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Dynamic All Blacks win in style |
 OPINION: The All Blacks scored a double victory in their demolition of the Springboks at Eden Park on Saturday night.
Firstly they beat the Boks at their own game - where it counts up front.
Then they implanted their own New Zealand style on the South Africans - running them ragged with some dynamic open play.
It all added up to a dominant display and one that restored some normality to the titanic tussle between these two giants of the game after the Boks had been in a class of their own last season.
It's hard to say what was more impressive - watching the All Blacks forwards rip through the heart of the Boks engine room or seeing the ball go wide with such constant threat.
It's a potent mix and the reality is the two go hand in hand. There's rarely much joy for the outside backs if the men up front aren't doing their job.
This was an All Blacks team clearly fired up and determined to right the wrongs of last year.
They ripped into it from the start and the result was one of the most impressive first half performances by New Zealand in recent memory.
But they kept that going too. When the Boks replied with a fiery opening to the second half the All Blacks responded accordingly.
Keven Mealamu, Tom Donnelly and Brad Thorn were inspirational in the hand combat up front. Skipper Richie McCaw was everywhere as usual.
Their work inspired the backs to play the confident game that Graham Henry wants.
It's a game built around speed and a willingness to strike from first phase play or on the counter-attack. It's an approach that requires accuracy. All were in evidence in Auckland, unlike last year's error-riddled efforts in Bloemfontein and Durban in particular.
Veteran fullback Mils Muliaina oozed confidence every time he touched the ball. Ma'a Nonu belied his lack of recent game time to take charge of the midfield alongside the clever Conrad Smith and then Richard Kahui.
This wasn't all about attack though. Defensively the All Blacks were just as impressive.
Kieran Read and Jerome Kaino were huge in this department. Even Dan Carter got in couple of crucial tackles.
Special mention to the set piece work - the lineout meltdowns of last year's Tri-Nations appear to be a distant memory while the scrum was more than competitive. Goodness, there was even a rolling maul to ram home their authority.
And while the Boks had spoken of the belief in their bench to be able to make a difference, it was the All Blacks reserves who were able to contribute most to the final quarter.
There was a seamless transition as Henry brought on his backup brigade.
If there was a criticism of the All Blacks it was their patchy discipline. The danger of those sloppy moments was hammered home by the boot of Morne Steyn.
The All Blacks' kicking game wasn't the best either. But they rarely needed it. This was a match highlighted by their ball in hand work.
So this was a very impressive effort from an All Blacks side under a mountain of pressure going into this test, not the least being defending their proud record at Eden Park.
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Their challenge might get even bigger next weekend in Wellington. A wounded Boks side is a dangerous animal.
Source: Stuff
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