By DUNCAN JOHNSTONE - RugbyHeaven | Saturday, 02 August 2008
Graham Henry and his All Blacks put the boot into their critics and the Wallabies as they produced their promised kicking improvements and backed it up with power and precision to tie up the Bledisloe Cup with a hugely satisfying win at Auckland on Saturday night.
The angry All Blacks had a bit more about them from the outset when they produced their personal Kapa O Pango haka for the first time in 12 months and went on to blitz the Wallabies 39-10.
Under siege after consecutive losses and trying to protect a 19-match unbeaten record at Eden Park , the All Blacks ripped into this demanding test and 18-3 ahead after the first quarter, they had one hand back on the Bledisloe and showed they weren't about to surrender their Tri-Nations title just yet either.
They start tearing down a significant piece of New Zealand rugby history at the Eden Park on Sunday as the wrecking balls start the demolition for the World Cup revamp.
There were suggestions that a third loss in a row would start eroding the foundations of Henry's reign too. But the All Blacks put and end to that in stylish fashion in front of a capacity crowd.
It seemed that all that was missing was a bonus point to help their championship cause and Ma'a Nonu delivered that on the whistle. But the 29-point scoreboard differential told the real story.
The highly publicised revamp of tactics was delivered to good effect and ended the five-match unbeaten run of the Wallabies under Robbie Deans.
Dan Carter's bombs may have been a bit wayward at times but his touch finders and kicks to space - backed up by chasers this week - kept the Wallabies marching backwards. Mils Muliaina and even Sivivatu Sitiveni chimed in with good contributions in this department too as the All Blacks confidently went for the touch lines and then put heat on the Wallabies' lineout.
And returning skipper Richie McCaw proved as good as his word too. He had demanded aggression to match the precision and led on that front with a typically inspirational performance after six weeks away with his ankle injury.
The All Blacks produced an in-your-face defence that suddenly had the Wallabies forced into the sort of errors that New Zealand had suffered to their embarrassment in Sydney last week.
The yellow jerseys were the ones spilling the 50-50 balls and the All Blacks used that to add to their front-foot momentum.
McCaw wasn't alone in his sterling work around the breakdowns. The back row, playing a more traditional format and with Rodney So'oialo and Jerome Kaino in their preferred positions, proved far more effective.
Prop Tony Woodcock capped off a good night for the tight five with two tries as the All Blacks also produced some pleasing lineout innovations.
Jimmy Cowan's first start of the year produced some crisp delivery and with a fraction more time it was noticeable that Nonu's attack started to bite in the Tri-Nations for the first time.
The All Blacks were guilty of a sloppy start though as they dropped the kick-off and the Wallabies were able to dominate a long period of possession that eventually led to So'oialo being frustrated and penalised for aggressive play at a ruck. Matt Giteau goaled for the first points.
But just as quickly Australia were penalised at the next breakdown and Carter evened the ledger.
New Zealand maintained that pressure through that improved kicking game and Carter goaled again when Australia were caught offside.
Carter's boot continued to keep the All Blacks in the right areas but it was the turn of Woodcock to shine.
He produced a deft side-step on a cameo run out wide and then burrowed over for the first try in the 21st minute. Carter's conversion had New Zealand out to a handy 13-3 lead.
A couple of minutes later Woodcock was at it again after the All Blacks had forced a 5m lineout. Ali Williams made a clean take and passed down to charging Woodcock to rip through the guts of the lineout and slither over.
The Wallabies had to strike back if they were to stay in the match and they did, working a sharp overlap off a lineout win themselves with Stirling Mortlock getting on the outside of Conrad Smith to send fullback Adam Ashley Cooper away.
A Carter penalty just before halftime settled things for the home side who went into the break at 21-10.
The All Blacks started the second spell strongly, upsetting a Wallabies' lineout and as the ball spilled loose inside the Australian 22 they scrambled it left with Nonu featuring twice for the touchdown.
Carter kept the scoreboard ticking with another penalty but the All Blacks were seeking a bonus point try to cap an impressive response to their doubters.
They emptied their bench to add to that urgency and it eventually came.
But that was just the icing on the cake on a night when it was win at all costs.
Privately and publicly the All Blacks were hugely disappointed with last week's effort across the Tasman where they felt they lost that match as much as the Wallabies won it.
They could be hugely proud of their response with this effort, clearly their most precise performance of what has been a difficult season.
All Blacks 39: Tony Woodcock 2, Ma'a Nonu 2 tries, Dan Carter 5 pens, Carter 2 con
Wallabies 10: Adam Ashley-Cooper tries, Matt Giteau 1 pen, Giteau 1 con
HT: 21-10
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