New Zealand (12) 26
Tries: Woodcock
Pens: Carter (7)

Australia (9) 12
Pens: Mortlock (3)
Drops: Giteau

New Zealand retained the Tri-Nations title and the Bledisloe Cup with a hard-fought win over Australia at a damp Eden Park in Auckland.

Heavy rain made the early stages a battle, with four Dan Carter penalties helping the All Blacks to a slender 12-9 lead at half-time.

But the hosts' physical power told after the break when Tony Woodcock went over from close range on 59 minutes.

A seventh Carter penalty on 72 minutes put the result beyond doubt.

A heavy pre-match downpour put paid to hopes of running rugby and the boot was always to the fore.

Carter and Australian skipper Stirling Mortlock put on an exemplary display off the kicking tee in a tit-for-tat first-half in which the biggest margin between the teams was three points.

A Matt Giteau drop-goal gave the Wallabies a 6-3 lead on 25 minutes, but they were unable to hold on to that advantage until the break as Carter slotted three more penalties to Mortlock's one.

Following another Carter effort, Mortlock pulled his team back to within three points again before being harshly adjudged to have caught Doug Howlett with a high tackle.

Carter stepped up again to slot the points and Australia were never to get back within touching distance of their hosts.

"We had a lot more ball and a lot more territory in the first half but didn't use it as much as we should," said Mortlock.

"We came out in the second half and didn't have any territory at all."

We put them under pressure, especially chasing kicks, and got a bit of a reward for that Richie McCaw, NZ skipper

Despite causing New Zealand some trouble at the line-out in the first half and standing stout in defence, John Connolly's men never threated to score a try.

The All Blacks only had one real chance for a five-pointer but did not waste it.

Brendon Leonard broke in midfield to set up the platform of a five-metre scrum and when the replacement scrum-half darted for the line his pack piled in to support and Woodcock ducked in at the corner.

Coach Graham Henry said of the difference between the two halves: "We got the ball in front of us a lot more.

"Our lineout obviously improved immensely in the second half which was a key factor, we had more dominance at scrum time which led to the try."

And his captain Richie McCaw added: "We didn't have a lot of ball outside our own half in the first spell.

"In the second half we put them under pressure, especially chasing kicks, and got a bit of a reward for that.

606: DEBATE All in all, a good pointer to the World Cup - NZ is looking good kiwibloke01

"Through the whole Tri-Nations, the emphasis was on doing it right. We didn't always do it right but putting a couple of trophies in the cabinet tonight is pretty satisfying."

The win clinched the Tri-Nations title for the third straight year, kept the Bledisloe Cup in New Zealand for the sixth year in a row and extended to 22 years the All Blacks' winning streak over the Wallabies at Eden Park.

However, the focus all along has been the World Cup.

Graham Henry's men will head to France as favourites to secure a first success since 1987 after this confidence-boosting win.

But despite their professionalism in seeing off Australia, there is hope for everyone else as the All Blacks are still struggling to meet the scintillating standards they set last season.

New Zealand: Muliaina; Howlett, Toeava, McAlister, Rokocoko; Carter, Kelleher, Woodcock, Oliver, Hayman, Robinson, Jack, Collins, McCaw (capt), So'oialo.
Replacements: Mealamu, Tialata, Thorne, Masoe, Leonard, Mauger, Evans.

Australia: Ashley-Cooper; Mitchell, Mortlock (capt) Giteau, Gerrard; Larkham, Gregan; Dunning, Moore, Shepherdson, Sharpe, Vickerman, Elsom, Smith, Hoiles.
Replacements: Freier, Baxter, McMeniman, Chisholm, Waugh, Staniforth, Latham.