All Blacks rout Australia 38-7 to seal Rugby Championship

All Blacks rout Australia 38-7 to seal Rugby Championship

Third consecutive title gives them a major boost for the World Cup in France.

New Zealand’s Rieko Ioane scores a try in front of Australia’s Jordan Petaia during the Rugby Championships in Melbourne.(AP pic)
MELBOURNE:
The All Blacks stormed to a 38-7 win over a sore and sorry Australia on Saturday to seal a third consecutive Rugby Championship title and enjoy a major boost before the World Cup in France.

The victory also ensured the Bledisloe Cup, the annual trophy contested by the trans-Tasman nations, will stay in New Zealand for a 21st year in succession.

In front of heaving crowd of 83,944 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, winger Mark Telea grabbed a try in each half, while Shannon Frizell, Codie Taylor, Will Jordan and Rieko Ioane also crossed for the All Blacks.

Australian hopes that Eddie Jones might engineer a turnaround in his second stint with the Wallabies have proven forlorn, with the team winless from their three games in the truncated Rugby Championship.

The loss was further soured by an apparent Achilles injury to veteran Allan Alaalatoa, while fellow prop Taniela Tupou suffered a rib problem.

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