All Blacks: Tri-nations defence fading away

The All Blacks are almost certainly assured of losing their hold on the Tri-Nations championship. Photo / Richard Robinson

Tri-Nations standings

On the evidence of the Slaughter in Subiaco, the All Blacks will not even get the chance to defend their Tri-Nations title against the Springboks.

When the Hamilton test rolls around in a fortnight, the Boks should have tucked the prized trophy away alongside their World Cup silverware and the scalps from their series win against the Lions.

A repeat victory for the Boks against the Wallabies in Brisbane this weekend will confirm the tourists' status as the best side in the world this season.

The 32-25 scoreline in favour of the Boks in Perth was very deceptive. The gulf in class was far greater than the points margin as the Boks moved to their fourth straight win in the series.

They buttoned off with five minutes to go and from a 32-13 lead, leaked two tries with loafing defence as the clock ran down. Having nailed the victory and scored their bonus point for four tries, the South Africans took their foot off the ailing Wallabies' throat.

Where does it leave the Wallabies and Dingo Deans?

He is almost in pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey time in selections for Brisbane because of injury, lack of form and dwindling resources.

For the Boks their late arrival in the Sunburnt Country meant no problems. Captain John Smit liked the idea as the side had done all their test preparation at home and then just concentrated on freshening when they landed in Perth.

They had only beaten the Wallabies three times in 17 tests in Australia since the Tri-Nations series began in 1996. Helped by an erratic Wallaby team, they blasted away that shabby record at the weekend.

At home, the Boks scored four tries in three Tri-Nations tests and kicked their way to victory through Francois Steyn, Morne Steyn and Fourie du Preez.

In Perth, they had four tries in 54 minutes as they widened their approach and the Wallabies expanded their error rate.

It is hard to believe the Boks will lose in Brisbane. They have too much clout and class for the Wallabies, who were belted in most areas of their latest encounter. Turnovers, missed tackles, handling mistakes - the Wallabies dominated all the unwanted statistics.

There was no let up from the Boks who are now talking up their ambitions for the rest of the series.

"We've been lucky to be able to achieve some great things as a team but this team isn't satisfied with where we are at at the moment," wing Bryan Habana said.

"We'd like to set standards for the rest of the world to follow, we'd like to constantly produce games that people want to follow and respect.

"The greatest goal in life is not making it to the top, but trying to stay there."

The Boks are there at the moment, though they got precious little opposition from the Wallabies, who looked shaky from the opening moments when No 8 Richard Brown botched a simple catch. The lapses continued through the test.

Deans will have to make changes such as starting Will Genia at halfback, but he will be guarded about making too many alterations, as he did when his side was belted 53-8 a year ago in Johannesburg.

If the Wallabies somehow conjure up a win this week in Brisbane there might be calls for an inquiry, though none from the All Blacks, who would have some final influence on their Tri-Nations' defence.