James Horwill lifts the Tri-Nations trophy © Getty Images

Australia have finished their preparations for the World Cup in perfect fashion, wrapping up the Tri-Nations with victory over the All Blacks. The strategy of not resting players during this competition has paid dividends with all players contributing strongly on both sides of the ball to give Australia their best win of the season so far. And it will prove to be the perfect confidence boost leading into the World Cup which is now less than two weeks away.

One of the most pleasing aspects of the game for Australian fans was a greatly increased aggression and dedication to defence. This was present both in and around the ruck, and out wide where the Wallabies also seem to have made tactical changes to their defensive structure, with the wingers moving up and in quickly. This was quite effective in snuffing out sweeping All Blacks plays and confining them to midfield where Anthony Fainga’a and Pat McCabe in the centres, supported by back-rowers Radike Samo, Rocky Elsom and David Pocock, were able to keep the All Blacks well confined.

All this was being done with decidedly more punishing defence than we have seen recently. This tougher brand of defence also contributed to increased mistakes from the All Blacks. The visitors looked out of sorts at various stages of the game despite putting together 26 phases for Conrad Smith’s try in the second half to lock the game up at 20-all.

Fainga’a and McCabe did just about everything required of them, and with Adam Ashley Cooper and Digby Ioane also having good games on the wings, it could make it difficult for the out of form (and late out of bed) James O’Connor to force his way back into the side. The one thing that may save him is his goal kicking which, while patchy at times, was not really outshone by Quade Cooper who missed a couple of shots himself at Suncorp.

New captain James Horwill may well think captaining his country is the easiest job in the world being one from one and capturing a piece of silverware in the process and all that in from of his home crowd. The new captain led from the front with a great personal performance but was also inspirational in keeping the Wallabies focussed and positive when the All Blacks tied the game up. Equally as inspired a performance was given from former captain Elsom, who looked relieved to be able to focus on his game without the added pressure of the captaincy.

Will Genia improved again and was a constant threat. His try was perfect reward for running straighter lines and asking more of the defence. He and Cooper are building a partnership which is proving to be more formidable with each game played.

And speaking of reward for effort, Samo’s sixty metre sprint to the try line for his first ever test try was something special to see, especially seeing as though five minutes prior he was on the ground, not moving and getting attention from team doctors. After being told 18 months ago that he was too old and too slow even for Super Rugby, he now appears to be another very useful component of this Wallaby machine.

But the true test is just about to start.

While some silverware for the Wallabies is a welcome addition to the ARU trophy cabinet, players and coaching staff will know that the next meeting between the two countries will be in an environment a long way from Suncorp Stadium, with a crowd that will no doubt be baying for Wallaby blood. Of greater importance at this stage will be momentum and the knowledge that we can match it with the World Cup favourites in an arm wrestle, and close out a tight game effectively.

Bring on the World Cup.

Simon Furey

Has Warren Gatland made a mistake not taking Martyn Williams? © Getty Images

So, after what seems like an eternity of training camps, experimental lineups, squad refinement and one depressing injury announcement after another, Wales have finally culled their squad down to the 35 in preparation for next month's World Cup. Truth told, it was a bit of an anticlimax – so forcefully has the injury curse struck the Wales camp in the last three months, pretty much every fit and able body left in the squad after its initial culling post-Spala has made in onto the plane, with a few exceptions. Indeed, should Wales appear to look jaded or burnt out as the tournament goes on, questions are sure to be asked about Warren Gatland's Polish beasting camps that some reassuring words from Simon Shaw are unlikely to make go away this time.

And yet despite the seemingly inevitable nature of the final squad, Gatland still managed to sneak a few surprises in, mainly in the back-row. The most notable name not on the list was Martyn Williams, the veteran openside stuck on 99 caps with his international career now seemingly all but over. It speaks volumes of the meteoric rise of Sam Warburton in the last 12 months that the man Gatland went out of his way to talk out of international retirement in 2007 isn't even considered among the country's 30 most important players four years later.
But it's a baffling one – Williams was never going to be Wales' first choice 7 at the World Cup, but you would have expected there to be one of Martyn, Justin Tipuric or Josh Turnbull there to back him up. But no, apparently Wales' plan B if Warburton gets injured is, er.. Ryan Jones at 7. Or maybe Andy Powell, who completed a Lazarus-like comeback, going from being out of the squad to back on the plane in one burst of pace that took him over the whitewash against Argentina. Raise your hand if either of those options have you overwhelmed with optimism? Yeah, though not.

