New Zealand retained the Bledisloe Cup for a 23rd straight year as they powered past Australia to extend their remarkable unbeaten run at Eden Park.
The All Blacks have not lost at the venue since 1994, with a dominant second-half display increasing their unbeaten run in Auckland to 54 Tests.
Australia remained in touch at half-time at 17-14 down but New Zealand blew the visitors away after the break, scoring five tries.
Peter Lakai, Tupou Vaa’i, Cam Roigard, Codie Taylor, Leroy Carter, Josh Moorby and Will Jordan all scored as fly-half Damian McKenzie kicked 15 points to help the All Blacks retain the trophy which is contested annually between the two nations.
Victory halted a three-match losing streak for the All Blacks after the 3-1 series defeat by world champions South Africa this summer.
Defeat for the Wallabies was their first since head coach Les Kiss succeeded Joe Schmidt in July, ending their six-game unbeaten run.
Australia were looking for their first win at Eden Park since 1986 and went ahead after controlling the early stages through full-back Tom Wright’s try.
New Zealand responded strongly, and inspired by scrum-half Roigard’s searching kicks, turned the match around with tries from Lakai and Vaa’i.
Wallabies captain Harry Wilson scored a try to keep New Zealand at arm’s length, but the All Blacks moved through the gears in the second half.
Roigard grabbed a try for himself shortly after the break, before Taylor, Carter, Moorby and Jordan went over as Australia struggled to hold back the hosts’ waves of attack.
Josh Nasser added a late try for the visitors, but the match was well beyond their reach by that point.
The second match of the two-Test series takes place in Sydney at the Accor Stadium on 17 October.
New Zealand: B Barrett; Jordan, Tupaea, J Barrett, Carter; McKenzie, Roigard; De Groot, Taylor (c), Newell, S Barrett, Lord, Vaa’i, Lakai, Sititi
Australia play their first Test in South Africa since the 2018 ball-tampering scandal when they start a three-match series in Durban on Friday, with the visitors unlikely to face more than a few heckles over the incident that rocked the sport eight years ago.
The tourists’ efforts to roughen up the ball using sandpaper to aid reverse swing in Cape Town in March 2018 were caught on camera and led to a major reckoning for the game in Australia, with captain Steve Smith among those banned for their role in the subterfuge.
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Al Jazeera Sport takes a closer look at the first Test battle in South Africa since the infamous series.
What is the context for the first return of series since ‘Sandpapergate’
South Africa have played Tests in Australia since ‘Sandpapergate’, and Australia have toured South Africa in the interim for limited-overs internationals.
The scandal has attracted little media focus in South Africa over recent weeks in comparison to the attention devoted to the incident in the Australian press.
After dethroning Australia last year in a thrilling World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s to win a first major title, South Africa are focused on improving their chances of a return to the final at the end of the 2025–27 WTC cycle.
What shape are South Africa in for the visit of Australia?
The pitch at Kingsmead often proves a fickle track but should offer the spinners a chance to play a leading role in a change from South Africa’s usually seamer-friendly surfaces.
It is unusual for South Africa’s chances to be largely entrusted to their spin attack, but Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj wreaked havoc in India last November when they triumphed in their last two Test outings.
Spin was also a key factor for the home side as they beat Australia in the recent One-Day International series.
South Africa may therefore opt to rest frontline attack bowler Kagiso Rabada from the Test as he continues his comeback from a hamstring injury.
South Africa also have a choice to make over their number three batsman, with coach Shukri Conrad having several options including a potential first cap for 30-year-old Marques Ackerman.
How are Australia poised for their South Africa return?
Australia are also in need of a boost after a surprise home Test defeat by Bangladesh in August in their drawn series, and with an Ashes tour to England starting next June.
Injury to Australia all-rounder Cameron Green opens up a chance at number five for Cooper Connolly, or a fairytale return for 34-year-old Nic Maddinson after recovering from cancer.
Head hits back at former Australia players in defence of Test team
Australia opener Travis Head has taken to task former Test players turned critics whom he accused on Wednesday of “putting a bullet” through the current team.
Head did not single out any pundit directly, but his strong remarks at a news conference came the day after Matthew Hayden, one-time holder of the record for the most runs in a Test innings, accused selectors of “promoting the greatest pile of mediocrity that we’ve seen in a generation of cricket”.
The reference, made in a podcast, was about the recall of Maddinson, who has been out of Test cricket for nearly 10 years, but who joined the squad in South Africa after Josh Inglis fractured his finger and Cameron Green suffered a stomach injury.
“I think it’s unfairly judged a fair bit from a group of past players, pretty much that put the bullet through a lot of players, which I think is unfair,” Head said.
