All Blacks thrash Australia in Tri-Nations to retain Bledisloe Cup

Sydney: New Zealand romped to a record 43-5 victory over Australia in the Tri-Nations opener in front of a crowd of 25,689 at the Olympic Stadium on Saturday to retain the Bledisloe Cup for the 18th straight season.

The Tri-Nations, which also involves Argentina, replaced the Rugby Championship after world champions South Africa withdrew from the annual southern hemisphere test competition citing player welfare concerns.