All Blacks go back to basics

Questions remain about why South Africa have the wood on the men in black. Photo / Getty Images

Final Tri-Nations standings

At last. Thirteen weeks after the All Blacks first donned their famous strip this season, they produced a performance they will remember for all the right reasons.

After months of middling work and matches of indifferent quality, the All Blacks went back to basics, churned through their work in an evening of unrelenting determination and shut the Wallabies out of any thoughts they might snap an eight-year hoodoo in New Zealand.

The hosts put away their kicking game for most of the test, shifted the Wallabies remorselessly around the Cake Tin, dominated the hunt for the loose and turnover ball, held their defensive line and then belted the Wallabies in a late run to the whistle.

When referee Craig Joubert ended the game with the hosts holding a 33-6 margin, it concluded the Tri-Nations tournament with the All Blacks showing a clear advantage over their transtasman rivals while the Springboks held similar sway over the men in black.

"We are delighted, it has been a long while coming and the guys played well in all facets of the game," coach Graham Henry said.

There was a mixture of relief and satisfaction because the side had been under huge pressure.

Captain Richie McCaw said the side's renewed belief showed in the lineouts. They had not panicked but had worked hard on assembling the pieces to make up the rugby jigsaw.

"Last week [loss to the Boks] was not our best day and I think everyone worked into that and brought an edge to the game to make sure we produced a good performance," he said.

So the questions remain about why the All Blacks have such an edge on the Wallabies and why, similarly this season, South Africa have the wood on the All Blacks. Henry attempted a summary.

"The Boks are a good side but they don't play a lot of rugby," he began.

"They put a lot of pressure on you and that's no disrespect to them at all because I think they are a fine side.

"Here we have two sides trying to play rugby and I think our guys enjoy that sort of game more, it is a different game."

The All Blacks made far too many mistakes last week in Hamilton. They did not repeat that trend in Wellington but they were not under the same amount of pressure the Springboks had exerted.

"At the moment we are struggling to handle that South African pressure and to get solid, consistent first-phase ball."

For reasons known only to himself, forwards coach Steve Hansen did not attend the post-match press conference to discuss that progress and his thoughts on the improvement.

Six weeks from now, the sides have a money-spinning rematch in Tokyo on their way to their tours of the Northern Hemisphere. While the All Blacks will believe they can run to four straight wins this season against their transtasman foes, the Wallabies have hit a further slump.

"We will review everything and clearly the last 10 minutes was unacceptable," said coach Robbie Deans.

"Our group, and I am part of that, did not show the same pride in the jersey as the All Blacks did. Sure, we were there in the 70th minute, but at that point of putting ourselves within cooee we went missing.

"It is pretty straightforward. You are either up for it or not but we are a couple of volunteers short, consistently. Our next opposition would have seen some things that would have excited them."