Sydney: New Zealand crushed Australia 42-8 in the first game of the Rugby Championship on Saturday, putting the World Champions on course to retain the Bledisloe Cup.
New Zealand ran in six tries to one during a one-sided game, condemning Australia to the biggest defeat against their arch rivals since 1996.
Australia took an early lead after a penalty from flyhalf Bernard Forley in the fourth minute but it did not last long.
Inside centre Ryan Crotty crossed the line for the first try of the game two minutes later before flyhalf Beauden Barrett scored after a series of slick passes from the visitors.
The lead was extended when blindside flanker Jerome Kaino scored after charging down a kick in the 31st, while Waisake Naholo scored the fourth try in the final stages of the first half, with Barrett again instrumental.
While Australia attempted a rally in the second half, a mistake from Tevita Kuridrani allowed New Zealand prop Dan Coles to score the visitor’s fifth try after 56 minutes. Replacement winger Julian Savea ran in the sixth for the visitors, shrugging off would-be tacklers to take the ball over the line in the corner.
Australia’s Nick Phipps contributed a consolation try after New Zealand Captain Kieran Read was sin binned for denying a scoring opportunity.
Australia must beat New Zealand in Wellington on August 27 to avoid a 14th consecutive Bledisloe Cup defeat.
Meanwhile, Australian police are investigating a possible case of sporting espionage after the All Blacks discovered a listening device inside the hotel room they use for team meetings ahead of the Rugby Championship opener.
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) said earlier on Saturday the team had discovered the device inside a cushion of a chair that was in the room used by them to hold meetings to discuss tactics.
“At this point in time our forensic people are looking at that device,” New South Wales Police Superintendent Brad Hodder told reporters on Saturday. “All I can say is it’s an electronic device.” NZR had asked the police to conduct investigation after a sweep by the team’s security team on Monday found the device.
NSW police said they were only told of the device on Saturday.
The New Zealand Herald newspaper said the device had been described as “sophisticated” and significant effort had been made to conceal it within the chair’s cushion.
NZR Chief Executive Steve Tew told the newspaper it was likely that if the device was working properly, it would have picked up what was discussed in meetings.
He later told reporters that NZR had also informed the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) about the discovery and they were just as shocked as their trans-Tasman counterparts.
“I’ve just informed (ARU boss) Bill (Pulver) and he’s obviously very shocked, as I was, to find out that this could be happening in our environment,” Tew told reporters in Sydney.
“We haven’t made any accusations of anybody so there’s no room for denials. We’d like now to focus on the game.” All Blacks coach Steve Hansen, a former police officer, said in the aftermath of his side’s 42-8 victory over Australia that he was “shocked” by the discovery.
“We just passed it over to the powers that be and just got on with our work,” said Hansen.
Hansen said New Zealand discovered the device following a regular and routine security sweep of the hotel where the team was staying.
Australia coach Michael Cheika said the discovery of the device did not impact his team’s preparations.
“It has nothing to do with us,” Cheika told reporters.
Hansen has said in the past he thought the team were subject to attempts by opponents to discover their game plans ahead of tests.
In 2013, a journalist for a British newspaper took photographs of the team meeting room in their London hotel.
During last year’s World Cup in England, the team trained behind large screened fences and in New Zealand, media access to training sessions are heavily controlled.
ARU boss Pulver had earlier told the Herald his organisation had nothing to do with the device.
“It is completely ludicrous,” he told the newspaper when asked if the ARU was involved. “I just think it’s a ludicrous concept that there are listening devices being placed in team rooms.
“I don’t know how that could happen.”