“But that’s what they’re paid to do. Some of them need a job, so they go after us, and that’s totally fine.
“This group is strong enough to deal with those sorts of things. That’s how it is. It’s unfortunate sometimes to have some of that feedback from a generation of players that we have huge respect for, but that’s the caper.”
Why have Australia selectors been accused of disrespecting cricket?
Hayden accused the selectors of “disrespecting first-class cricket”, asserting that batsmen should have an average of 45 runs or more before being considered for Test selection.
Head, however, praised Maddinson’s abilities and the benefits of choosing experienced players for Test cricket despite the 34-year-old replacement having a first-class average of 37.11.
“We need mature guys that know what they need to be doing,” Head said. “That revolves back to why we’ve been so good over a period of time, and why Australian cricket was so good back then in that era, because you’d bring in the Mike Husseys of the world, who are 30, who are tried and tested and know what they need to do.”
Former Australia captain Allan Border suggested that the 32-year-old Head would face his toughest test as an opener against the South African bowling attack and would perhaps be better batting at number five.
“I have laughed at a fair bit of it because if a traditional opening batter had pushed out the same sort of numbers in his first 20 innings, I think he’d be pretty safe and not talked about in the way that it has been talked about,” Head said. “It’s a lot of headline stuff.”
South African fans hold up a banner with reference to the sandpaper scandal during the fourth Test against Australia in 2018 [File: Gavin Barker/EPA]
Smith still traumatised by Sandpapergate
In the build-up to the series, Smith has admitted he is still traumatised by “Sandpapergate” – the series he oversaw as captain.
The prolific batter was sent home in disgrace, banned for a year and sacked as captain for his role in the ball-tampering scandal during the third Test in Cape Town eight years ago.
David Warner, considered the ringleader, was suspended for 12 months and stripped of all leadership roles, while Cameron Bancroft was slapped with a nine-month ban.
Smith said he still suffers flashbacks to a traumatic period of his life, haunted by memories of leaving Johannesburg airport, with cameras clicking furiously around him, and a harrowing Sydney news conference on his return when he broke down in tears.
“I’m not a big fan of cameras … I get anxious around cameras to be honest,” he told News Corp.
“That was a traumatic experience in my life, and when I hear the flash of a camera it makes me revisit that in a way.
“The 24-48 hours of being told by James Sutherland [then Cricket Australia chief executive] that I was getting banned for a year. That and going through the airport in Johannesburg getting absolutely mobbed, and then flying back and doing that press conference.
“I still have little flashbacks here and there of it.”
Smith bore the brunt of the scandal that is considered one of Australian sport’s darkest moments, but bounced back emphatically.
He smashed a superb century against England on his return and has gone from strength to strength, with 10,920 Test runs so far at an average of 56.
“It was certainly a difficult period, particularly the initial period a few days after,” he said.
“The mental state I was in was not great. That’s somewhere I’d like not to get to again, but I certainly learned from that and have been able to move forward with my life.
“I’ve tried to kind of erase a lot of 2018 and what happened,” he added.
“I can’t remember a lot about the series. I’ve tried to block most of it out of my memory bank.”
Smith has been back to South Africa for a white-ball series since 2018, but not for a Test, and he is bracing for hostile crowds.
But the 37-year-old is unperturbed, having negotiated multiple Ashes tours to England since 2018, where the Barmy Army abused him relentlessly.
“It’s something I’m kind of used to. I’ve copped a lot at times away from home at different venues across my career and it’s something that I take in my own stride,” he said.
“I use it as motivation to try and go out and do well and try and take a positive from it.”
THE top cities in the WORLD have been announced from far-flung Asia to the ‘city of love’ that has cheap UK flights.
Readers of Conde Nast Traveller voted for their “favourite urban sprawls across the planet” to decide which ones are the best and it might be time to book that bucket list trip to Thailand.
The best city in the world is Bangkok – you can pick up street food for as little as £1Credit: AlamyThe second best city in the world is Paris – which has £13 flights from the UKCredit: Alamy
Taking the number one spot on the list is Bangkok which was praised for its “buzzy markets, glittering palaces and captivating religious sites unite – street food sellers dishing up tasty food between them all, of course.”
When Assistant Travel Editor Sophie Swietochowski visited Bangkok she picked up tasty dishes for the equivalent of £1 – you can also pick up beer for as little as £1.14 according to Wise.
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She said: “Within an hour of being in Thai capital Bangkok’s Chinatown we have sampled street food including noodle soup splashed with vinegar, fish sauce and sugar; crunchy corn parcels.
