Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer concedes the All Blacks have well and truly cleared out from the rest of the field in international rugby.
An unbeaten season following their World Cup triumph showed the All Blacks were in a different class at the moment, topped by their commanding form in the Rugby Championship.
The All Blacks wrapped up that tournament in style by thumping the world No 2 Springboks 32-12 in Soweto yesterday.
"I think there is a big difference between the first and second team, but they (New Zealand) are the world champions and they have won a whole lot of games (wins) in a row," Meyer said.
"We started off the year as the fourth team in the world and we are second now, but there is still a long way to go."
The All Blacks have now won 16 tests in a row since the start of last year's World Cup. With a match against the brittle Wallabies on the way to a northern tour where they haven't lost a test in a decade, New Zealand could finish the year with 21 consecutive victories, well ahead of the world record of a18 set by Lithuania.
Meyer said the challenge was to try to close that gap and he believed he had made progress in his first year in charge despite some patchy results that included draws with England and Argentina and a loss to the Wallabies.
"We started off the year as the fourth team in the world and we are second now, but there is still a long way to go," Meyer said.
"At half-time I thought we were still in the game and that we played the right kind of game," he said of a 16-12 lead at the break.
"But the turning point was just after half-time when we conceded a turnover against the best counter-attacking team in the world, which they scored from, and suddenly we were 19-16 behind."
He was adamant his side could take plenty from the Soweto loss and their season in general. They would look to build on this during their looming tour north where they play Ireland, Scotland and England.
"If you look at the mistakes, it was backs on backs and they will learn from that," Meyer said.
"So we had a few inexperienced players against the best backline in the world and they will punish you if you make mistakes.
"It was not a case of the players not putting their bodies on the line because when we defended in a line we looked good, so it was soft moments.
"We will be a different side after another three Tests and a Super Rugby season," he said.
"To be realistic we improved a helluva lot if you look at all the injuries and the players not available. It's been a tough few months, but again we started as the fourth side in the world and moved up two places.
"We will work harder and I will do my best to make this a championship side."
- © Fairfax NZ News
