The All Blacks held a narrow 17-14 advantage at half-time before scoring five tries after the break to overwhelm the Wallabies and secure a commanding victory in the opening Test of the 2026 Bledisloe Cup series.
The result also extended New Zealand’s unbeaten run at Eden Park to 54 Test matches, with Australia still unable to end a winless sequence at the Auckland venue stretching back to 1986.
Wallabies start brightly but All Blacks respond
Australia made an encouraging start and opened the scoring through full-back Tom Wright in the eighth minute, taking advantage of space in the New Zealand defence.
The hosts responded through flanker Peter Lakai, who finished a move involving Jordie Barrett and Damian McKenzie to bring the scores level.
New Zealand soon moved ahead when Tupou Vaa’i powered over following a sustained attacking phase. McKenzie added a penalty to extend the advantage, but Australia captain Harry Wilson crossed shortly before the interval to keep the visitors within three points.
The first half ended with the All Blacks leading 17-14, leaving the contest finely balanced.
Roigard and Taylor ignite New Zealand’s second-half surge
The match changed decisively after the break as New Zealand increased the intensity of their attack and began to exploit gaps in Australia’s defence.
Scrum-half Cam Roigard scored from close range in the 50th minute after a rolling maul created the opportunity. Hooker and captain Codie Taylor followed five minutes later, extending the lead to 31-14 and putting the hosts firmly in control.
Australia struggled to maintain possession as New Zealand continued to apply pressure, with the All Blacks’ kicking game and support running repeatedly creating problems for the visitors.
Wingers Leroy Carter and Josh Moorby added further tries before Will Jordan crossed in the closing stages to complete the scoring for New Zealand.
Australia managed a late consolation try through replacement hooker Josh Nasser, but it did little to change the outcome.
McKenzie leads the scoring contribution
Fly-half Damian McKenzie played an important role in the victory, contributing 15 points through his kicking while helping New Zealand control the attacking tempo.
Lakai, Vaa’i, Roigard, Taylor, Carter, Moorby and Jordan all scored tries as the All Blacks spread their attacking threat across the team.
For Australia, Wright and Wilson scored in the first half before Nasser added the final try of the match. The Wallabies had shown promise early on but were unable to match New Zealand’s intensity after the interval.
Bledisloe Cup remains in New Zealand
The victory ensured that New Zealand retained the Bledisloe Cup for the 24th consecutive year, extending a period of dominance in the annual rivalry between the two trans-Tasman nations.
The All Blacks had entered the match seeking a response after three successive defeats against South Africa. Their emphatic performance offered a timely boost under head coach Dave Rennie.
Australia, meanwhile, will need to address their second-half performance after failing to sustain the competitiveness they showed before the interval.
Second Test awaits in Sydney
The teams will meet again on Saturday, 17 October, at Stadium Australia in Sydney for the second Test of the series.
Although Australia can still aim to finish the series strongly, the Bledisloe Cup has already been secured by New Zealand following the opening victory.
The Wallabies will now look to respond in front of their home supporters, while the All Blacks will aim to carry their Eden Park momentum into the return fixture.