Well, the All Blacks (Who are celebrating Sonny Bill Williams's 50th test 8 years after the league convert made his test debut against England in 2010) have beaten the Wallabies to go 3 & 0 & claim a Bledisloe Cup series clean sweep for the 1st time since 2016 in the 3rd & final Bledisloe Cup test at the Nissan Stadium (Or likewise known as International Stadium Yokohama for the duration of both the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan (Which will host the final next year as well as the AB's Rugby World Cup opener against South Africa) & the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo) in Yokohama in Japan so here's the match commentary provided from Newshub:
Kia ora, good evening and welcome to Newshub's live updates of the All Blacks vs Wallabies - the third Bledisloe Cup test of the year - played in Yokohama, Japan.
It seems months ago that these two rivals last met in the opening rounds of the 2018 Rugby Championship. Since then, New Zealand have gone on to defeat Australia twice, en route to securing the championship title outright for a third straight year.
Apart from that one blip against South Africa in Wellington (and the last-minute winner in Pretoria), the All Blacks have dominated the competition again. They have now won the Bledisloe Cup every year since 2003.
Meanwhile, the Wallabies have had a year to forget, narrowly avoiding the championship wooden spoon with a miraculous second-half comeback against Argentina in Salta.
That result does give them some momentum into this clash and remember last year, when the All Blacks wrapped up the Bledisloe Cup, only to lose the dead rubber.
That loss still weighs on the minds of this NZ outfit and they will keen to avoid that happening again.
The biggest talking point in the All Blacks selection is Damian McKenzie at fullback, while the Wallabies have shifted Israel Folau into the centres, where he'll match up against Sonny Bill Williams.
All Blacks: 1-Joe Moody, 2-Codie Taylor, 3-Owen Franks, 4-Sam Whitelock, 5-Scott Barrett, 6-Liam Squire, 7-Ardie Savea, 8-Kieran Read (captain), 9-TJ Perenara, 10-Beauden Barrett, 11-Rieko Ioane, 12-Sonny Bill Williams, 13-Ryan Crotty, 14-Ben Smith, 15-Damian McKenzie
Reserves: 16-Nathan Harris, 17-Karl Tu'inukuafe, 18-Nepo Laulala, 19-Brodie Retallick, 20-Matt Todd, 21-Aaron Smith, 22-Richie Mo’unga, 23-Anton Lienert-Brown
Wallabies: 1-Scott Sio, 2-Folau Faingaa, 3-Allan Alaalatoa, 4-Izack Rodda, 5-Rob Simmons, 6-Ned Hanigan, 7-Michael Hooper (captain), 8-David Pocock, 9-Will Genia, 10-Bernard Foley, 11-Marika Koroibete, 12-Kurtley Beale, 13-Israel Folau, 14-Sefa Naivalu, 15-Dane Haylett-Petty
Reserves: 16-Tolu Latu, 17-Sekope Kepu, 18-Taniela Tupou, 19-Rory Arnold, 20-Jack Dempsey, 21-Nick Phipps, 22-Samu Kerevi, 23-Tom Banks
More to come
And before we get underway with this international game, just a shout out to the winners of provincial titles this afternoon - Thames Valley in the Heartland Meads Cup and Auckland in the Mitre 10 Cup premiership.
Both finals were absolute thrillers and set us up perfectly for a great evening of rugby.
This will be the 50th All Blacks test for Sonny Bill Williams, who has taken eight years to achieve the mark, between injuries, and visits backwards and forwards across codes.
Significantly, the All Blacks are opening the game with the 'Kapa o Pango' haka, which is usually the one they unleash when they really mean business.
The Aussies don't stand a chance.
Referee is Romain Poite from France, who refereed the All Blacks against the Lions last year.
1ST MINUTE: Barrett kicks off and the All Blacks win the ball, but when Barrett puts a kick through for his wing, Folau gathers and makes good ground up the centre to set up the Wallabies attack.
2ND MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): From about 10 metres out, the ball goes to Haylett-Petty on the left touch-line. He appears to ground the ball in the corner, but Scott Barrett has managed to drag him into touch, as he loses the ball.
4TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER): All Blacks win an attacking line out off Australia, it falls to Taylor and McKenzie is lowered in a high tackle for a penalty.
6TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER), PENALTY: All Blacks building momentum and when the ball goes left, Ioane is tackled into touch. The ABs are penalised back in midfield for an dangerous clean-out.
10TH MINUTE (4 MINUTES LATER): New Zealand are building phases inside the 22 and win a scrum in the shadow of the posts.
12TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER), TRY TO LIAM SQUIRE: After several minutes and phase after phase, the blindside flanker is matched up against Kurtley Beale on defence and simply runs through the ineffective tackle to score.
CONVERSION: Barrett converts.
14TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER): Barrett puts a long kick downfield to relieve pressure and Foley can't gather it cleanly, gifting them an attacking scrum on the 22.
17TH MINUTE (3 MINUTES LATER), PENALTY: All Blacks charge onto attack, but are penalised for not releasing the ball in the tackle.
PENALTY GOAL: Beale sets up the kick a couple of metres inside the NZ half - it's beyond Foley's range - and it's over.
20TH MINUTE (3 MINUTES LATER), PENALTY: Wallabies have the ball from a scrum and the All Blacks make a couple of key tackles in midfield, before they're penalised for offside.
22ND MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER): Australia have not lined up as advertised, with Folau and Beale moving around the back-line to create different points of attack.
PENALTY GOAL: Barrett signals to the posts - he needs Codie Taylor to hold the ball steady - and it goes over.
23RD MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), PENALTY: The Australian front row is penalised for collapsing a scrum on their own 10m mark, maybe 10 metres in from the right touch.
Eventually, Haylett-Petty receives a dipping pass that he can't catch and he knocks on.
27TH MINUTE (4 MINUTES LATER): Folau pounces on a loose ball and sets his back-line alight. Foley can't handle it, but the Wallabies maintain possession.
29TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER): The All Blacks are trying to break out of their own territory - McKenzie is just dragged down before he can get away, but Sonny Bill can't take a pass and the Aussies have an attacking scrum.
31ST MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER), PENALTY: As the Wallabies build an attack, the ball spills free and Ben Smith hacks it upfield to chase. He eventually gathers it and lays it back, but the Aussies are penalised and Barrett looks to the side-line for an attacking lineout.
35TH MINUTE (4 MINUTES LATER), PENALTY: All Blacks have another attacking lineout, just 5 metres out, after another penalty. Australia are having to make a lot of tackles and they're also being penalised - surely a card is not far away.
36TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), TRY TO KIERAN READ: From an attacking scrum, Read picks up from the back and has no-one between him and the try-line - that's too easy.
CONVERSION: Barrett converts - that's 3 out of 3 for him so far.
39TH MINUTE (3 MINUTES LATER), TRY TO SEFA NAIVALU: From the kick-off, Australia go on the attack, eventually getting the ball to Naivalu on the left side-line.
He's one-on-one against Barrett and has too much strength, charging across in the tackle to score.
CONVERSION: Foley converts from on the chalk to send his team into half-time only 7 points astray.
HALF-TIME: All Blacks 17 (Liam Squire & Kieran Read tries; Beauden Barrett two conversions & penalty) Wallabies 10 (Sefa Naivalu try; Bernard Foley conversion; Kurtley Beale penalty)
41ST MINUTE: That try before the break will hurt the All Blacks, who had dominated the half otherwise. It has allowed the Wallabies to stay within striking distance.
42ND MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Sio makes a break up midfield and finds Hooper in support. When the ball is hacked forward, Barrett is trapped behind his own line for an attacking 5 metre scrum to Australia.
43RD MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Australia swarm towards the posts, but Rodda drops the ball cold. All Blacks defensive scrum.
44TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): McKenzie's clearance finds Folau and he starts a counter attack. Hooper makes ground up the left, but the defence manages to bring Simmons down, as he's about to lope away.
45TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Simmons charges towards the posts and is over, but he's wrapped up in a tackle from Barrett and Perenara before he can force the ball. 5-metre scrum.
47TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER), PENALTY: After the action is reviewed, the All Blacks are penalised and Foley lines up a kick from directly in front - he could throw this over.
PENALTY GOAL: He slots it, no problem.
49TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER): Barrett kicks deep and the Aussies have the ball again - not sure this tactic is working for the All Blacks, who are having to do a lot of tackling.
51ST MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER): Foley makes a break up the right and the Aussies are back on attack, building phases. When the ball goes right, Naivalu can't handle it and the All Blacks steal possession.
Barrett threatens to score, but the Wallabies tidy up. Meanwhile, Beale is down field injured.
52ND MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), SUBSTITUTION: All Blacks making replacements - Franks and Moody are gone, Laulala and Tu'inukuafe come on. Sam Whitelock leaves and Brodie Retallick enters the fray.
For the Aussies, Dempsey replaces Hannigan on the side of the scrum. Beale seems winded, but is staying on.
53RD MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), PENALTY, PENALTY GOAL & SUBSTITUTION: Australia are penalised in front of their posts and Barrett makes no mistake with the kick.
