Ardie Savea: All Blacks mana restored but still there's work to be done

All Blacks captain Ardie Savea says they got the job done despite another second-half scare against the Wallabies at Eden Park.

A week earlier, the All Blacks were outclassed by the world champions, the Springboks, 43-10 in their Rugby Championship Test in Wellington. It was the All Blacks' worst Test loss.

Savea, who also captains the Super Rugby Moana Pasifika side, ended Saturday's torrid test match with a cut above his eye.

He told a post-match interview that the aim was to retain the Bledisloe Cup, extend their record at Eden Park, and restore “mana” to the jersey.

But he says while they are celebrating the win against the Australians, there's still work to be done.

Details of the All Blacks’ victory will be examined over the next few days, as a defeat on top of a record loss would have been disastrous for New Zealand rugby, with the spotlight on head coach Scott Robertson, his assistants, and the team dynamics.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, left, with All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson at Eden Park. Photo/Photosport/Marty Melville

The biggest question for Razor and his men will be how they allowed the Wallabies to come back into the game after a 20-3 lead 25 minutes into the match, to trail only 26-24 with 10 minutes remaining.

But the Kiwis had a response with halfback Cam Roigard scoring the match-winner, his second in the game, with a converted try.

The Bledisloe Cup, which the Australians last won in 2002, remains in New Zealand, and the All Blacks now keep their Rugby Championship dreams alive.

All Blacks halfback Cam Roigard scored two tries against the Wallabies at Eden Park. Photo/Photosport/Andrew Cornaga

It was not a dominating performance, but Savea, who replaced injured Scott Barrett, says, "We have to be hard on ourselves after this. We can’t sit on our laurels.

"We’ll enjoy tonight and get back on the horse and keep each other accountable. We wanted to put in a performance that brought back some mana to the jersey. That started on Sunday when we came back in as a team.”

The injury toll is high with players leaving the field - Beauden Barrett (shoulder), Caleb Clarke (ankle), Ethan de Groot (head), and Tupou Vaa’i (knee).

The set piece was far better than against the Springboks, as was the All Blacks’ ability to counter the Wallabies’ high-ball game - both areas of serious concern after the collapse in Wellington. New Zealand were also able to contain Wallabies' star Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i, who was largely kept at bay by the All Blacks’ midfield.

Roigard, returning from a foot injury, played a pivotal role in the All Blacks' attack, and his try with five minutes remaining was deserved.

“Those are moments that you dream of,” he told the post-match interview. “Being out for a while. It’s obviously great to be back. To retain the Bledisloe in front of our fans at Eden Park, it doesn’t get much better.

“Credit to Aussie, we knew they were battle hardened with [coach] Joe Schmidt, who has had a massive influence. They are a team that doesn’t fold under pressure. We knew it would take the whole 80 minutes.

“Credit to us, too. In the past couple of weeks, we have let moments slip in the second half. It was good to take control of it. We managed to get a few penalties and keep the scoreboard ticking over and get the try to seal it.”

Schmidt, a former All Blacks assistant coach, told the post-match press conference that his side will need to adapt better to the referee.

“It felt a bit like Cape Town, to be honest, where we got behind, fought our way back. To be two points down in the last 10 minutes, you know, in the end, you’re in the mix. So it’s disappointing for sure.”

The All Blacks will face Australia again in Perth next Saturday.

In other rugby internationals played on the weekend, the Springboks proved too strong for Argentina, winning 67-30 in Durban on Sunday morning, NZ time.

Chile have booked their ticket to the Men's Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2027 (their second time) after a 31-12 win over Manu Sāmoa in the second leg of the South America/Pacific play-off.

Sāmoa were hit with the withdrawal of 10 players just days before the match against Chile. Lakapi Samoa confirmed the withdrawal of players, stating that five players had been called to join the squad. Those who left were due to injuries and call-ups from their clubs.

Sāmoa have one last chance to claim a World Cup spot and will now move into the Final Qualification Tournament.

In the Women's Rugby World Cup finals, England have been crowned champions after defeating Canada 33-13 at Twickenham, while the Black Ferns clinched third place following their 42-26 defeat of France.