Rugby: Irish future looks All Black

Fullback Israel Dagg was a constant menace to Ireland with his elusive running. Photo / Brett Phibbs

The All Blacks need to work on their ABCs; the Irish can see Another Beating Coming.

If there was optimism that Ireland would offer a decent first-up inquisition at Eden Park, they evaporated against the focus and pace of the All Blacks.

Spectators who revel in blood sports will be hunting any last tickets for Christchurch and Hamilton, which have become must-attend venues for more Celtic gore.

The matadors, picadors and cuadrillas all wore black while the victims were clad in target green. There was some resistance but nowhere near as much as anticipated.

Ireland simply could not cope with the intensity and speed of the test. They played at a pace which was at least a cog slower than their hosts and were lucky the scoreline clocked off at 42-10.

It was not unreasonable to think of another handful of times when the All Blacks should have scored. That would have been simply embarrassing for the visitors who were under duress before they arrived.

They have been in rugby mode for almost a year and lost a handful of influential senior men before the tour began. Now they face more injury ravages in their front row and there is talk of calling for replacements.

There was a chilling edge to the All Blacks' work, a bite which has not always been present in the opening of a new international season. Sure, they made mistakes in execution and decisions as every international side does.

However, there was a warmth of performance throughout. The setpieces were strong and accurate, the breakdown was the usual mix of good and bad, while the backline offered a blend of bludgeon and rapier through the straight-alley running of Sonny Bill Williams or the spread to the flanks for Israel Dagg and Julian Savea to bust their moves.

Savea nailed three tries on debut and a suggestion of further carnage in the series while Dagg ghosted around, flipping his engine into overdrive to deliver havoc, though he turned his antennae off when he ran Zac Guildford out of room instead of drawing the last defender. There was also another wobbly transfer, but Savea clung on and claimed his hat-trick.

Coach Steve Hansen had watched several replays of the test and was happy at how the quickly the All Blacks had gelled.

"What we were looking for was a really good attitude and some form of patterns that we could work on but you also expect the team to take a bit of time to gel when they are coming from five different teams," Hansen said.

The side had played with some freedom, which had not always been apparent in last season's pressure-filled World Cup programme, but the All Blacks had sorted that drama and were now on a new adventure.

"This is just a different era and we are starting again and I am quite a relaxed person myself so when we are not training and working, from my point of view, it is all right to chill out. For me it is about preparing well and if we do that we will get a performance we are proud of and nine times out of 10 that is going to be good enough to win most test matches."

Hansen's greatest pleasure was in the lines of attack. There was a directness about that and then the variations to the edges of Eden Park which bedevilled the Irish.

The garnish was Aaron Smith's delivery which liberated players all around him.

Hansen and his selectors had watched the halfback intently since his early work in the Super 15 and they figured "if he could cope with the physicality and he started showing us he could, then he had the game to play test rugby.

"If you have got a halfback who can clear the ball as quick as he can ... he is a bit of a freak in that area and we haven't had anyone like that since Graeme Bachop."