All Blacks 20
Australia 10
Crystal-ball gazing from Wayne Smith during the week suggested defence would be the key element in next year's World Cup.
He was unsure whether the All Blacks' expansive attacking game would still be in vogue but was certain that the best defensive sides would be at the top in the
seventh global tournament.
Smith's forecast held true on Saturday in Christchurch as the All Blacks held on for a 20-10 victory against the Wallabies on the back of some stunning defence.
They made 110 tackles in the test and missed just five while the Wallabies slipped off 12 as they completed 75 tackles in a test shy of tries but huge in action, desperation and mental tenacity.
"Whether that defence can be aligned to attack, I expect it will be, the best defences tend to get the best opportunities from turnovers and fractured ball," Smith had predicted.
"Just how it looks under those pressure situations we do not know."
The All Blacks felt some decent heat in Bledisloe II before they emerged with their ninth straight win against the Wallabies and their 13th consecutive victory since losing to the Springboks last year in Hamilton.
Three tries in the opening 13 minutes suggested this test would follow the pattern from Melbourne but after that, penalties from Daniel Carter and Matt Giteau were the only action for the statisticians.
Not even a yellow card, although All Black loosehead prop Tony Woodcock deserved one for the tackle bag hit he delivered on Saia Faingaa. The Wallaby hooker was loitering offside but he was blindsided not long after referee Jonathan Kaplan warned the All Blacks about their penalty concession rate.
The All Blacks were leading 17-10 at that stage but a 10-minute spell with Woodcock in the bin would have challenged their defensive lines and lungpower even more. However Kaplan decided the prop's offence was worth only a penalty, a judgment with which the citing commissioner later agreed.
Victory meant the All Blacks retained the Bledisloe Cup they won in 2003 when Mils Muliaina, Joe Rokocoko, Richie McCaw and Keven Mealamu started that test at Eden Park.
"It was a big test match in trying to secure that cup and it was a major plus," coach Graham Henry said. "I think there was more backbone in the game than last week from the Australians. It meant we had to tackle a lot more and I think it took its toll in the end."
That defence, said McCaw, was top drawer and showed the character in the side. "We took our opportunities in the first half and then had to defend. There were some big hits that went in out there and it sums up the character of the team, defending for each other and keep on getting up."
The All Black pack was strong on defence, made a number of turnovers and battled a bit with their lineout. But they were too cohesive in the scrum for the Wallabies where Kaplan's drawn-out calls seemed to cause some concern for the frontrowers.
"For a lot of it I thought we scrummed reasonably well. We put them under a bit of pressure and got good chances to launch off their scrum and we got some good scrum ball," McCaw said.
Beaten Wallabies coach Robbie Deans approved of the better response from his team but pointed out the All Blacks denied them momentum at the breakdowns and were well-organised on defence because they slowed the ball down effectively at the breakdowns.
"If you aspire to beat the All Blacks you have got to play your hand when it presents itself," he said.
"You've got to make the most of those moments and we did not do that, we were not able to do that. That finishing was the point of difference in the game."
