OPINION: Let's all inhale deeply. The country is on a high at the moment, and that is not a bad place to be going into a World Cup. The scrapping of the tired second runner, side-to-side policy has brought the All Blacks back to the future. New Zealand have the best players in the world and on Saturday they looked like what they should be, the best side in the world.
Any team that wins a World Cup tends to have at least five of the planet's best players in their position. At the moment the All Blacks can count on three certainties in Ben Smith, Aaron Smith and Dane Coles. Brodie Retallick, Kieran Read, Ma'a Nonu, Julian Savea and Nehe Milner-Skudder could all have joined them by October 31, more than enough to lift the Webb Ellis trophy.
The big mover on that list is Coles. There have been some heroic performance by All Blacks hookers over the years, but not many will have touched Coles's deeds against Australia. There seemed to be nothing that he could not do. He scorched Adam Ashley-Cooper on the outside after seconds earlier helping Sam Whitelock turn over ball back in his own 22.
There was much to celebrate. I have been calling for an abandonment of Ian Foster's wretched side-to-side attack for months and on Saturday we finally got it. New Zealand no longer looked like the predictable Hansen/Foster team of the last couple of years, they looked like the Henry/Hansen/Smith team of four years ago.
In some ways the performance evoked the Highlanders' dissection of the Waratahs in the semifinal of this year's Super 15. Aaron Smith, Dan Carter and Ben Smith kicked 27 times in the game, targeting Quade Cooper and turning Australia's big forwards. Every piece of possession received in the opening 20 minutes was immediately or eventually kicked.
When the All Blacks did move the ball, for the most part it did not go very far. They used first up runners to bash the Australian forwards. But encouragingly, when they did get an opportunity from turnover ball, even in their own 22, the All Blacks pressed the button. It led to their first try - how to make Wayne Smith happy.
They also targeted Australia's captain. Ma'a Nonu seemed on a personal mission to upset Stephen Moore. He was up in his face or throwing the ball at his bald bonce. Tony Woodcock also hit Moore with a forearm in a ruck, an action that should have drawn a yellow card.
So having inhaled deeply of the good aromas, let's now breathe out and take stock. This result was not quite the statement of supremacy that it might appear because there were three huge influences that will not play so big a part at the World Cup.
The first was home advantage. Eden Park does weird things to the opposition and referees. The All Blacks this year have been poor in Samoa, poor in South Africa and poor in Australia. Like the Black Caps they are great at home, but have a bit to prove on the road. Not much, just a bit.
The second influence was the Australian playmakers. Quade Cooper was awful. He threw away possession, lost three high balls and attracted a yellow card which New Zealand cashed in for three tries. Matt Toomua's awful kicking led to a try and Nic White gave away another by chucking a forward pass across his goal line.
The third influence was Nigel Owens. Australia have every right to complain about his performance. Twice in the opening half an hour Conrad Smith played the catcher when he was in the air. The absence of a yellow card beggared belief.
On Saturday Retallick and Woodcock assaulted players with cheap shots. In the lead-up to the turnover that led to the All Blacks opening try, Read pulled Will Skelton down and out of a driving maul on one side and Richie McCaw lifted Wycliff Palu's leg on the other side, the same offence for which Romain Poite yellow carded Rob Simmons a few months ago. Not even a penalty.
Regretfully I have to accuse Owens of unintentional bias. When McCaw asked for clarification of a decision, Owens said, "I'll have a look at the next one, okay." When Moore asked, he was told, "Back you go." Aaron Smith queried a decision and Owens apologised that there was nothing he could do about it. Moments later Moore wondered and was again told, "Off you go." Tone.
The All Blacks are quite good enough without the ref. Saturday's performance was encouraging but far from definitive. It will take much more to win three big matches away from home in a World Cup.
- Stuff
