Emphatic victory to All Blacks

By MARC HINTON - Stuff.co.nz
Last updated 19:25 19/09/2009

Emphatic victory to All Blacks

Crisis averted. Jobs safe. Vice-like grip on the Wallabies continued. All in a night's work for the suddenly awesome All Blacks.

But the big question we'll be asking ourselves as we digest this comprehensive 33-6 Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup victory over the Wallabies over our Sunday morning breakfast will be just what value do we place on it? Really, was it any great surprise?

The All Blacks have now won six of their last seven tests against the Wallabies over the last two seasons, since a certain Robbie Deans slunk across the Tasman to take charge of the Men in Gold.

And this latest instalment simply continued that trend. Graham Henry might not be able to buy a win over the Springboks right now; but he owns Deans.

And really as much as the All Blacks are tying themselves in knots over their inability to counter the South African game; they must feel pretty satisfied about the superiority they hold over their trans-Tasman rivals. They've now swept them 3-0 in the Tri-Nations and will surely make it a round four in Japan next month.

Really, if ever the Wallabies were going to redress the imbalance, you would have thought this match would have been it. But they simply weren't good enough as the All Blacks convincingly won the arm-wrestle through the first three quarters and then came home with a wet sail and two late tries to inflate the margin out close to embarrassing territory for the Wobberlies.

This was among the more convincing wins over the Australians over the last couple of years, too, with the All Blacks dominating most aspects of play, including that much talked-about lineout, and successfully suffocating everything and anything the visitors could throw at them on attack.

Yes, it was a performance to be proud of from the All Blacks who avoided the spectre of their first ever three home loss season, and answered their critics in fine style. This was how we expect them to play. This was how they should play.

Their set-piece work was excellent, their breakdown game top drawer and, possibly for the first time this season, the All Blacks got their attacking game going. It was a sweet response, and would have been manna from heaven for the under-siege New Zealand coaches.

Credit to them, too, to rally the troops after the defeat in Hamilton and come up with improvements in areas where they had to be made.

"I'm pretty proud of the guys, it's never easy coming off a loss and the belief among the whole group was outstanding and to put a performance out here tonight... very, very happy," said skipper Richie McCaw afterwards.
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He was rapt with the lineout response that saw the All Blacks hold firm on their own ball and even steal two straight Wallaby throws (both by supersub Jason Eaton) late in the piece.

"We kept the belief in ourselves," said McCaw. "We realised last week it was only minor things that went wrong, the boys worked hard all week and put that together which is vital to get your game going.

"It's great. When you're down it's a real test of what character you've got within the team."

Wow. What a difference a week - and a few harsh words from their critics - made. The All Blacks looked a different side in the first 40 minutes of this contest, playing with a purpose, precision and penetration that had not been there in Hamilton, nor for that matter in any of their opening salvos throughout this competition.

A strong, and accurate, opening half was punctuated by a magical period around the half-hour mark right about when it looked most ominous.

Centre Isaia Toeava had just been despatched to the sin-bin for a high tackle on young Wallaby fullback James O'Connor, and from the same play phase Berrick Barnes had just coolly slotted a dropped goal (under advantage) to close the Wallabies to within three, at 6-9.

Ten minutes, a man up, we all steeled for the Wallaby charge that would surely come.

Instead it was the numerically disadvantaged All Blacks who pounced. During a nice spell where they did extremely well to limit the Australian chances to expose them, wing Cory Jane snatched a try - quite literally - out of thin air.

It had looked distinctly unpromising when fullback Mils Muliaina received backtrack ball his side of halfway and sort of ran out of options for the pass. So instead he hoisted one of those middle-of-the-field high bombs that the Springboks specialise in, but are catching on like wildfire at the moment.

It could have - should have - been diffused with little discomfort by the Wallabies. Could have, schmould have. Instead Jane came flying through the air like, well, Tarzan, plucking the ball from right under the nose of startled Australian wunderkind James O'Connor and then dashing 35 metres or so for a superb try, and a 16-6 lead they would hold till the break.

Where has this man been all season? Oh, that's right, not required.

The Wallabies came out with plenty of purpose after the break, but they could still find no way through an All Black side that remained on its mettle on defence.

Carter slotted an early penalty to extend the margin to 13, the All Blacks battened down the hatches for a period of Wallaby dominance and then straight after Eaton had come in with his lineout thievery they finished with their flourish.

Ma'a Nonu had the second try six minutes from the end, with a trademark bullocking run that left a handful of Wallaby defenders looking like fools; and before it was over the All Blacks worked a couple of quick phases off a scrum before putting Josevata Rokocoko into enough space on the right to unleash one of those swan dives for his 45th test try.

And, with Carter slotting a second goal off the upright, the margin went out to 33-6, and the bleeding was well and truly stopped. The All Blacks were mostly all on top of their games. Jane was superb on the wing, and surely he's earned more starts on the back of this. Toeava had one of those tests that remind you why his coaches covet him so and there was also a much improved showing from Rokocoko. Also, wasn't it good to see Mils Muliaina playing with a lot more confidence?

Up front new chum Tom Donnelly had an excellent debut in the second row, Andrew Hore got his lineout stuff right, Adam Thomson added some much-needed mobility to a loose trio that outplayed their opposites and the set-piece stuff was, by and large, on the money. Richie McCaw was back to his best too as the All Blacks won the tackle ball area comprehensively.

The Wallabies? O'Connor had a match to forget, Giteau was again well contained by the All Blacks and the Australian backline in general found themselves running at a black wall all night.

The Wallaby forwards also could make little or no headway all night, and even failed to procure the supposedly failsafe method of possession via the All Black lineout. Pocock and Smith were non-factors.

For the All Blacks the questions were answered. For the Wallabies they start all over again across the Tasman. Deans should buckle down for another assault.

New Zealand 33 (Cory Jane, Ma'a Nonu, Joe Rokocoko tries; Daniel Carter 4 pen, 3 con)

Australia 6 (Matt Giteau pen, Berrick Barnes dropped goal).

Halftime: 16-6.