Gatland's plan is presumably to call up Williams if Warburton gets crocked, but what happens if he picks up a knock against South Africa that will only keep him out for two or three games? Do we really want Jones or Powell playing openside against the Samoa or Fiji? It seems like a needless risk to take, and one that could potentially have catastrophic impact on our World Cup campaign – we saw how hopeless Wales were without Warburton against France in the Six Nations, the thought of playing some of the game against South Africa, let alone several whole games, is one that I don't get too excited about...

So why leave Wales so exposed at a vital position? Well, Williams misses out because Gatland has real concerns about his options in the No.8 berth, and is hoping that quantity might paper over a lack of quality by the selection of Jones, Powell and Toby Faletau.

You feel that Faletau would be Gatland's first choice, and so it will probably be against South Africa, but Toby has had a very hot and cold start to his Wales career, and at times he's looked like the test match rookie that he is – hardly ideal with a few weeks to go until the World Cup. Little things such as his decision making with ball in hand, his passing and his control at the base of the scrum have been consistently worrying, and it has caused Gatland to leave himself with plenty of options should Faletau have a shocker against South Africa.

In truth, the two players Gatland would perhaps liked to have picked, he has found himself unable to call upon. The first is Scarlets No.8 Ben Morgan, who would probably be Gatland's first choice were he eligible to play for Wales yet – the Englishman has a rare blend of pace, power and control, and should he choose to play for Wales when he's able to next year, he'll be competing for Faletau for that starting berth no doubt, but it's academic – as much as we'd love him, Morgan was never going to the World Cup.

One player who could have however, and perhaps should have gone were the world a fair place, is Gareth Delve. The Melbourne Rebels captain has been in scintillating form in Super Rugby this year, enhancing his already impressive reputation with consistent displays of dynamism, tenacity and leadership giving Rebels fans cause for hope in a moribund first season. But sadly for Delve and for Wales, it's been the same old story for him and the national side. Despite Gatland surprisingly abandoning his home-centric selection policy by picking Delve for the Spala conditioning camps, he turned up in Poland injured, and has been struggling ever since. Despite Gatland keeping him with the squad until the end and even giving himself a chance to prove his fitness by letting him turn out for the Rebels against Bath, he was never able to get himself into good enough shape to inspire Gatland's confidence.

That, above all of Wales' other more high-profile injury and fitness casualties going in to this World Cup, could be the most damaging. Much is being made of Wales' strength in the back-row, and in the case of the openside and blindside flankers is certainly the case, but the unconvincing nature of Wales' options at 8 has led Gatland to leave us potentially exposed elsewhere should injuries strike (and with a group that includes South Africa, Samoa and Fiji, they certainly will). Delve could have been the man to put his mind at ease, but it wasn't to be.
Wales' back row will still be imposing with Warburton and Danny Lydiate in the side at the World Cup, and Faletau, Jones and Powell can all do a job, but none of them are the complete No.8, and that obviously has Warren Gatland worrying, which probably means that we should all be too...

Josh Gardner

Can Eagles boss Eddie O'Sullivan conjure something special from his side at the Rugby World Cup? © Getty Images

Fans are inevitably biased, attempting to find the right in their team, even in the face of misfortune. However, when misfortune becomes the norm, even the most optimistic of fans will begin to question a team’s every move and every decision. Nobody likes a Sunday morning scrum-half but come September the Eagles are going to find themselves answering to a lot more than Eddie O’Sullivan. Rugby in the United States is exploding in popularity, especially after the recent inclusion of sevens for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Unfortunately, that recent explosion will not be reflected in this World Cup and may not even be in the next one. This World Cup roster, headlined by captain Todd Clever is still largely semi-professional. With twelve players coming from US clubs or the US Super League and four currently unattached, that leaves less than half the roster actually playing full time professional rugby.

