New Zealand survived a late Australia comeback to triumph 31-28 in a dramatic Rugby Championship clash in Sydney

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.

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 Wallabies are suffering from growing pains under new coach Joe Schmidt in this year's Rugby Championship. Two losses to South Africa were followed up by a good win on the road against Argentina, and Australia looked good to get a second in a row when they found themselves 20-3 ahead in Santa Fe.