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Second heaviest All Black ever sidesteps 80kg Wallaby scrumhalf Nic White to score debut try

By Online Editors
Karl Tu'inukuafe on the way to the try line /Getty

The second heaviest All Black of all time - Karl Tu'inukuafe - proved he's capable of more than just piano shifting as he scored his first try for New Zealand in Bledisloe III.

Tu'inukuafe tips the scales at 135kg, just 1kg lighter than the heaviest All Black - Neemia Tialata. In fact the tighthead prop previously walked around at 170kg (26 stone 10 pounds/374 pounds) before losing weight on a remarkable journey to becoming a professional rugby player. This factoid won't have spared Nic White's blushes however when the giant forward sidestepped the 80kg Wallabies scrumhalf in Bledisloe III.

The Wallabies endured a Halloween nightmare to hand the All Blacks the Bledisloe Cup for an 18th straight year. New Zealand piled on six tries to one, with five-eighth and man-of-the-match Richie Mo'unga bagging a brilliant double and a 23-point personal haul as the All Blacks took an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the four-game series with a record-breaking 43-5 rout on Saturday night.

Wallabies coach Dave Rennie handed Test debuts to five-eighth Noah Lolesio and inside centre Irae Simone, marking the first time in 73 years that Australia had blooded a rookie 10-12 combination against the All Blacks.

But the daring move backfired, Mo'unga's mastery schooling Lolesio as the 20-year-old's forgettable first half helped the All Blacks bolt to a 26-0 lead at the break.

SCORERS

Qantas Wallabies 5 (Lolesio try) New Zealand 43 (Karl Tu'inukuafe, Richie Mo’unga 2, Dane Coles, Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett; Richie Mo’unga 5 cons; Mo’unga pens)

TEAMS

Wallabies: 1. James Slipper 2. Folau Fainga'a 3. Allan Alaalatoa 4. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto 5. Matt Philip 6. Ned Hanigan 7. Michael Hooper 8. Harry Wilson 9. Nic White 10. Noah Lolesio 11. Marika Koroibete 12. Irae Simone 13. Jordan Petaia 14. Filipo Daugunu, 15. Dane Haylett-Petty

Reserves: 16. Jordan Uelese 17. Scott Sio 18. Taniela Tupou 19. Rob Simmons 20. Fraser McReight 21. Tate McDermott 22. Reece Hodge 23. Hunter Paisami

New Zealand: 1. Karl Tu'inukuafe 2. Dane Coles 3. Ofa Tuungafasi 4. Patrick Tuipulotu, 5. Samuel Whitelock 6. Shannon Frizell 7. Sam Cane (c) 8. Hoskins Sotutu 9. Aaron Smith, 10. Richie Mo'unga 11. Caleb Clarke 12. Jack Goodhue 13. Anton Lienert-Brown 14. Jordie Barrett 15. Beauden Barrett

Reserves: 16. Codie Taylor 17. Alex Hodgman 18. Tyrel Lomax 19. Scott Barrett 20. Dalton Papalii 21. TJ Perenara 22. Ngani Laumape 23. Rieko Ioane.

Additional reporting AAP