Even in the midst of knowing that the US inevitably lacks the talent to compete with teams like Ireland and Australia, and will struggle to attempt wins against Italy and Russia, there are reasons for hope. The Eagles starting wingers are talented and speedy international players in the forms of Agen’s Kevin Swiryn and Biarrtiz’ Taku Ngwenya, who famously burned Springboks speedster Bryan Habana at the 2007 World Cup. Mike McDonald should do well to control the scrums, especially with Scott Lavalla and Hayden Smith providing the push in the second row, as well as contributing to a strong lineout. Other potential comes in the form of Andrew Suniula, whose physical running may be the Eagles’ best chance for line breaks. Blaine Scully also showed good skills in the Eagles’ latest game against Japan.

Sadly, there have been more questions than answers as far as the Eagles are concerned. The US wingers are fast and run good lines, but will the likely starting center combination of Tai Enosa and Andrew Suniula be able to get the ball out quickly enough coming off the hands of Nese Malifa (perhaps the most maligned and questioned starter on the roster) to even touch the wings’ hands? Will the backs avoid putting the ball to foot every chance they get as they attempted to do against Canada and Japan in their World Cup warm-ups? Will the front row outside of McDonald provide enough scrummaging grunt to avoid getting thrashed by the experience they’ll encounter in their first three games? Will the Eagles continue to play defense on their heels? I fear that there may not be too many positive answers to these questions. The wings will lack the opportunities to score and Malifa likely will not play his way into the hearts of many as he lacks the speed and step of opposition fly halves such as Quade Cooper and Ronan O’ Gara, whom he will face in the Eagles’ first two matches. Even if he or the wings do find a way in once or twice, will he even be able to convert his kicks? McDonald will do his part in the front row, but the skill and form of the front rows from Ireland, Australia, and Italy will all give the US scrum fits.

There are solutions to these questions - unlikely to lead to victory, but enough to diminish the embarrassment in the first two games, which will inevitably be the toughest. Vary the push in the scrums, enough to at least win our own scrums and maybe steal one or two with a good wheel or surprise push behind the strength of the second rows. The loose forwards need to set the standard for rucking and fitness early, making certain to ruck with more authority, as opposed to the gentle rucking you saw in the warm-ups reminiscent of the PlayStation Rugby 2004 game many of us used to play. The precedent must also be set for fitness, as many of the forwards were late to rucks, often getting away with it, something that will not happen against the poaching and counter-ruck of the Irish and Aussie forwards. Another solution is to experiment with Roland Suniula at fly-half—play it safe against Ireland but keep the leash short. Suniula is a much better runner, is more agile and has a more accurate grubber and cross kick. His passing does not lag behind either because what he lacks currently in consistent accuracy, he makes up for in passing strength. Defensively the Eagles simply need to swallow their fear, stay on their toes, be quicker off the ball, and hit low. Otherwise if the Eagles can just keep the ball in hand, the rest of the backs should provide a good degree of physicality and speed.

I would love to be able to shed more optimism on the Eagles’ chances but quite frankly a US victory in either of the first two games would, in my eyes, be comparable to Tonga’s 1973 victory over Australia. The Eagles simply lack the talent, creativity, size, strength, conditioning, and rugby knowledge that the opposition possesses. That cannot and will not change until the US Super Leagues are paid - that way half of our squad is not requesting sick days from their desk jobs to go play a little tournament we call the Rugby World Cup - until then, let’s at least try to beat Russia…

Michael Scanlon

Veteran prop Sylvain Marconnet reflects on his omission from France's Rugby World Cup squad © Getty Images

I don’t know if Marc Lièvremont is just being ironic or if he is a real visionary. His initial plan was to name a 30-man squad at the start of his side’s World Cup preparation in order to avoid building up the hopes of some players who would not make the final squad. In the end, he came up with a list of 33* names – a number with strong medical connotations – because three players he was hoping to include - props Thomas Domingo (Clermont) and Fabien Barcella (Biarritz) and centre Aurélien Rougerie (Clermont) – were battling back from injury. He also drafted in a third option at hooker, Perpignan’s Guilhem Guirado, as cover with Toulouse’s William Servat another injury concern.

