James Slipper leads the Wallabies out past a clutch of Australian greats, George Gregan and John Eales among those clapping him out. The loosehead’s longevity and consistency over these last 14 years have been incredible, riding his side’s ups and downs.

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.

The Bledisloe Cup series between Australia and New Zealand comes around each year as a high point of the Southern Hemisphere rugby season.

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.

You can’t keep living on future revenues.' Photo / Photosport The poor old Wallabies are trying to claw their way up the world rankings from an historic low of ninth, and they are desperately trying to make punitive interest payments on the $80m debt facility they were afforded by an Australasian fund manager.

New Zealand snapped a two-game losing streak with a nail-biting 31-28 win over Australia on Saturday, holding off a second-half charge to retain the Bledisloe Cup.

Australia and New Zealand will look to salvage difficult Rugby Championship campaigns as they meet in the first of back-to-back Bledisloe Cup clashes. Joe Schmidt’s hosts are reeling after a record defeat in Argentina that raised yet more tough questions over the state of the Wallabies.

The biggest rivalry in rugby union will have its next meeting on Saturday as the Wallabies and All Black clash for Bledisloe Cup bragging rights in Sydney.