'Game management' helps All Blacks to big win over Wallabies

VIDEO SHOWS: NEW ZEALAND COACH IAN FOSTER AND AUSTRALIA COACH DAVE RENNIE REACTIONS FOLLOWING THE ALL BLACKS WIN OVER THE WALLABIES

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS:

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (OCTOBER 31, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW ZEALAND COACH IAN FOSTER SAYING:

"I just thought the thing that worked well for us was our game management, particularly. I thought you saw a patient All Black performance in the first half. Sometimes we are guilty of overplaying situations but with the wet and the way the game went, that's probably the area I'm most proud of."

2. IAN FOSTER (CENTRE) AT NEWS CONFERENCE

3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW ZEALAND COACH IAN FOSTER SAYING:

"The only real reason you enjoy winning trophies like this is because you've got fear factor for the opposition and we legitimately have that, so coming out the other side, we're just delighted."

4. AUSTRALIA COACH DAVE RENNIE (LEFT) SITTING AT NEWS CONFERENCE

5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIA COACH DAVE RENNIE SAYING:

"You can't turn over the ball as often as we do. It puts a lot of pressure on us defensively. You've got to give them credit, I thought they were really sharp, really clinical. Skill-set was outstanding in those conditions. Really smart kicking game that they implemented well. You know, even the game awareness that took a couple of well-taken tries, so I thought they were top-notch, we were a long way off it tonight, and that's reflected in the score."

6. DAVE RENNIE (LEFT) AT NEWS CONFERENCE

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIA COACH DAVE RENNIE SAYING:

"Look, we're five or six weeks into a four-year campaign. We're gutted about the result. I must admit, the first game in Wellington, I was nervous about an All Black performance that would find us under pressure, but we showed a lot of character that night, so all I can say is we're going to keep working hard, we think we've got some pretty good kids coming through. We need to respond immediately and we're planning to achieve that next week."

STORY: New Zealand served up a Halloween nightmare for an inexperienced Wallabies side by romping to a record 43-5 victory in the Tri-Nations opener on Saturday (October 31) and claiming the Bledisloe Cup for the 18th successive year.

All Blacks flyhalf Richie Mo'unga scored two brilliant individual tries in six first-half minutes and forwards Karl Tu'inukuafe and Dane Coles also crossed as the visitors raced to a 26-0 lead in just half an hour.

The pain eased for the crowd of 25,689 at Sydney's Olympic Stadium early in the second half when Australia flyhalf Noah Lolesio scored a try on his test debut but Rieko Ioane and Jordie Barrett blew out the score in the last 10 minutes.

Mo'unga converted five of six tries and added a penalty to take his personal match tally to 23 points and ensure the highest victory margin for the All Blacks in 169 tests against their neighbours.

Despite the clinical win and ensuring the Bledisloe Cup would remain on the eastern shores of the Tasman Sea for an 18th straight year, New Zealand coach Ian Foster got another reminder of just how high expectations are for the All Blacks when the first question he faced in his news conference was about areas that needed improvement.

"I just thought the thing that worked well for us was our game management, particularly," the 55-year-old pivoted with the deftness of the flyhalf he was during his playing days.

"I thought you saw a patient All Black performance in the first half. Sometimes we are guilty of overplaying situations but with the wet and the way the game went, that's probably the area I'm most proud of."

Foster was delighted that the All Blacks had been able to secure the Bledisloe Cup on Australian soil for the first time since 2009 against a Wallabies side they had developed a healthy respect for over three tests this month.

"The only real reason you enjoy winning trophies like this is because you've got fear factor for the opposition and we legitimately have that, so coming out the other side, we're just delighted."

Australia coach Dave Rennie refused to blame the inexperience of his playmakers for the record loss to the All Blacks in the Tri-Nations opener but admitted there had been a gulf in class between the two teams on Saturday's showing.

"You can't turn over the ball as often as we do, he said. "It puts a lot of pressure on us defensively. You've got to give them credit, I thought they were really sharp, really clinical. Skill-set was outstanding in those conditions. Really smart kicking game that they implemented well. You know, even the game awareness that took a couple of well-taken tries, so I thought they were top-notch, we were a long way off it tonight, and that's reflected in the score."

Rennie was asked what hope he could offer to long-suffering Wallabies fans after so many years of heavy defeats to their fiercest rugby rivals.

"We're five or six weeks into a four-year campaign," he answered.

"All I can say is we're going to keep working hard, we think we've got some good kids coming through. We need to respond immediately and we're planning to achieve that next week."

Australia play New Zealand again in Brisbane next Saturday (November 7).

(Production: Jill Gralow, Mike Brock)