MELBOURNE - Even without Tana Umaga, New Zealand's lightning-fast game plan will not miss a beat, says Welsh coach Steve Hansen.
The former Canterbury NPC coach said that while finding somebody of Umaga's ability would be near-impossible, he believed New Zealand rugby's renowned depth would throw up a quality replacement.
The
hammering of Italy, despite a rusty start due to eight weeks without a test, underlined the All Blacks' credentials.
"They're probably the fastest All Blacks side I've seen and they're very good at turnover ball. Any ball that's kicked to them, they punish you," Hansen said.
"I thought for the first 30 minutes Italy were really organised and committed and, in the end, the All Blacks did what they did to us in June, just beat them up." (The All Blacks beat Wales 55-3.)
Hansen was satisfied with his team's 41-10 opening win over Canada on Sunday night, also at the Telstra Dome, with the midfield combination of former Wales rugby league player Iestyn Harris and Waikato centre Sonny Parker standing out in a largely unattractive game.
Canadian coach David Clark expected his team to be far more competitive and he agreed they would struggle to come near the All Blacks.
"The only thing we can take from it is that we have to do a hell of a lot more work," said Clark, who denied reports that he planned to play a second XV against the All Blacks on Friday to save his best players for more winnable games.
- NZPA
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