Wallabies blow huge lead as All Blacks storm home to claim thrilling Bledisloe Cup win

Australia has blown an unbelievable opportunity to beat the All Blacks in New Zealand for the first time in 22 years.

The Australian Wallabies took a 17-3 halftime lead in an exciting Bledisloe Cup match in Dunedin but ultimately lost 23-20.

Despite the disappointing outcome, the club showed promising signs of progress under Eddie Jones's tutelage.

The final score reflected the inability of a squad accustomed to defeat to seal the deal in a game they should have won.

With three minutes left and the score tied at 20, an All Blacks knock-on by Quade Cooper gave them possession at the 40-meter line.

After a strong scrum, Australia gave up a penalty, which Richie Mo'unga converted.

New Zealand took the opening kickoff, stomped out some rucks, then kicked the ball out after the final buzzer to maintain their perfect record in 2023.

The Wallabies, on the other hand, have yet to record a victory in 2018.

As a result, they will have the worst record of any Wallabies team ever coming into a major event when they compete in the World Cup in France this September.

France, one of the favorites to win the World Cup, will be their final opponent on August 26 in Paris.

Since 2002, the Wallabies have won at least two games in the lead-up to the World Cup every year.

Before the 1987 World Cup, they had won five of seven matches, three of four in 1991, two of two in 1995, five of seven in 1999, three of seven in 2003, five of seven in 2007, three of five in 2011, four of five in 2015, and three of five in 2019.

It was their first chance to win a game during Jones's second stint as Australia's head coach, and they didn't want to miss it.

at 2002, Jones led the Wallabies to victory over the All Blacks at the same stadium in New Zealand.

And it looked like we were in for a repeat performance.

Australia played with a 64-minute lead.

New Zealand went up 20-17 after a touchdown by rookie backrower Samipeni Finau, which was successfully converted.

As a result, Jones slammed his radio shut in the coaches' box.

Cooper's 47-yard penalty tied the game with seven minutes left, but the Wallabies lacked the mental fortitude to pull off the victory against an All Blacks team that featured 12 replacements from the squad that annihilated Australia in Melbourne last week.

Australia played an almost flawless first half. They took a 17-3 lead over the Kiwis into halftime, the first time it had happened in four years, thanks to a combination of fearless attack, quick rucking, dogged defense, and astute kicking.

Two tries down the left wing side of debuting New Zealand winger Shaun Stevenson got the Wallabies off to an even stronger start than they had last week.

In the third, Marika Koroibete made a cross after receiving a cutout ball from Samu Kerevi. In the eighth, Tom Hooper made a cross after a fantastic midfield break that included Mark Nawaqanitawase and Andrew Kellaway.

Gordon kicked a penalty to make it 17-3 in the 23rd minute, erasing a three-pointer by Damian McKenzie in the 14th.

Three minutes into the second half, Stevenson atoned for his defensive miscues by scoring a touchdown on a double cutout pass from McKenzie, who added the extra point from the sideline.

When Finau scored in the 64th minute, Australia found themselves playing catch-up.

After setting the pace for the game early on, the Wallabies found themselves on the defensive in the second half as they gave up the advantage through many penalties in the scrum and breakdown and missed tackles.

Fraser McReight's 59-minute effort, especially in the breakdown area, was a significant statement for how the Wallabies can best play the game and was much more spectacular than his output against Argentina.

Rough and tough at tighthead, Pone Fa'amausili gave strong evidence that he can step in for the injured Allan Alaalatoa.

While Jordan Petaia continued to show improvement at outside center, halfbacks Tate McDermott and Carter Gordon solidified their position as the best pairing heading into the World Cup.

Questions about the World Cup have been extensively covered.

However, the feeling of having missed out on something great in Dunedin will stay with you for a very long time.