Tokyo Tactics Pay Off

The All Blacks extended their seven-match unbeaten record over the Wallabies with a score of 32–19 watched by a crowd of 44,030 at Tokyo’s National Stadium. Dan Carter kicked 22 points to add to tries from Sitiveni Sivivatu and Conrad Smith on either side of halftime. “It is great to have some momentum,” said All Blacks head coach Graham Henry. “The game as a spectacle was excellent, and I’m sure the people who watched it will have enjoyed it. It was outstanding to hear the Japanese people calling out ‘All Blacks, All Blacks,’ and to have a game like that and a full house and people going away with smiles on their faces can only help the game here.” The match was only the second time the Bledisloe Cup has been contested away from home, following last year’s spectacle in Hong Kong.