As a result, Lievremont knew he needed to lose three players from the group before heading to New Zealand and two warm-up victories did not make that task any easier. But he was “lucky” enough to lose one member of his group, Yoann Huget, to suspension after the winger missed three anti-doping tests. How a professional rugby player can be so ignorant in regard to anti-doping legislation is beyond me. And like many other French fans, I want to believe it was just a case of stupidity and not because he had something to hide.

It also soon became clear that Domingo was never going to be ready for the tournament, leaving 31 players vying for a place on the plane. Lievremont said that every player would have the chance to impress in the two warm-up clashes with Ireland, either in Bordeaux or Dublin, and as Servat was the only name not to feature it appeared he would be the one to miss the World Cup. But no, it was Sylvain Marconnet who was left with a bitter taste in his mouth as he parted company with a group he had spent the past two months preparing with. It was a familiar feeling for the prop who missed out on the 2007 World Cup after a foolish skiing accident and he knows he will never have another chance to grace the sport's biggest tournament.

Apart from the surprise omission of the likes of familiar Sébastien Chabal, Clément Poitrenaud and Yannick Jauzion and maybe Raphaël Lakafia, Lièvremont has shown some consistency at least in his selection. Let’s just hope he doesn’t regret picking Servat if he is unable to play with an experienced prop, who can play on both sides of the front row, left at home. Until now, Lievremont has been quite lucky when it comes to injuries and I hope we are hailing his medical management in the coming weeks rather than lambasting him.

As for the our chances in the tournament, we may well struggle due to the fact that it is quite obvious that we don’t have a single player capable of regularly breaking a defensive line, apart from Servat. The victories against Ireland were OK but far from perfect and we struggled to produce an 80-minute performance.

The only passage of note in the first game featured winger Vincent Clerc and, more surprisingly, his fellow speedster Alexis Palisson. The following week there were also signs for hope when fly-half François Trinh-Duc and Rougerie were on the pitch together. As a result, I am not sure if ‘Doctor’ Lièvremont has the time required to cure his side of all their ills.

*33: The number you’re asked to say in France when you are examined with a stethoscope

John Palfrey

Sekope Kepu celebrates Australia's victory over South Africa © Getty Images

The side they faced was the most capped team South Africa has ever put together, with only two survivors from the side that were beaten in Sydney three weeks ago. With the brilliant South African team doctors able to work miracles on all the injured players that were forced to miss the overseas leg their campaign, this was a team far more representative of how it will look come Rugby World Cup time.

While this was a game that could have used a few more tries (especially with a post-1am broadcast time in Australia), it is nice to see the Wallabies grind out a win, especially on foreign soil. These are the type of games they are likely to encounter at the business end of the World Cup and the mental toughness required to win them will be a welcome addition to the Wallabies kit.

Both teams were guilty of a glut of handling errors, which tended to make the game very stop-start giving limited chances to the Wallabies’ (and South Africa’s) outside backs to do their thing.

The most pleasing element to come out of this game was the far greater composure from Quade Cooper and Will Genia. Having been made aware by coach Robbie Deans of their responsibility to stick to the game plan during the week, their decision making was far better in this game. Picking astutely when to run and when to kick meant far less pressure was unnecessarily placed on the Wallaby forwards. While this might mean that we don’t see Cooper magic every time he touches the ball, laying the platform should mean better opportunities will become available throughout the game.

Genia in particular looked increasingly dangerous when he straightened up and asked greater questions of the Springboks’ defence, rather than crabbing sideways looking for a gap. This commits more defenders in close, and if he can continue to do this it will give the forwards running off him short and his outside backs more opportunity to find gaps.

The Australian forwards were also far more effective this week, even though they had less to contend with than last week in Auckland.

Under-fire captain Rocky Elsom, had a much improved game, looking more mobile and hitting harder in defence. He is looking better for each run after restricted game - time this year which would be pleasing to both him and Coach Deans.

