Cane not able to use red card as an excuse for All Blacks

New Zealand captain Sam Cane felt his side paid for a lack of accuracy when it mattered as they slipped to a surprising defeat to Australia in the final Bledisloe Cup meeting in 2020.

The All Blacks had won the previous two meetings between the countries comfortably, including a record 43-5 success a week ago in Sydney that opened their Tri Nations campaign in style.

However, the Wallabies hit back in Brisbane, coming out on top 24-22 in a game that saw each team have a player sent off in the first half.

Ofa Tu'ungafasi saw red for a high challenge on wing Tom Wright, though the hosts were also reduced to 14 men when debutant Wallabies flanker Lachlan Swinton was dismissed for leading with the shoulder on Sam Whitelock.

Both sides also had to spend 10 minutes down to 13 during proceedings, the All Blacks crucially giving up points late on when lock Scott Barrett was in the sin bin.

Substitute Tupou Vaa'i crossed in the closing minutes to secure the visitors a losing bonus, but Cane felt they could easily have come out on the right side of the result at Suncorp Stadium.

"It doesn't matter if there's 15 players on each side, or it gets down to 14 versus 14 or 14 versus 13, the game is based on building pressure, playing smart, intensity and accuracy," he told the media.

"I didn't think we were quite smart enough when we got down, then I thought we bought the intensity but not the accuracy. They did that really well and controlled the game for large parts."

On the dismissals, he added: "It's a fast-moving game and there are big collisions. Every now and then, players are going to get it slightly wrong.

"I don't think either of those cards were malicious or dirty plays by any means, they were fractionally off.

"We spend a lot of time practicing perfect technique, but in top-level sport like this, there will be the odd error unfortunately."

14 - Reece Hodge scored a match-high 14 points in tonight's #BledisloeCup Test; only three @wallabies fly-halves have scored more in a Test against New Zealand in Australia (Matt Giteau - 18 in 2009, Mark Ella - 17 in 1984 & Bernard Foley -15 in 2014). Capable.#AUSvNZL pic.twitter.com/LeVAb2WsyZ
— OptaJason (@OptaJason) November 7, 2020

With Barrett off the field, Australia capitalised on the opportunity. They managed to drive close enough for a Taniela Tupou try that proved crucial in the final reckoning.

"There were large parts where I was really proud of our effort," All Blacks coach Ian Foster said in his post-match media conference.

"I thought we played with a lot of passion at times, certainly applied a lot of pressure, but we couldn't break them in the way that we wanted to.

"They hung in there and the momentum swung about a bit with some other cards. Scooter's near the end was sort of bad timing for a card, as it put us under immense pressure.

"If you look at where the game went, particularly in the last 10 minutes, I think the Wallabies were penalised about six times in their own 25, because of the pressure we put them under. That was frustrating."