All Blacks: Carter rampant as NZ serves up a reality check (+photos, video)

Dan Carter finished with a personal points tally of 22. Photo / Kenny Rodger

There is nothing like stuffing the Poms to put a spring back in the step. All week, England talked themselves up while offering plenty of opinion on where New Zealand rugby was going wrong and then, wham - they hit an All Black side that rammed reality pills down their throats.

No side has ever talked their way to victory in New Zealand. When it came down it, England couldn't match the relentless physicality of the All Blacks at the breakdown. They couldn't handle the power of the All Black scrum and if you don't bring a backline out here, you're stuffed.

What England quite clearly forgot is that rugby is in this blood of this nation. That blokes out here have to be able to play to get a game and if all you have, as England seemingly do, is some big lugs in the forwards and some non-tackling extras in the backs, then you get torn to shreds.

What gets played down here is rugby - a game many have forgotten the All Blacks happen to be quite good at. And they are rather good at it because they have players who showed last night that they can do the nasty stuff and the frilly stuff and fuse the two into a compelling package.

The rest of the world can talk of an All Black crisis but Daniel Carter looked like a player without a care in the world last night.

He was iffy in Wellington but commanding in Auckland, with his running game restored to full health. Then there was Richie McCaw, of course, imposing, focussed and inspiring.

There were solid performances everywhere. Big Brad Thorn looked like he wanted to hurt people, Andy Ellis didn't skip a beat and Conrad Smith is beginning to feel like a solution to a longstanding problem.

He was sharp, clever and organised. It's been a promising start for Smith but his case to be the permanent All Black centre can only be fully assessed when Australia and South Africa roll into town.

The England midfield had all the grunt of a hairdryer. If Olly Barkley and Mike Tindall is their best midfield combination, then these guys are in real bother.

When Ma'a Nonu came charging up the guts early in the second half, Barkley and first five Charlie Hodgson didn't want to know. The white gloves came on and Nonu was waved through before veering left to throw a perfect pass to Mils Muliaina.

And there you had it - the perfect illustration of the gulf in class between these two sides.

Where New Zealand were incisive, powerful and accurate in the backs, England were just awful.