New Zealand Beat Australia 43–21 to Complete Bledisloe Cup Sweep

Updated Saturday, October 17, 2026, after full time. New Zealand defeated Australia 43–21 at Accor Stadium in Sydney to complete a 2–0 Bledisloe Cup series sweep. The All Blacks built a 36–7 halftime lead, then answered the Wallabies’ second-half push to finish the second Test with a 22-point win. Rugby Australia’s completed-match report and the official All Blacks match center both confirm the final score and completed status.

Australia vs. New Zealand: final result

The win followed New Zealand’s 50–19 victory at Eden Park on October 10. That opening result had already secured the Bledisloe Cup for the All Blacks; the Sydney Test decided whether Australia could level the two-match series or New Zealand would take both games. New Zealand’s first-half scoring burst settled the return match early, while three Australian tries after the break narrowed the final margin without changing the outcome.

How the match was decided

New Zealand struck first through Josh Moorby, who finished a move after the visitors reached the Wallabies’ five-meter line. The All Blacks then turned pressure into a second try when Peter Lakai broke through and Beauden Barrett completed the scoring sequence. Lakai added a try of his own, and Rieko Ioane crossed soon afterward as the visitors stretched their advantage to 22–0.

Australia got on the board through lock Jeremy Williams, who collected an offload from fly-half Declan Meredith and scored near the posts. Ryan Lonergan converted. New Zealand answered with a try from Wallace Sititi, then Beauden Barrett intercepted an Australian attack and ran in his second try just before halftime. Damian McKenzie’s successful conversions helped take the All Blacks to a 36–7 break lead.

Moorby scored again soon after the restart, extending New Zealand’s lead to 43–7. Australia responded with a sustained attack that ended with fullback Tom Wright finishing in the corner. Lonergan converted to make it 43–14. The Wallabies kept pressing and, after a rapid movement back upfield, Filipo Daugunu scored Australia’s third try. Meredith added the conversion for the final 43–21 score.

Scoring summary

Those scoring details are listed in Rugby Australia’s match report and live coverage. Lakai was named player of the match. His try helped the All Blacks pull clear during the first half, and the official coverage also recorded his role in the passage that led to Beauden Barrett’s first try.

Turning points in Sydney

The first major swing came after Australia had made early inroads. The Wallabies had opportunities in the opening minutes, but New Zealand recovered the ball and scored through Moorby. The All Blacks then made their next attacking visits count, with Lakai, Barrett and Ioane involved in a spell that produced three tries and put the visitors firmly in control.

Williams’ try briefly gave the home crowd a response, but New Zealand restored its momentum with Sititi’s finish and Barrett’s late first-half interception. The 29-point halftime gap meant Australia needed a near-perfect second half. Instead, Moorby’s second try pushed New Zealand farther away before the Wallabies began to find space through their outside backs.

Wright’s try gave Australia a useful foothold and the hosts created further chances, including an attacking break by Meredith. The All Blacks defended that phase and continued to make the Wallabies work for each possession. Daugunu’s late score completed Australia’s second-half scoring. The official Rugby Australia report describes the opening 40 minutes as the deciding period; the final score reflects New Zealand’s early control and Australia’s improved finish.

What the result means for the Bledisloe Cup

New Zealand retained the trophy with its opening-game win in Auckland and then completed the series sweep in Sydney. Australia therefore finished the two-Test series without a victory. The Wallabies’ 21 points came from three converted tries, while the All Blacks scored seven tries and made four conversions. The second Test did not change which team held the Cup, but it confirmed a clean sweep for New Zealand in the 2026 series.

The fixture was also the closing match of a four-game rugby program at Accor Stadium. The Wallaroos played Scotland earlier in the day, followed by Australia’s men’s sevens side against Fiji and the women’s sevens team against New Zealand. Rugby Australia announced an attendance of 73,399 during its live match coverage. For readers reviewing the result, the official live report records the score, scoring plays and the late match updates, while the completed-match report provides the postgame recap.

Named matchday teams

The following are the published matchday starting XVs and replacements. New Zealand made a late change before kickoff: Jordie Barrett was ruled out with a tight calf, Timoci Tavatavanawai moved into the starting lineup at No. 12, and Chay Fihaki joined the bench. Australia’s named team included Isaac Henry at No. 12 after Len Ikitau was ruled out following a concussion at Eden Park, and Declan Meredith at fly-half with Ben Donaldson unavailable because of a minor upper-leg injury.

Replacements

Venue, kickoff and official match coverage

The match was played at Accor Stadium in Sydney on Saturday, October 17. Rugby Australia’s team announcement and Accor Stadium’s event schedule listed kickoff at 3:45 p.m. AEDT (UTC+11:00), which is 04:45 UTC on October 17. The All Blacks’ official match card displayed 5:00 a.m. in its New Zealand-facing listing, equivalent to 4:00 p.m. in Sydney and 05:00 UTC. These official listings differ by 15 minutes; the scheduled time shown here follows the host union and venue schedule. Rugby Australia listed Stan Sport and the Nine Network for Australian coverage.

For the final score and match account, see Rugby Australia’s completed-match report and its live coverage and match log. The All Blacks official match center independently marks the game completed at 21–43. The Accor Stadium event page confirms the venue, event date and host-listed start time.