The All Blacks squad gathers together after victory over Australia. Photo / Photosport
The All Blacks squad gathers together after victory over Australia. Photo / Photosport
Six talking points from the All Blacks 40-14 demolition of the Wallabies in the Bledisloe Cup test at Eden Park.
Yeah, not nah
One of the reasons the All Blacks have been one of the great teams since 1905 is that they've had an attitude of not getting too pleasedwith themselves.
So after whipping the Wallabies in every aspect of the Eden Park test, which makes it five test wins in a row, and takes out the Rugby Championship, they may not be turning cartwheels in celebration. But their confidence, not to ever be confused with arrogance, which had to have been shaken by the loss to the Pumas in August, should be fully restored, and that's hugely important as they look towards the end of year northern tour.
Confidence in any sport is a key element, perfectly expressed to me a few years ago by Olympic rowing legend Eric Murray, who said that when he and Hamish Bond were on the start line at the Games he'd look across at their opponents and think, "you poor buggers, you haven't got a chance."
There were changes to the All Blacks that looked debatable before the test, but they all worked, with Jordie Barrett at second-five the most obvious.
He's as big and strong as most loose forwards, which helps in the midfield, as does his ability to read a game. The All Blacks now definitely have the luxury of two test class second-fives in Barrett and David Havili.
After the brilliance of Samisoni Taukei'aho in Melbourne, it was puzzling to see Codie Taylor start in Auckland, but although there were early yips with lineout throwing, once he settled Taylor looked back to his bustling, hard running best.
Man of the match
Jordie Barrett was one of many who shone, but ultimately it had to be captain Sam Whitelock, whose workrate for a man in his 13th season with the All Blacks is astonishing.
On this form he'll be as vital a man at his fourth World Cup in France next year as he was at his first, in 2011, when he and Brad Thorn were steel girders in the middle row of a great Cup winning forward pack. With Brodie Retallick back to his hard driving best, reports of the demise of the veteran locking duo seem vastly exaggerated.
Brodie Retallick (L) and Sam Whitelock looked back at their best against Australia. Photo / Photosport
Arm wrestles to come
The All Black forwards out muscled the Wallabies to a remarkable degree, thriving on the confrontation of the breakdown. That's exactly what the All Blacks need to have developed before they face forwards like the English and the Welsh, who basically regard the maul as a measure of their worth as manly men.
Bully boys up north will discover on the tour to Britain in November that our new props Tyrel Lomax and Ethan De Groot have a fierce appetite for contact that's crossed with well drilled technique.
That's the sound of knives sharpening
With the Wallabies there's never been the expectation of excellence Kiwis demand from the All Blacks. But there are signs of the often poisonous atmosphere Ian Foster was operating in here earlier this year shifting across the Tasman to engulf Dave Rennie.
If the All Blacks were now ranked, as the Wallabies are, ninth in the world, and Foster had Rennie's win-loss record of less than 40 percent, there'd be a mob with pitchforks and flaming torches marching to New Zealand Rugby's headquarters in Wellington.
So if the northern tour is a perfect pointer to how the All Blacks will perform next year at the World Cup, the Wallabies trip, playing Scotland, France, Italy, Ireland, and Wales, may decide who actually coaches Australia at the Cup.
Dave Rennie's job is on the line. Photo / Photosport
It's not tiddlywinks. But this needed a red card
Irish referee Andrew Brace must have known, after the sniping this week from the Aussie camp, that the game had the potential to explode, which may be why early on he relentlessly clamped down on any misbehaviour from the Wallabies. Despite the 29 penalties he dished out the game was still exciting, with periods of breathless, helter skelter rugby.
The only question about the officiating was how on earth Wallaby lock Jed Holloway wasn't red carded for upending All Black Dalton Papali'i in just the second minute. The sight of Papali'i's neck bending at a 45 degree angle as he landed on Pete Samu was as sickening to see as last week's disgraceful charge on Quinn Tupaea's leg by Darcy Swain.