“A bowl of salty critters, displayed next to a row of scorpions on sticks; purple mashed potatoes shaped into doughy, salty balls; and traditional sweet luk chup, made with mung beans.”
She also visited Lebua Hotel’s Sky Bar, which was the filming location from 2011 buddy comedyfilm The Hangover 2 and it’s home to the “world’s highest open-air whisky bar”, Alfresco 64.
The city coming second on the list is much closer for Brits to visit, it’s Paris.
The French capital is said to have “topped bucket lists of international travellers for centuries thanks to an unrivalled food culture, grand monuments, world-class museums and subtly seductive atmosphere.”
From the UK it’s easy to reach the French capital either on the Eurostar or plane with one-way flights as little as £13.
There’s so much to do in Paris from sight-seeing landmarks like the Eiffel Tower or wandering around the Louvre.
When Travel Reporter Alice Penwill ventured to Paris for an extreme daytrip on the Eurostar she had some suggestions on how to spend time there.
Valletta in Malta came in fifth – and it gets 300 days of sunshine each yearCredit: Alamy
She said: “To start the morning off right, it would be a crime not to pop into one of Paris’ many bakeries, or boulangeries, for a croissant and a coffee.
“Take one to go and stroll along the Seine before heading into the Musée d’Orsay where you can see work by artists like Monet, Renoir and Van Gogh.
“Afterwards, head back along the Seine to see the beautiful Notre Dame which has now reopened to visitors. And if you’re a fan of books, pop across to the famous bookshop, Shakespeare And Company.”
Turkey’s capital, Istanbul was named the third best city in the world which was called “chaotic in all the best ways.”
The publication said: “Centuries of history sit alongside a vibrant contemporary culture, with new waves of artisans luring travellers into chic boutiques after tours of places like Topkapı Palace, the Blue Mosque and the sweet-scented Grand Bazaar.”
She described it as a “trendy pocket of an otherwise busy, but beautiful city.”
If you wander into Karaköy’s backstreets and climb towards neighbouring Galata, you’ll find that cobbled lanes and historic buildings lead to the landmark Galata Tower.
Istanbul came in third spot and is divided by the Bosphorus straitCredit: AlamySouth Africa’s Cape Town is a popular winter sun spots for Brits with no jet lagCredit: Getty
Head up for spectacular views across the Golden Horn, Bosphorus and historic peninsula – it’s especially beautiful in the late afternoon.
Valletta in Malta comes in at number five and it’s a popular spot for Brits thanks to its 300 days of annual sunshine.
Even in November it can see highs of 18C – and it’s reachable from the UK in just over three hours and flights are as little as £15.
It was voted last year’s top city thanks to its mix of ancient but also modern feel and architecture.
Other popular winter sun destinations that made the list include Cape Town in South Africa which in January and February has highs of 25C – while the UK shivers in highs of 8C.
There’s also no jet lag because Cape Town is either one or two hours in front of the UK – depending on the time of year.
When Head of Travel (Digital) Caroline McGuire visited, she saw Table Mountain, lots of wildlife, vineyards and was impressed with an area called Kalk Bay.
She said: “At the town’s upmarket Harbour House restaurant, we dined on seafood and good wine for the price of a Pizza Hut meal in the UK — all while watching seals swimming in the harbour.
“Our accommodation was the charming Chartfield Guesthouse, staying in a huge two-bedroom apartment. It was bigger than my house back home, and cost only £94 a night.
“Kalk Bay is a prime spot for visiting the endangered African penguins of neighbouring Simonstown – there must have been around 100 on the town’s shoreline.”
These are the top 20 cities according to Conde Nast Traveller…
BHP (BHP) said Tuesday it agreed to divest the Kambalda nickel concentrator plant and a package of tenements and mineralization rights in Western Australia to Gold Fields (GFI) for an undisclosed sum.
Australian police and intelligence join the list of those probing the incident.
Published On 4 Oct 20264 Oct 2026
Authorities have said they are investigating the links of the co-pilot of the Israel-bound Flydubai flight with Australia.
A multi-agency Australian police and intelligence team – the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team – is carrying out the probe, a spokesperson said on Sunday.
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Mystery surrounds the co-pilot, who is accused of attacking the captain with an axe and attempting to seize control of Flight FZ1073 from Dubai as it approached Israel, and how he was able to acquire his seat in the plane’s cockpit.
He had been barred from flying in his own country because of concerns that he had adopted “extremist” views, The Associated Press news agency cited sources as saying.
While al-Hammami reportedly spent part of his life in the United Arab Emirates, the Reuters news agency, citing sources briefed on the Australian investigation, reported that he studied at a university in the Australian city of Melbourne.