The Wallabies also make several changes among the forwards.
55TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER), PENALTY: Ardie Savea has prime position at the breakdown and forces Australia into conceding a penalty. New Zealand are back on attack.
58TH MINUTE (3 MINUTES LATER): Kerevi replaces Naivalu, which may move Folau to the wing. The Wallabies throw crooked into a lineout, so the All Blacks have the ball to a scrum.
59TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), TRY TO BEAUDEN BARRETT: From the scrum, the All Blacks start to go right, but then come left, with Ioane slicing through the wrong-footed defence and off-loading to Barrett in support for a clear run to the line.
CONVERSION & SUBSTITUTION: Barrett converts - he's now 5 from 5 - and in the background, Aaron Smith replaces Perenara and Anton Lienert-Brown comes on for Crotty.
65TH MINUTE (6 MINUTES LATER): Koroibete makes a break up the right touch-line, pushing off Lienert-Brown and Taylor, before he's finally brought down. Haylett-Petty continues the move, but when he tries to offload to Latu, the pass is too low and spilled.
67TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER), PENALTY: Poite is checking a brush-up between Latu and Taylor - Taylor pushed first and then copped a hand in the mush. It wasn't a fist though.
YELLOW CARD: Taylor was the first infringement, but Poite reverses the penalty and shows Latu a yellow card for striking a blow to the face.
SUBSTITUTION: Matt Todd comes on for Liam Squire, so Savea will go to blind-side. McKenzie leaves, Mo'unga comes into first-five and Barrett moves to fullback.
70TH MINUTE (3 MINUTES LATER), TRY TO BEN SMITH: Folau looks threatening and evades SBW, but when he passes inside, it's snapped up by Ben Smith, who sprints away for the try.
There's some question that Aaron Smith ran an interferring line, but that suggestion goes no further. MISSED CONVERSION: Barrett misses the conversion, his first of the night.
SUBSTITUTION: Taylor is replaced by Nathan Harris.
71ST MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Ioane is bundled into touch and when the Aussies throw in, it's David Pocock feeding the lineout, as they opt not to replace Latu with a specialist hooker.
SUBSTITUTION: Seconds later, a scrum is called and starting hooker Fainga'a must come back into the front row.
75TH MINUTE (4 MINUTES LATER), TRY TO ISRAEL FOLAU & CONVERSION: Some nice pressure from the short-handed Aussies and when the ball comes to the back-line, Folau runs off a nice pass to slice through. Foley converts quickly.
77TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER): Latu is back from the sin bin, so the Wallabies have their full contingent.
78TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), TRY TO RIEKO IOANE: Mo'unga makes the initial thrust, before he finds Ben Smith in support. When the ball goes left, Barrett flings a pass between his legs to Ioane, who props infield to score.
MISSED CONVERSION: Mo'unga's conversion attempt is well wide.
80TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER), PENALTY: Australia are penalised on halfway and Mo'unga finds a great touch, just a few metres out from the line.
The All Blacks win the lineout, Harris finds Ben Smith steaming a straight line, but when he's tackled, they knock on. It's over.
Thanks for joining us - catch you next week for the All Blacks vs Japan test in Tokyo.
With that victory, New Zealand complete a three-test Bledisloe Cup sweep of the Wallabies. There were moments they didn't look that convincing, but Latu's yellow card 13 minutes from the end probably swung the game back to the All Blacks.
FULL TIME: All Blacks 37 (Liam Squire, Kieran Read, Beauden Barret, Ben Smith & Rieko Ioane tries; Beauden Barrett three conversions & two penalties) Wallabies 20 (Sefa Naivalu & Israel Folau tries; Bernard Foley two conversions & penalty; Kurtley Beale penalty).
So that is my 244th blog of the year 2018 (MMXVIII) & my 64th of this year.
P.S. And I have been watching the Austin Powers In Goldmember movie on Monday night because it was the best Austin Powers movie ever of all time (It has to be one of my favourite Austin Powers movie) & my favourite scene has to be Mr Roboto getting killed by those sharks with laser beams attached to their heads after Scott Evil (He said that he wants to let him take care of this) dropped Mr Roboto into the pool in Dr. Evil's submarine lair after he told Scott's father, Dr. Evil that he wants a bonus in his paycheck per Japanese custom but Dr. Evil got excited that Mr Roboto wants a bonus but he ended up laughing hard & tells Mr Roboto that he hasn't laughed that hard since he was a little girl but Mr Roboto wasn't joking but he is then promptly devoured without getting paid as was originally intended although Dr. Evil was notably disturbed at how exhilerated Scott was when watching him die.
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