Boks just not clever enough

All Blacks 35 South Africa 17

Jake White had described last week's shameful loss to the Wallabies as the worst in his memory - he might now hope he suffers from Alzheimer's after another painful evening last night.

His Springbok side were much better, they couldn't have been worse, but they were all huff and puff really. In fact, the South African coach would do well to try to slip back into the Republic incognito.

They restored some credibility but lacked quality, fluidity and combinations and the proud people of South Africa don't appreciate being second best. There might soon be a job for a waitress called Suzy to try to even things up.

For their own part, the All Blacks had a difficult evening. Their scrum was outstanding, Dan Carter kicked a perfect nine from nine and there were moments of pure class, but it was also an error-ridden performance.

It would be churlish, however, to criticise too much because it was another win against the traditional foe and they extended their winning run at home to the impressive tally of 20.

But things didn't start all that well - the three wise men might not even have taken their seats when they looked up and saw their side trailing 7-0 after only 17 seconds.

It was as quick as it was unexpected. After Sam Tuitupou had rumbled the ball up after the kick-off, Carter found his clearing kick charged down 10m from his own line.

Springbok halfback Fourie Du Preez regathered and raced through to touch down (although he almost knocked it on) to the shock of both the All Blacks and the home crowd.

It was almost as if the All Blacks wanted to give themselves more of a challenge, a handicap, to prove how good they are. If not, then maybe they were feeling sorry for the South Africans after Brisbane last week.

The big South African forwards didn't need any pity and hit the rucks with the venom of a wounded rhinoceros rather than a wounded Springbok but there was a question mark about whether they would be able to sustain it.

They thundered into the breakdown and harried Dan Carter - even huge prop Os Du Randt was putting pressure on the kicker. It made life difficult for the All Blacks to win quick ball and get on the front foot. They resorted to a series of box kicks as a way to turn the big South African forwards and negate the effectiveness of the South African rushing defence.

After all, there was no Paul Honiss to ping the South Africans this week.

The All Blacks, though, don't buckle under pressure and quietly chipped away at the lead and put their noses 9-7 in front after three Carter penalties.

Although the Springboks threatened to reclaim the lead when first Du Preez and then Habana went close, Piri Weepu rounded out the most fluid All Black movement of the half in the 40th minute. It started with Carter inside his own half, he popped a ball up to Mils Muliaina who went close before Weepu swooped on the loose ball and simply put his head down to find the line.

It was the decisive move of the match because the All Blacks went into the sheds for their oranges with a handy 19-7 halftime lead.

Errors started to surface in the Springboks' game in the second spell. Du Preez knocked on when taking a quick tap, they dropped off intensity for patches and passes failed to find their mark.

And as they started to falter, the All Blacks improved. Carter added another two penalties, the second of which saw him notch up 400 points in tests, before the South Africans hit back with another unexpected score.

Du Preez put up a perfectly weighted crossfield kick for Breyton Paulse, who narrowly beat Leon MacDonald to the ball and raced in unopposed.

The All Blacks had the final word, though, when Richie McCaw burst over with four minutes to play to claim a deserved victory.

The Springboks might have been wounded coming into the match and, while they showed signs of life, they will need a miracle cure to resurrect their Tri Nations campaign.

All Blacks 35 (P. Weepu, R. McCaw tries, D. Carter 6 pens, 2 cons).
South Africa 17 (F. Du Preez, B. Paulse tries, P. Montgomery pen, 2 cons).