Steve Hansen: Australia deserved it

Coach Steve Hansen said his world champion All Blacks would bounce back from their off-night after losing the Rugby Championship decider to the Wallabies 27-19 in Sydney on Saturday.

The Wallabies showed plenty of resolve as they continued their improvement under new coach Michael Cheika in their third win in the southern hemisphere tournament ahead of next month’s World Cup. Hansen conceded the Wallabies were the better side as they lost to their trans-Tasman rivals for the first time since the Tri-Nations decider in Brisbane in 2011.

“We just got beaten by a better side on the night. We have to face up to that reality,” Hansen said.