The All Blacks claimed a world-record 18th consecutive victory with a crushing 37-10 win over Australia in Auckland on Saturday. The win rewrites the record books for Steve Hansen-led side, who surpass the top-tier record winning streak of 17 set by the All Blacks of 1965-1969 and matched twice since.
The All Blacks hit the front in the fifth minute when Israel Dagg scored and they never surrendered the lead after that. The Australians tried their best to stop the All Blacks from breaking the record but their defence was at its best, denying opposition players any space.
The record caps a remarkable 12 months in which the All Blacks became the first team to successfully defend the World Cup, retained the trans-Tasman Bledisloe Cup for a 14th consecutive year and won the Rugby Championship for the fourth time in five years. Since Hansen took over as head coach after the All Blacks won the 2011 World Cup, the side has lost only three of 64 matches.
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