Sean Fitzpatrick: Clinical ABs take control

That was a crushing blow dealt by the All Blacks to the Wallabies. Psychologically, this was the one the Australians had to win - and they showed that by throwing the kitchen sink at the All Blacks and the way they targeted Richie McCaw.

The Australians really committed themselves and got a bit of mongrel going. They attacked the All Blacks very physically at the tackled ball in a way I haven't seen them do for a while - maybe since that day in 2003. But the psychological damage inflicted by the All Blacks was caused because they didn't panic - they kept their cool and their discipline and worked things back their way.

It was very impressive and the Wallabies knew that they had to win this one, that they could have won it. But they were undone by a clinical, cool side that has their measure. That's tough to take for any team.

The three locks can really take a bow. Chris Jack played the best I have seen him for some time. Jason Eaton was outstanding and took some good lineout ball and Ali Williams made an impact when he came on.

All in all, the All Blacks were a bit out of it in the first half. They were a little fixated with trying new and different things and maybe were surprised by how fierce the Australians were at the breakdown.

But that changed in the second half. They pulled their heads in a bit and concentrated on the basics. The lineouts were much simpler - I am sure the work of Robin Brooke paid off there - and the scrums were good, even without Carl Hayman.

I was a little surprised they took off Byron Kelleher and Isaia Toeava as early as they did. Kelleher may not have had his best game but I didn't think Piri Weepu added that much when he came on. I do think, looking at the negatives for a bit, that halfback is a problem.

I saw Chris Smylie play for Otago yesterday and I thought he just changed that game when he came on. He seems a real talent to me.

Toeava could also have had a bit more time. He didn't really do anything wrong but I know Graham Henry had the Toeava-Luke McAlister pairing forced on him and he would have wanted some cool, older heads when the All Blacks needed to drag things back in the second half.

And that's what they did. Again, no panic, they were controlled and progressive - Daniel Carter does that so well in those circumstances and Jack took a real leadership role as well.

Henry can now go to South Africa with the luxury of the series won. But he has not won there and the South Africans are steaming after all the criticism they've had.

They'll be dangerous and Henry will have to lift a team that knows the series is already won.

That's where the rotation system does work. He'll make changes - maybe not too many - and has a battle-hardened core to choose from.