Stats & Facts: New Zealand v Australia

A look at the head to head stats and facts for the second Bledisloe Cup test.

NEW ZEALAND v AUSTRALIA – EDEN PARK, AUCKLAND – KO 19:05 (08:05 BST)

Head to head

Played 171 – New Zealand leads 118-45 with eight draws

Points for: New Zealand 3,693 / Australia 2,442 (Avg. score: 22-14)

Highest score: New Zealand 54 (54-34 on 19 August, 2017) / Australia 47 (47-26 on 10 August, 2019)

Biggest winning margin: New Zealand 38 (43-5 on 31 October, 2020) / Australia 21 (47-26 on 10 August 2019 and 28-7 on 28 August, 1999)

First met: 15 August, 1903 – New Zealand 22-3 Australia – Sydney

Last met: 7 August, 2021 – New Zealand 33-25 Australia – Eden Park, Auckland

REFEREE

Referee: Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)

Debut as referee: 18 November, 2017 – Germany 17-46 USA

Tests as referee: 5

• Referee Brendon Pickerill took charge of Australia’s 23-21 win against France in Brisbane at the start of July but is making his Rugby Championship debut as a referee
• This is the opening match of The Rugby Championship 2021 but the second of this year’s Bledisloe Cup

Match facts and stats

• New Zealand took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series when they won 33-25 last weekend

• Each side scored four tries in the match – the first time the Wallabies have managed that feat in a test against the All Blacks in New Zealand since 2005.

• It is also the first time they have scored four tries in any test since defeating Georgia 27-8 at Rugby World Cup 2019

• New Zealand have won 48 Bledisloe Cups to Australia’s 12 and will add another to their collection if they avoid defeat on Saturday

• Australia last held the Bledisloe Cup in 2002, which was actually their fifth title in a row

• In 89 test matches at Eden Park since 1921, the first being a 9-5 loss to South Africa, the All Blacks have lost only 10 times

• They are unbeaten in 44 matches there, a run dating back to a 23-20 loss to France in 1994

• New Zealand have beaten Australia the last 21 times they have faced them at Eden Park

• The 36-0 win in 2019 is their biggest victory against Australia at the ground

• Australia’s last success at Eden Park was the Bledisloe Cup-winning 22-9 victory in 1986

• New Zealand have won their last five test matches, beating Fiji twice (60-13 and 57-23), Tonga 102-0 and Argentina 38-0 before last week’s win against the Wallabies

• Australia have drawn two of their last seven tests

• The last seven matches involving Australia have been settled by eight points or less

• The All Blacks have named the same forward pack as the one that started the first Bledisloe Cup encounter, with hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho retaining his place on the bench and Scott Barrett returning as second-row cover after being a late withdrawal last week

• In the backs, Rieko Ioane moves to centre, replacing Anton Lienert-Brown. Sevu Reece moves to the left-wing and Will Jordan comes in on the right-wing

• Hooker Codie Taylor will play his 60th test for the All Blacks and Brodie Retallick his 85th

• Scrum-half TJ Perenara also returns to the squad and could win his 70th cap off the bench

• Beauden Barrett needs one try to become New Zealand’s top scorer against Australia in his own right. He currently shares the record with Ma’a Nonu and Richie McCaw on 11

• Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has made four changes to the squad beaten 33-25, with Marika Koroibete and Nic White returning from suspension and injury, respectively

• Koroibete takes his place on the wing while White has to settle for a place on the bench, from where he and prop Scott Sio could make their first appearances of 2021

• Matt To'omua and Matt Philip have also earned starts after impressing off the bench