today, the eyes of the rugby world is in mourning as Te Kuiti & King Country's favourite son & iconic All Black rugby legend, the Pinetree of Sir Colin Meads (He played at lock during his playing career), has passed away aged 81 after losing his battle with a serious terminal illness so RIP Pinetree, all hope is now forgotten because they are going to send condolences but all thoughts & prayers to him.
Sir Colin 'Pinetree' Meads
1936 - 2017
So that is my 135th blog of the year 2017 (MMXVII) & my 55th this year.
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