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Rugby Union

Carter kicks All Blacks to Tri-Nations triumph

21/07/2007

Dan Carter scored 21 points to help New Zealand beat Australia 26-12 to win the Bledisloe Cup and retain their Tri-Nations title in Auckland.

Tony Woodcock scored the only try of the game but it was the consistent boot of Carter that handed the Kiwis the win.

At a rain-soaked Eden Park the hosts took an early lead thanks to a Carter penalty. Aussie centre Stirling Mortlock leveled the scores with a long-range penalty midway through the half.

The visitors claimed the lead when Matt Giteau forced a drop-goal through the posts, but Carter responded with another penalty immediately from the restart.

Mortlock and Carter continued to trade kicks but it was the All Blacks who ended the first half ahead, 12-9.

That trend continued at the start of the second period. Carter struck first for the All Blacks before Mortlock reduced the deficit only for Carter to extend the lead once more.

As the game ebbed and flowed it became clear that the first team to snatch a try would win. That came the All Blacks' way after 59 minutes.

The home side had a spell of prolonged pressure inside the Australian third of the field and eventually made that pay as the prop forward bundled his way over in the corner.

Carter missed the conversion but the 11 point lead broke Australian hopes of an upset. The fly-half slotted over his seventh penalty in the 73rd minute to put the game beyond doubt.

The All Blacks topped the Tri-Nations table on 13 points, with three wins from four games after just a solitary defeat to Australia two-weeks ago.

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