Scott Higginbotham showed some promising form in his run-on debut, but also made some nervous mistakes early. He was slightly outplayed by his opposite number Pierre Spies and will now be aware the difference between starting a Test match and coming on against tired opponents. It still remains to be seen if he can be effective at No.8, but he will no doubt deservedly find a spot in the 30-man Wallaby squad.

One frustrating element was the Aussie’s lack of discipline early. Especially against a penalty-happy Springboks who will usually be all to willing to take penalty chances from anywhere inside the opposition half (or even in their own for that matter). The Australians will need to try and keep this to a minimum as other teams will use any advantage they can to build pressure.

This win was a huge morale boost for the Wallabies, but exactly where this win puts Australia in terms of preparedness for the World Cup is still somewhat unknown.

South Africa, despite having most of their stars back, were a little off where they would like to be, with their set pieces and combinations somewhat out of sync. They will, however, be better for the run and face the All Blacks next week, which may give us some indication of how we are travelling. The following week when the Kiwis come over to Brisbane for the second Bledisloe Test is the big chance for Australia to build on this win and keep the momentum going.

We also look forward to the naming of the 30-man squad on Thursday, which will give everyone far greater insight into how Deans plans to attack this World Cup campaign. There will no doubt be some unfortunate omissions, but the headache of having too many options is one I am sure Deans will be content to put up with.

Simon Furey

The All Blacks celebrate holding onto the Bledisloe Cup following their latest Eden Park success against the Wallabies © Getty Images

As expected the All Blacks ran out convincing winners in a dominating performance over the Wallabies at Eden Park to lock the Bledisloe Cup away for another year.

An almost flawless performance from Dan Carter and dynamic displays from Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith outside him sealed the deal but it was the brute physicality from the All Black forwards right from the opening whistle that put the Wallabies on the back foot.

For anyone thinking that the All Blacks will rest on their laurels we only need to look back to 2003 for a reminder of why that will not be allowed to happen again. In that year’s Tri-Nations, New Zealand thrashed Australia 50-21 in Sydney and triumphed again a few weeks later in Auckland 21-17. As any long suffering All Blacks fan knows when the two sides next met it was in the World Cup semi-final and when it really really mattered the Wallabies won 22-10.

Moments after a Mils Muliaina try was disallowed the All Blacks were still hot on attack. Stirling Mortlock intercepted a Carlos Spencer pass and raced down the other end to score. It shattered the All Blacks confidence and they never recovered. George Gregan famously rubbed salt into their wounds with his sledging at the end of the game...“four more years, four more years boys.”

Eight years on I don’t think we will see a repeat of that. This All Blacks team is better in nearly every single position than that one and with Graham Henry and Richie McCaw calling the shots rather than John Mitchell and Rueben Thorne we don’t need to worry about that bad selections and poor leadership.

Much is being made of McCaw and Carter potentially not travelling to South Africa for their return game against the Springboks, with some critics saying Henry has not learnt from the mistakes of 2007 and that this is a return of the often maligned ‘rest and rotation’ policy. I totally disagree.

They are far too valuable to their team for it to make any sense for them to spend over 50 hours travelling to and from the Republic to be risked against a team that would love nothing more than to see them pick up an injury and be ruled out of the World Cup.

This is also a great opportunity for their deputies Colin Slade and Adam Thomson to get some more game time and show they can step up in the big games if required.

James Marshall

Australia's James O'Connor finds little room for manoeuvre during his side's Eden Park loss © Getty Images

A fortnight is a long time in Rugby.

Two weeks ago, the Wallabies dispatched the (admittedly under-strength) Springboks, and were looking forward to keeping the momentum going and confident about mixing it against the All Blacks in the first Bledisloe Cup Test.

But reality has now well and truly set in. And the reality is we are still a fair way off.

New Zealand handed the Wallabies a punishing rugby lesson ending with a 30 -14 score line that was ultimately not a true reflection of how dominant they were. The All Blacks, led by their much-vaunted forward pack, gained ascendency early and never appeared likely to give it up.

In defence, the All Blacks were ultra-aggressive and used startling line speed to unsettle their opponents. Equally impressive however, was their ability to remain patient and controlled in terms of numbers committed to each breakdown. This was especially telling in the periods where the Wallabies were able to mount sustained pressure.

