Hodge admits he struggled to sleep after that Bledisloe kick

Reece Hodge admits he struggled to get a wink of sleep on Sunday night after missing a long-range penalty by the slimmest of margins in the howling wind against the All Blacks that would have cemented his name in rugby folklore.

Thrown the ball in the 82nd minute, Hodge had the chance to do what Wallabies captain John Eales had successfully done 20 years earlier at the very same venue in Wellington.

Unlike Eales though, whose after the siren kick from just beyond the 22m line gave the Wallabies a 24-23 win over the All Blacks to retain the Bledisloe Cup, Hodge's was from 54 metres out.

Speaking after the draw, Hodge admitted the image of the ball rebounding against the post haunted him throughout the night.

The Wallabies face the All Blacks at 3pm Sunday in their second Bledisloe Cup match at Eden Park.

[Source: Rugby.Com.au]