KEY POINTS:
Two important points came out of the All Blacks' opening Tri-Nations win - their superior fitness and the growing belief that they can win in clutch situations, even when not playing at their best.
The first part goes straight to the reconditioning programme set up early this year.
It attracted its share of critics, and still does.
But Graham Henry and his panel will point to the final quarter in Durban yesterday when they had the legs on the South Africans as proof that their plan is working. That is when they pulled back a nine-point deficit to nail the victory.
And that is part of the reason the All Blacks are favourites to win this year's World Cup. They have a growing maturity about them. There was an old-fashioned grittiness about this win, which I liked.
One of the qualities of a great sports team is the ability to win when not playing at their best.
Think Chelsea or Manchester United. The really good sides find a way to get across the line even when not firing on all cylinders.
I'd bet that if the All Blacks of a couple of years ago were nine points down to a Springbok team late on, they would not have got up to win.
It appeared to me at that stage to be joining the pile of games in the republic in which the All Blacks could not get their noses in front, but they proved me wrong.
It's all about belief in themselves, being patient and not panicking, especially after what had gone on earlier in the match.
I thoroughly enjoyed the test, but it was far from error-free. The All Blacks might have been catching hot potatoes for all the handling mistakes they made. But the slipups were generally individual rather than collective ones.
When things go wrong, the temptation is to become anxious. After the match, we heard All Blacks talk about keeping calm and having a feeling they would win if they stayed focused and didn't do anything silly.
There was nothing flash about this test. It certainly wasn't a vintage performance. The All Blacks have played better as individuals, but they have learned heaps and are becoming more formidable as a unit for that.
The Springboks, at 21-12 up with about 12 minutes left, should have closed the match out. That they did not will be a considerable concern to coach Jake White. South Africa would have expected to have won that test. They made fewer mistakes than the All Blacks, but could not capitalise.
The All Black scrum remains a potent weapon. Carl Hayman, Anton Oliver and Tony Woodcock humbled the Springboks.
That potency means even when they are handing over scrum ball with mistakes, they are still a good bet to cause havoc in the opposition set piece.
One piece of advice: don't get caught up in yabbering about foul play and illegalities from the South Africans. Stop moaning about Springboks infringing at the breakdown. The All Blacks aren't lily white in this department.
There were plenty of incidents on and off the ball yesterday. Both sides were guilty at different times.
My view? You've got the points, pack up, shut up and get out of town.
I believe Australia will be a tough challenge in Melbourne this week. They're defensively sound and will make fewer mistakes than South Africa, but may not offer much in attack.
It will be a chance to put a further plank in place in the All Blacks' preparation for France in September-October.
