All-powerful All Blacks banish brave Wallabies to 11th straight Bledisloe loss | Australia rugby union team

The Bledisloe Cup was gone for a 23rd straight year for Australia but the Wallabies still had plenty to play for in Perth. It was James Slipper’s final Test after 15 years and 151 games in gold. The Rugby Championship was still winnable and there was a 10-Test losing streak against New Zealand to snap. Most of all, despite four wins from nine in 2025, the Australians were desperate to reassure fans they were “back” as a global rugby force.

And for much of Saturday night’s Test, the Wallabies looked sure to end a 1,792 day drought since last beating the All Blacks. They were strategically enterprising, accurate off the kicking tee and unleashed long phases of blistering attack. But ultimately, a heathen’s brew of dud luck, ill-discipline and errors cruelled the quest as the Wallabies fell to a 28-14 defeat, extending their losing streak against New Zealand to 11 Tests since 2020.

In all five Rugby Championship Tests, the Wallabies have started poorly and stormed home. On Saturday night they started superbly, fast hands and daring play rattling the All Blacks early and allowing flyhalf Tane Edmed to kick them to a lead. But when talisman Will Skelton won a turnover and celebrated with a shove, English referee Matthew Carley quixotically reversed the penalty. It was to be that sort of night.

Australia’s lead lasted mere seconds as Nick Frost fumbled the kick-off and the black mass swarmed to put Leroy Carter over from the ensuing maul. An Edmed penalty made it 7-6 but the Wallabies weren’t content to kick to victory. Instead their hands flashed and flicked and the gold rush put Allan Alaalatoa over. But again the referee found fault, yellow-carding Tom Hooper for a dangerous tackle and scrubbing the try.

The news got worse when talismanic lock Skelton failed an HIA and was sidelined. But the Wallabies kept coming, new starting winger Filipo Daugunu testing the black line in attack and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii monstering the All Black runners in defence. Despite trialling a seventh halves combination in Edmed and Jake Gordon, Australia’s attack was cohesive and creative. Only simple errors in wet conditions stymied them.

And bad luck. It reared its ugly head again when Jordie Barrett head-butted the ball forward for Quinn Tupaea to tow ahead and score. A minute later, a quick tap and big fend gave Tupaea a second, with only a third missed kick by Damian McKenzie saved a blown-out scoreline. It was classic cunning and opportunism from New Zealand and it meant, the Wallabies, despite dominating the half, went to the sheds 17-9 down.

This was an important Test for the code. With two AFL teams firmly established in Western Australia and the Perth Bears coming into the NRL competition, rugby union needed to give the 60,000-strong crowd at Optus Stadium a show. The west had been a happy hunting ground for the Wallabies, having won seven of 10 Tests here (including their biggest defeat of the old enemy, a 47-26 win against the Kiwis in 2019). Could they find a fightback?

As the rain intensified in the second half, coach Joe Schmidt sent fresh troops in to ride the storm. Slipper staggered into retirement and Taniela Tupou arrived with No 8 Rob Valetini on his hip. They sharpened the gold arrowhead and for 20 minutes the Australians threw everything at New Zealand, shrugging off another yellow card to Len Ikitau to dominate possession. But for all their attack, every fusillade fizzed out.

But this Wallabies side is crazy-brave. Their comebacks this year have shocked England, Fiji, the British & Irish Lions, South Africa and Argentina. So when sustained attacking raids put Ikitau over the chalk for 20-14 with 14 minutes to go, local fans dared to dream. But McKenzie kicked the Kiwis out of striking range and a 80th minute try from a low drive sealed a fifth straight winless series for the men in gold.

Wallabies winger Max Jorgensen said his side needed to improve their discipline on Australia’s five-Test overseas tour starting on 25 October in Japan. “A lot of silly errors that we need to get out of our game. That’s what Test footy is, it’s the best of the best, so you can’t be making those mistakes. If you want to be the best team in the world you’ve got to be at your best at every aspect of the game.”