TNT Sports
All Blacks win Tri-Nations
By
Published 03/09/2005 at 17:24 GMT+1
New Zealand won their sixth Tri-Nations title in ten years, beating Australia 34-24 at Eden Park on Saturday as Doug Howlett earned his first career hat trick with three tries. The Aukland winger clinched the victory for the All-Blacks with his final try
Eurosport
Image credit: TNT Sports
Howlett scored twice in the opening half when the All Blacks piled on 20 points in a 16-minute burst, then crossed for his third eight minutes from the end to seal the win after the Australians had staged an unlikely comeback.
The Wallabies, who went through the entire series without a single win and have now lost their last five tests in a row, scored four tries to give themselves an outside chance of stealing victory.
New Zealand dominated most of the match, controlling the scrums and lineouts and threatening to run riot whenever their backs got the ball.
Australia were reduced to living off scraps of possession but showed enough fighting spirit to put the brakes on New Zealand's scoring just when it seemed the All Blacks were about to pile on the misery.
New Zealand scored three tries in 12 minutes midway through the first half to race to a 20-0 lead before the Australians fought back with 19 unanswered points.
Openside flanker Richie McCaw scored the opening try in the 17th minute after New Zealand stole the ball from the Australian lineout and captain Tana Umaga split the defence.
Howlett scored his first try in the 20th minute when he collected a perfectly-weighted chipped cross-kick from lock Ali Williams then finished off a sweeping backline move for his second touchdown nine minutes later.
That took his international tally to 38, one ahead of another great winger Jonah Lomu as New Zealand's third highest tryscorer.
The Australians appeared doomed at 20-0 down but opened their account five minutes before the interval when winger Mark Gerrard burst through three defenders then offloaded for lock Mark Chisholm to score out wide.
Gerrard scored a try himself two minutes into the second half when he darted through a hole after a clever inside pass from Mat Rogers, who was forced to move to flyhalf because of the Australian's extensive casualty list.
SOLITARY POINT
Lote Tuqiri scored eight minutes later when he charged down an attempted clearance from All Black flyhalf Leon MacDonald, cutting the margin back to a solitary point before New Zealand got back on the front foot once more.
MacDonald, who was struggling with a hip injury, was immediately substituted and his replacement Luke McAlister made an immediate impact, kicking three straight penalties to give his team a handy 10-point lead.
Australian captain George Gregan, playing his record equalling 114th test, was also replaced late in the second half as coach Eddie Jones looked for some fresh legs.
He found some in reserve back Lloyd Johansson, who celebrated his test debut with a try in the corner after Rogers put number eight George Smith into a gap to cut the margin back to five points before Howlett sealed New Zealand's triumph.
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement