Match stats say Oz should have won

Australia outgained NZ 678 to 570 metres

Had 62% of the territory

Controlled possession 60% to 40% by NZ

Beat 26 defenders to 20 by NZ

Offloaded more, passed much more and were marginally better in the scrums and the lineouts.

……

So how did they lose….well Oz’s penalties while only slightly more than NZ came at critical points…..like Koirebete’s try call backs. And their tackling at 81% to NZ’s 86% was just not at international standard.

This was not a case of one team simply dominating the other….it was a case of crucial errors at the wrong time destroying Australia’s chances.

It's like the first Puma test, stupid errors piled up on them. You can't analyse the game by looking at the scoreboard. Australia can use the ball effectively. We haven't been tested under pressure like that. And the Aussies usually circumvent our physicality and size enough to be competitive, sometimes even getting an unexpected edge. The last time we faced them without the Esterhuizen advantage Josè tried to run at them hard with our Dumbian play, and we were impotent. They had an edge on us physically. The way they absorbed that physicality. That Wallaby side going into 2019 was statistically worse than this one, worst in 45 years. We can't take them lightly given how poorly we've been playing. It would be especially arrogant given that we play them on their turf. 

It is the points that matter.

We lost.

What matters is the result at the end of the game.

Not all the fancy stuff in between.

Sure thing Lügnerin. 

The worrying thing about NZ is - They can beat anyone with 40% of the ball.

And as we have seen over a very long period of time - Unfortunately NZ do not confront the Springboks at the South African game and have been very successful with results.

The South Africans can be as physical as they like but unlike the other nations like England etc - NZ don't take the bait.    

Nz’s only weakness and it could be crucial, is in the scrums.

We'll see, but they'll almost always be "The Team" to beat...we've got a good settled team ATM, let's hope we can beat them a bit more often from now on.