Australia vs. New Zealand: Winners and Losers from Bledisloe Cup

New Zealand clinched a 29-28 victory over Australia on Saturday after 80 minutes of back-and-forth rugby, claiming their win with the last kick of the match in Brisbane.

The Wallabies had led for much of the clash, but New Zealand roared back in the second half, enduring Patrick Tuipulotu's sin-binning to claim a momentous triumph and further consolidate their Bledisloe Cup title.

Adam Ashley-Cooper celebrated his 100th Wallabies Test as one of Australia's try scorers, but it ended in far-from-ideal circumstances for the Waratahs playmaker, who was made to settle for defeat in the end.

Tries from Cory Jane, Dane Coles, Aaron Smith and Malakai Fekitoa paved the way to victory, while substitute Colin Slade struck the decisive kick.

Following on from such a gripping affair, both coaches again come away from each other's vise with a host of lessons to learn and a raft of positives and negatives to take away from Suncorp Stadium.

Winner: Adam Ashley-Cooper Marks His Century in Style

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Saturday was an especially significant fixture for Adam Ashley-Cooper, who became Australia's sixth Test centurion and couldn't have done a much better job of showing his seniority against the world's finest opposition.

Still just 30 years of age, there's plenty of rugby left for the utility to play, so it's just as well his potency is showing no signs of dropping as he initially pushed the Wallabies out of All Blacks' reach with a crucial third try for his team.

Part of what makes Ashley-Cooper's story so intriguing are the humble circumstances in which he rose to glory, especially considering he may never have even chased a rugby career. This week he was quoted by Fox Sports (h/t Courier Mail) in saying:

"

It’s a little surreal. I’m sure it’s going to take a while for it to all sink in. Once it’s all happening on the weekend and the caps have been handed out, I’ll probably still pinch myself.

From where I’ve come from, I’m just a Central Coast battler and trying to survive. I didn’t really have an idea that I was going to be a professional rugby player until I left school. So it wasn’t until I started playing first grade that I thought I’d ever even give it a decent crack.

"

With Julian Savea opposite, it was always going to be a tough day's work in Brisbane on his 100th Test outing, but Ashley-Cooper continued to show class in the face of adversity, at least on the individual scale.

In total, McKenzie's lead man made 47 metres with ball in hand, beating three defenders along the way and making his way back and forth across the line, failing to miss a tackle all game.

It's how he's done things for the majority of his career and how he'll continue to do things for the remainder, we're sure.

Loser: Wallabies' Shut-out Power Not Yet at World-Class Levels

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There's nothing to be taken away from Australia after a fine display against a side which has resoundingly dominated world rugby for going on four years now, but improvement comes from self-criticism.

In that respect, McKenzie's men must look to emulate New Zealand's trait in not just winning games but completely taking the fixture out of their opponent's hands, something which was never the case on Saturday.

For every point the Wallabies scored, it looked like New Zealand had a reply in them, their biggest lead at any one point coming through Ashley-Cooper's 42nd-minute score, then standing at 10 points.

It's, of course, harsh to expect such stellar standards in a Bledisloe Cup match, where restraining the All Blacks to the point of non-effectiveness will always be a tough ask, but these are the criteria upon which titans are tested.

Moving forward, Australia must mimic that inherent New Zealand ability of maintaining both attack and defence not just for flashes but for a full 80 minutes at a time, lest their fans endure further scares in the stands.

Winner: Tevita Kuridrani Once Again Thriving Under the Spotlight

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Just as Ashley-Cooper might be the reliable servant of known securities, Tevita Kuridrani continues his rise as a potential mainstay of this Wallabies team for years to come.

His ability to succeed in the face of extreme pressure was on full display against South Africa several weeks ago, and Conrad Smith found it tough to contain the 23-year-old at times, which is no small feat.

Christian Lealiifano's switch back to inside centre may have made for a disjointed relationship in Australia's midfield, but Kuridrani adapted smoothly to the swap, rushing New Zealand's borders for 92 metres and beating six defenders.

Among a squad whose inconsistencies have been the main issue over the past year, Kuridrani is one showcasing solid numbers on a steady basis, and being able to do so against the big guns of the globe is a promising improvement.

Loser: Beauden Barrett Unable to Cement His Place at No. 10

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It was far from a terrible day's work for Beauden Barrett at Suncorp Stadium, but it's also fair to say his place in the starting fly-half role isn't assured, either.

Prior to the fixture, Steve Hansen stated that Aaron Cruden's omission from the squad was by no means as a lingering result of his two-match ban for missing a team flight in Auckland, but purely thanks to Barrett's own fine work.

John Pye of The Independent quoted the All Blacks coach:

"

(Cruden) is definitely not getting punished. He's back in the group because we want him in the group. He hasn't made the 23 simply because we think Barrett has been playing well enough to get another go.

"

Slade offers a more rounded cover from the bench, so Cruden's absence made sense on paper, but his presence at No. 10 was perhaps missed this weekend.

In an offensive sense, Barrett showed promise and helped set Dane Coles up for a crucial score with some quick handling, and his surges in midfield didn't go unnoticed, either.

It's perhaps in that regard that he holds a slight edge over Cruden, but after missing one particularly simple kick and failing in three of his five tackle attempts, his fly-half competition definitely still has hopes of returning very soon.

Winner: New Zealand Lose None of Their Crushing Comeback Potential

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Just as they did against Ireland at the end of 2013, New Zealand sealed a most soul-shattering win in Brisbane—at least from an Australian point of view—leaving it to the last kick of the game to take their spoils.

It's a trait of the All Blacks' play that many might attempt to copy, but there seems to be just no holding this team back in the face of a deficit, with mental fortitude perhaps the greatest attribute above all physical tones.

South Africa beat Hansen's men in the Rugby Championship to show New Zealand are indeed human, but even now the team is maintaining its strength in surmounting the odds.

All statistics come courtesy of ESPN Scrum.