New Zealand have produced a masterclass performance to destroy Australia at ANZ Stadium, scoring six tries to one to claim a one-sided victory after conceding the opening points of the night, a penalty from Bernard Foley.
The shell-shocked Wallabies were dominated in every facet, with the scrum and lineout malfunctioning, the breakdown ravaged and bodies broken in a disastrous start to the Rugby Championship.
The Test was all over by halftime, with the Wallabies trailing 32-3 and barely able to field a backline after worrying injuries to Matt Giteau (ankle), Matt Toomua (neck/head) and Rob Horne (shoulder). So dire was the casualty toll that reserve half-back Nick Phipps played on the wing, forced to mark up on All Blacks powerhouse Julian Savea, as Australia's hopes of ending a 14-year Bledisloe Cup drought suffered a psychological hammer blow.
Without a victory in New Zealand in 15 years, the Wallabies must win twice in two months across the Tasman to miraculously wrestle back the trophy.
That goal seemingly a pipe dream, the first priority will be regrouping for return bout in Wellington next Saturday with coach Michael Cheika certain to require several reinforcements. Newly appointed national skills coach Mick Byrne also has a huge task trying to solve Australia's kicking woes after a series of fundamental blunders from the Wallabies.
Giteau, who lasted barely 10 minutes before limping off in a painful re-run of his 2015 World Cup final despair, failed to find touch from a penalty before the All Blacks' first try, while Bernard Foley and Israel Folau both had clearing kicks charged down -- Foley's gifting Jerome Kaino a five-pointer.
But the set piece remains Cheika's biggest concern, with the All Blacks winning five lineouts on the Wallabies' throw and a rare scrum against the feed.
All Blacks captain Kieran Read described the performance as "outstanding" although he lamented disappointing execution in the second half that he claimed cost them "a couple of tries", while his Wallabies counterpart, Stephen Moore, was lost for words.
"It's hard to know what to say," Moore said.
"I feel for all our fans who came out tonight. It wasn't good enough for us tonight. Really disappointed.
"I thought we clawed back into it in that second half, but [it was] just too big a lead.
"We prepared well and trained really hard in the last three weeks and we thought we were ready to play well tonight, but we need to look at all that - go back to it.
"We've got another game next week so you don't just give up.
"We've just got to keep going and get ready for next week over there."
