All Blacks down Wallabies to stay in Rugby Championship title hunt / Photo: COLIN MURTY - AFP
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All Blacks down Wallabies to stay in Rugby Championship title hunt
New Zealand overcame Australia 28-14 in wet conditions on Saturday to keep their Rugby Championship title dream alive and spoil the swansong of Wallaby prop James Slipper.
The visitors scored four tries to one in front of 60,113 fans in Perth Stadium, many of whom supported the All Blacks.
Quinn Tupaea's double late in the first half broke the game open before teeming rain slowed down the second period.
The result means New Zealand powered to the top of the Rugby Championship standings, but South Africa can clinch the title with victory over Argentina at Twickenham in London later on Saturday.
Australia's slim chances of winning a first Rugby Championship in a decade came to a halt with their record 11th straight defeat to New Zealand.
The home side was unable to send off the retiring Slipper, Australia's most capped player, on a high in his 151st and final Test.
The injury-ravaged All Blacks made a slew of changes after a 33-24 triumph last week at Eden Park saw them once again retain the Bledisloe Cup.
Australia's hopes of an upset were boosted by the inclusions of Will Skelton and Rob Valetini, adding heft to their forward pack.
Having crawled out of the blocks at Eden Park, the Wallabies were determined to start strongly but a fired-up Skelton conceded a penalty for shoving Tamaiti Williams to the ground.
Damian McKenzie could not make him pay, pulling the penalty wide, as the Wallabies dominated the early exchanges despite Leroy Carter burrowing over for the first try in the seventh minute.
The slick Wallabies tore through the right side, only for an Allan Alaalatoa try to be scrubbed after an infringement from Tom Hooper resulted in a yellow card.
The Wallabies were dealt a blow when Skelton trudged off in the 14th minute and he did not return after failing his Head Injury Assessment.
Having endured the onslaught, the All Blacks gained a stranglehold before the interval through spectacular back-to-back tries from Tupaea.
New Zealand's 17-9 half-time lead would have been greater but for McKenzie's off night with the boot, missing one conversion from point-blank range.
Slipper was substituted just after the resumption, walking off to strong applause from the crowd.
Heavy rain fell as the game went into a lull.
McKenzie found his radar in the 61st minute to break the scoring drought, but the Wallabies hit back moments later when Len Ikitau dotted down.
A rejuvenated McKenzie snuffed out Australia's comeback with a brilliant penalty from the right side as the All Blacks continued their dominance.
K.Laurent--JdB
