All Blacks: Boks are best but we're getting there - Henry

All Black Brad Thorn celebrates Saturday's win over the Wallabies. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Coach Graham Henry is already talking up the All Blacks' shot at rugby redemption against the Springboks next year.

The prospect of a better run with injuries and some reinforcements from Europe have Henry quietly confident of footing it with the world champions, who set the standard in winning this year's Tri-Nations.

Touted as a tight tournament before it kicked off two months ago, a clear pecking order emerged. South Africa whitewashed New Zealand, who in turn completed a clean sweep of last-placed Australia with Saturday's 33-6 win in Wellington.

The Springboks are in a different league to a young Wallabies side who appear to carry mental baggage into tests against New Zealand.

Henry emphasised that point, doing his utmost to play down the scale of his side's improvement, despite a fine all round showing.

"We didn't make the same sort of errors but we weren't under the same sort of pressure," he said.

"It's a different game against different opposition. At the moment we're struggling to handle that South African pressure, particularly if we can't get solid first phase ball.

"It takes a wee bit of time for these guys to be competitive against a side that is choc-full of internationals who have played a lot of test matches together."

Henry estimated that injury had left him without 10 to 12 quality players who could make a difference against South Africa. The likes of prop Carl Hayman and other English-based former All Blacks such as Nick Evans, Aaron Mauger and Doug Howlett could yet be added to the mix either next year or leading up to the 2011 World Cup.

"There's a lot of people coming back from injury, there may be one or two come back from overseas next year," Henry said.

"When all those guys come back, and with the current squad, there's going to be a lot of competition for places. That should improve the side immensely.

"The big test is when we play the boys from South Africa again and see how we function at lineout time."

Competition begins on the tour of Japan and Europe starting in five weeks.

Saturday's starting team - whose makeup bears an uncanny symmetry - will have the inside running in nearly every position.

South Island players make up the back five of the pack and the halves while North Islanders fill the front row and outside back division.

The best loose forward trio seems to have been unearthed, with Adam Thomson and Kieran Read surely having usurped Jerome Kaino and Rodney So'oialo.

And there is probably a belated recognition that rookie Canterbury forwards Owen Franks and Isaac Ross had too much responsibility on their youthful shoulders this season.

The All Blacks' set piece work on Saturday was more composed with the reintroduction of prop Neemia Tialata and selection of no-nonsense lock Tom Donnelly, whose debut performance reflected several years at the domestic coalface for Otago.

Henry's next hurdle is another dead rubber test against the Wallabies, in Tokyo on October 31.

The proven coaching ability of his besieged counterpart Robbie Deans faces a major challenge before then. He must lift his side after a massive slide backwards on Saturday from the 21-6 stunning of the Springboks in Brisbane two weeks earlier.

"We'll look at some of the realities," he said.

"This young group took a step in Brisbane. They have now experienced both extremes. It was an experience we were hopeful of avoiding, obviously."

Deans becomes the first Australian coach to oversee six straight losses to the All Blacks but retains the belief and support of his players according to one of the team's more experienced members, flanker Rocky Elsom.

"When you have good wins or bad losses, you have to accept it as a team," Elsom said.

"Age, you can't use that as an excuse. It's not a handicap match, you've got who you've got and that's the best you've got."

- NZPA