Lowest ebb.

Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan has taken a serious swipe at New Zealand Rugby following their thrilling 16-16 draw with the All Blacks on Sunday in the first of their Bledisloe Cup series.

The Wallabies fought back with two second-half tries after Jordie Barrett and Aaron Smith touched down for the hosts despite going into the game as overwhelming underdogs.

And Dave Rennie’s side were unlucky not to come away with a win after the All Blacks deployed some questionable tactics in the final moments as the Australians pounded on their try-line, with many spotting numerous penalty infringements.

Relations with the two unions haven’t been great in recent months with the two organisations unable to agree on a Super Rugby competition format that would feature both of their franchises battling it out.

Australia look set to continue next season with a domestic competition once again while New Zealand will be doing the same with plans to introduced three new teams as well. The South China Lions, Moana Pasifika and Kanaloa Hawai’i are among those reportedly in the running.

“All year we’ve been told that we can’t compete, and we don’t have the player strength, so a 16-16 draw was wondrously ironic,” McLennan told Stuff.co.nz.

“All we’ve talked about is an equal partnership.

“[And] When I said our relationship was at its lowest ebb, I was serious.

“It’s a little bizarre that one side is saying it, and the other is denying it, which might indicate where the problem is.”

“We were instructed that New Zealand wanted to create a world-class competition, and so three new teams go forward – that makes a mockery of original premise.

“How could you compare those teams to the Brumbies or the Reds?”