A third unnamed source told the agency that he studied at RMIT University, a public research university in Melbourne, about a decade ago.
The Financial Times also reported al-Hammami’s links to Australia. Citing two sources familiar with the Australian investigation, the FT said al-Hammami had allegedly visited what it described as “radical mosques and extremist websites” while in the country.
Disaster was averted after passengers and crew subdued the co-pilot and a reserve pilot took over its controls and completed an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
However, the case has raised questions about security in Israel, which has some of the world’s strictest aviation security measures.
The prosecutor general of the UAE, Hamad Saif al-Shamsi, has labelled the attack an attempted “terrorist act”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel has longstanding arrangements with foreign airlines aimed at preventing pilots who are nationals of countries without diplomatic relations with Israel from flying there.
Netanyahu said a “loophole” appears to have allowed the Omani pilot to take part in the Flydubai flight, and that Israel would now strengthen its checks.
The UAE has not yet publicly established a motive or announced whether investigators believe al-Hammami acted alone.
UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said on Saturday that the latest “terrorist” attack is a new warning that the region’s fight against “extremism” is not over.
Security threats prompt US and Australia to suspend diplomatic operations in Brazil before pivotal election day.
Published On 3 Oct 20263 Oct 2026
The United States has suspended consular services in Brazil, prompting Australia to close its embassy in the Brazilian capital, two days before Brazil’s presidential election on Sunday.
In a statement released on Thursday, the US embassy said it would suspend consular services starting on Friday and advised American citizens seeking assistance not to visit its embassy, consulates or other diplomatic facilities.
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The statement cited security concerns but gave no further detail on the nature of the threat or any link to the election.
The US State Department said it was working closely with Brazilian counterparts to address the security concerns, adding that embassies and consulates routinely issue alerts about local threats and developments.
Australia’s ambassador to Brazil, Sophie Davies, said on social media that the Australian embassy would also close on Friday, citing the US alert, and advised Australians to avoid US diplomatic facilities.
Brazil’s federal police said they carried out preventive search and seizure warrants in Sao Paulo and the Federal District, the administrative region surrounding the capital, Brasilia, as part of an investigation into suspected plans that could threaten US diplomatic facilities.
Police said the operation followed cooperation with foreign intelligence agencies, but that investigators had found no evidence corroborating the initially reported threat, nor identified any suspects linked to criminal organisations.
An investigation was continuing after the seizure of communications equipment, according to the police.
The closures came two days before the Brazilian presidential election, which pits incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking re-election, against Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro. Jair Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup.
If neither candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote on Sunday, a runoff will be held on October 25.
Edinho Silva, president of Lula’s Workers’ Party, called the closures “unprecedented”, saying: “It makes no sense at all. It’s one of Trump’s ways of trying to influence Brazilian public opinion.”
Lula’s allies have pointed to US tariffs and an effort by Washington to send officials to Brazil to “discuss electoral integrity” as evidence of foreign interference.
Brazilian intelligence officials briefed French and German delegations in Brasilia this month on what they described as US and Russian interference in the race.
US President Donald Trump has publicly praised Flavio Bolsonaro, a close ally, without formally endorsing him, saying he is “watching that election very closely”.
After sitting out the last two games because of injury, Rams star receiver Puka Nacua appears on track to play Sunday against the Eagles in Philadelphia.
But the status of star defensive lineman Aaron Donald remains unclear.
“It’s exciting,” Nacua said after practice. “That’s my safe space out there, and to be out there with the guys, I think that’s been the most important thing, feeling that camaraderie and then also the ability to put my foot in the ground.”
Nacua, the NFL receptions leader in 2025, caught five passes for 74 yards in a season-opening defeat by the San Francisco 49ers in Australia.
What would it mean to return to action against the Eagles?
“I can’t think of anything else but smiling,” he said.
Donald, a three-time NFL defensive player of the year, has not practiced this week because of a back issue that surfaced after the loss to the Broncos, a defeat that dropped the Rams’ record to 1-2.
Donald, who ended a two-year retirement in late August, did not make the trip to Australia. In his season debut against the Giants at SoFi Stadium, he made three tackles in the Rams’ 28-6 victory.
Donald had one tackle and one quarterback hit in the 30-26 loss to the Broncos.
“Aaron’s been awesome,” defensive coordinator Chris Shula said. “I think he’s really elevated that whole group.”
With edge rusher Myles Garrett out at least two more games while recovering from knee surgery, the Rams for the first time this season could line up without either of the two future Hall of Famers.
