WELLINGTON: World champions New Zealand were challenged for 50 minutes but still ran in six tries to beat 37-10 Australia in Auckland yesterday and become the first top tier nation to win 18 consecutive test matches.
Less than a year after becoming the first nation to win back-to-back World Cups and with a much-changed line-up, Steve Hansen’s side bolstered their claim to being the greatest ever rugby team.
Julian Savea scored two tries as Israel Dagg, Anton Lienert-Brown, TJ Perenara and Dane Coles also crossed to help the 2015-16 All Blacks better the record held by the 2013-2014 and 1965-1969 vintages, as well as the 1997-1998 Springboks.
New Zealand’s last defeat was at the hands of the Wallabies in Sydney last year but Australia always faced a tall order to break their 30-year Eden Park hoodoo, even if a single try from Rory Arnold was scant consolation for a spirited effort.
The All Blacks were already assured of retaining the Bledisloe Cup after emphatic victories over Australia in Sydney and Wellington in August and extended their winning streak on home soil to 45 tests.
The All Blacks now head abroad to face Ireland in Chicago and Dublin as well as Italy and France, looking to inch towards the overall test record held by Cyprus.
The Cypriots racked up 24 straight wins by beating the likes of Austria, Bulgaria and Luxembourg before their streak was snapped by Latvia in November 2014.