New Zealand scored four tries in the first 25 minutes and held off a second-half Australia fightback with 13 men to beat the Wallabies 31-28 in a Rugby Championship thriller.

The All Blacks led 21-0 after 15 minutes but faltered badly in the second half, only just holding on with 13 men at one point to beat Australia 31-28 in the first Bledisloe Cup test.

Fullback Beauden Barrett will return to the starting 15 in the All Blacks team that will play Australia in the Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup test in Sydney on Saturday. Barrett had been named on the bench for the second test against South Africa in Cape Town two weeks ago as head coach Scott Robertson tried to add experience to solve New Zealand's problem with closing out matches.

The Wallabies charge late but fall short of the All Blacks at Accor Stadium.

Australia seek to snap a 21-year hoodoo against New Zealand in the first Test in Sydney. Join Jonathan Howcroft for updates

By Priscilla Jepchumba New Zealand held on to a narrow win in Sydney against Australia. Despite a thrilling comeback from the hosts, New Zealand continued its d

The hope was a bit like the afternoon sun that caught that sliver of scalp between Scott Robertson’s blonde part. Maybe the All Blacks coach might get burnt in his very first Bledisloe Cup.The pressure was on them,

The All Blacks retain the Bledisloe Cup despite a nervous last 20 minutes in their 28-31 win over the Wallabies in Sydney on Saturday. Both sides scored four tries a piece with the hosts going over the whitewash with Fraser McReight,

The Bledisloe Cup will remain in New Zealand for a 23rd straight year after the All Blacks beat the Wallabies 31-28 in a Rugby Championship thriller in Sydney.