“Those are two of the best players in the world — two of maybe the best players of all time,” Shula said. You’re always going to want them on the field, but we’re lucky where if those guys are out we have a lot of depth and a lot of capable guys. … You’re never going to expect them to perform at the level of Aaron Donald or Myles Garrett, but we expect a lot of guys to go out and contribute and play really well and have a really good rotation going.”
The line feature interior players such as Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske and Poona Ford, and edge rushers Byron Young, Josaiah Stewart, Desjuan Johnson and Wesley Bailey.
TRAIN stations are no longer just a place to get from A to B, but are now attractions in their own right.
And a new awards has named some of the most beautiful ones in the world.
The world’s most beautiful stations have been namedCredit: Hufton+CrowA European winner was Lyon Part-Dieu StationCredit: Romuald NICOLAS
The World’s Most Beautiful Stations were revealed by Prix Versailles, a prestigious architecture and design award,
Prix Versailles Secretary General Jérôme Gouadain said they “give us proof that 21st-century passenger stations can be the bridges to a more desirable future”.
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While none in the UK made the list, there were three in Europe.
One was Colosseo – Fori Imperiali Station in Rome which only opened last year on the city’s metro line.
It was praised for turning “travel into an archaeological adventure” as well as its “unexpected view of the Colosseum“.
Another Italian train station on the list was Monte Sant’Angelo Station in Naples.
Said to be inspired by city’s Mount Vesuvius, Dante’s Inferno and volcanic terrain, the dark orange doughnut-like structure above ground was called a “sculpture that the public can enter”.
The final European entry was Lyon Part-Dieu Station in France.
Despite having opened in 1983, it recently underwent a huge update last year.
According to Prix Versailles: “This regional, national and international train station, one of Europe’s top stations in terms of the number of connecting passengers transiting through it, has doubled in size thanks to the architectural teams at AREP and L’AUC, with additional access points and pass-throughs to boot.”
The Colosseo – Fori Imperiali Station is right by the famous ColosseumCredit: Casalgrande PadanaMelbourne’s Town Hall Station was compared to a cathedralCredit: Prix Versailles./Jim StepehensonWestern Station in Riyadh was one of two to win in Saudi ArabiaCredit: Omrania
Outside of Europe, Melbourne‘s Town Hall Station also made the top seven list.
Also a new railway station having opened last year, it was praised for both its “eight imposing columns like trees whose branches hold up the canopy above” as well as its “cathedral-like feel”.
Over in the US, LAX/Metro Transit Center was the only American station to be named one of the world’ most beautiful and one of the most futuristic designs on the list,
Saudi Arabia had two stations in Riyadh to have made the list.
Reserve Bank of Australia lifts benchmark rate to 4.6 percent amid stubborn inflation.
Published On 29 Sep 202629 Sep 2026
Australia’s central bank has raised interest rates to a 15-year high, spelling higher mortgage payments for millions of Australian households.
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) on Tuesday lifted the benchmark rate by 0.25 percent to 4.6 percent, its highest since 2011.
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The RBA said inflation remained elevated and that previously flagged “upside risks” had materialised, including higher energy prices due to the United States-Israel war on Iran and rising tech costs.
“There continue to be heightened uncertainties about the outlook for domestic economic activity and inflation,” the bank’s monetary board said in a statement.
“The Middle East conflict remains unresolved, and there are scenarios where inflation is higher and activity lower than forecast,” it said.
“Global oil supply disruptions are maintaining upward pressure on global and domestic energy prices and inflation. A period of prolonged uncertainty may also cause growth to be lower overseas and in Australia.”
Australia’s annual rate of inflation stood at 3.5 percent in July, well above the central bank’s 2–3 percent target.
Central banks typically raise their benchmark interest rate when policymakers believe prices are rising too fast.
Higher interest rates raise the cost of borrowing, including mortgages, cooling consumer demand and bringing down inflation.
The latest hike is set to heap further strain on Australian households already grappling with three previous increases this year.
In a research report earlier this month, Roy Morgan said nearly one-third of Australian mortgage holders, or nearly 1.8 million people, were at risk of “mortgage stress” – where households spend 25-45 percent of after-tax income on payments – as of July.
Australia’s Treasurer Jim Chalmers, who is not responsible for setting interest rates, acknowledged that the hike would mean greater hardship for many Australians.
“We know a lot of Australians are under pressure and this will make things harder,” Chalmers said in a post on X.
“Inflation and interest rates are going up around the world but we know that doesn’t take the sting out of today’s decision.”
Chalmers said the government would take responsibility for “our part of the fight against inflation”.
“That means continuing to manage the budget responsibly, rolling out tax cuts and cost of living help, and addressing the longer term challenges in our economy in an uncertain global environment,” he said.