This seemed to frustrate the Wallabies, which invariably led to poor options and turnovers, which in turn led to frustrations for Wallaby fans. It also meant nothing to show on the score board despite several very promising (and lengthy) build-ups. This is where Quade Cooper and Will Genia need to be more aware that the rigors of Test match rugby are a considerable step up from that of Super Rugby. Far greater composure is required and teams need to be ready for a grind from the start, especially against a team like New Zealand.

Cooper was quiet and was unable to find much rhythm throughout the game. His stepping was largely ineffective and he struggled to find space either for himself or for his outside men. Little blemishes in his game that were covered up by a dominating forward performance last week against South Africa were punished mercilessly by the Kiwis. Having one of his trademark long passes intercepted, and a flick-pass thrown on his own tryline that could at best be described as ill-advised, showed real signs of panic. This was a direct result of the sustained pressure applied by the All Blacks from the opening whistle (or possibly even before if you count the throat-slitting version of the Haka brought in especially for the occasion).

In stark contrast, Cooper’s opposite number Dan Carter was in everything. His ability to read what is in front of him and select quality options for any given situation will be a key to any success the All Blacks have in this World Cup year. But equally impressive in this game was his defence, snuffing out multiple, very promising Wallaby raids with critical and effective tackles. It was a master-class in what a brilliant all-round game from a fly half should be, and he is the person Cooper will have to usurp if he harbours any intention of being the dominant number 10 in world rugby.

Despite the nature of this loss, there were definitely some positives to take from the game. The Wallaby scrum and lineout, which have come under such scrutiny in recent times, both held up well against the All Black onslaught. Digby Ioane was a stand-out in attack and back-rower Scott Higginbotham was again outstanding off the bench and may surely be closer than ever to receiving a starting spot. Captain Rocky Elsom might have done enough to retain his spot after an improved performance, but changes may be close at hand.

There were also glimpses of what the Wallaby backline is capable of with Ioane’s try, and some extended periods of build up that, however fruitless they may have ended up, were promising.

Australian fans may well think what could have been with the three missed penalty goals and a try conceded off a kick off. However, we will need to improve greatly on this performance to be a threat at the pointy end of the World Cup. This was the atmosphere and type of smothering rugby the Wallabies will face if and when they meet the hosts of the Cup, and even though they are not there now, they now have a very clear indication of where they need to be.

If a fortnight is a long time, hopefully a week is long enough for the Wallabies to turn this disappointing loss around before they play South Africa in Durban next week.

Simon Furey

Try time for New Zealand's Colin Slade during the victory over South Africa last Saturday © Getty Images

All Blacks coach Graham Henry summed things up nicely giving his team a “7 out of 10” for their dominating 40-7 win against an under strength South African side in Wellington.

From a fans point of view it was pleasing to see members of the squad who might not be first choice selections step up and make the most of their opportunities in New Zealand’s first Tri-Nations game this year.

Wingers Cory Jane and Zac Guilford both bagged doubles and looked dangerous every time they touched the ball. They had plenty of space to operate in with Dan Carter in imperious form (goal-kicking aside) taking advantage of mismatches in defence against lumbering tight forwards. He took the ball to the line more than we have seen from him recently and controlled the game at a level no other No.10 in world rugby can currently match.

Adam Thomson has now surely secured his spot in any of the All Blacks’ World Cup match day selections for the knock out stages. He is not likely to start any of those big games, but with a robust and athletic performance at No.8 he has now proven he can cover any of the loose forward roles if required off the bench.

Henry would also have been happy that lock Ali Williams took another step up after his effort last week against Fiji - after over two years out of the black jersey due to injury. He was dominant in the line-outs and at re-starts and remains a lock with unparalleled skills in open play. He and Brad Thorn will be ‘Uncle Ted’s’ go to guys come finals time.

It looks like he is still deciding who will start for NZ in the 12 and 13 jerseys with the incumbents Nonu and Smith and newcomer Sonny Bill Williams all causing headaches for opposition mid-fielders.

This weekend’s Bledisloe Cup match against a confident Australian team will be a tougher challenge but I don’t expect the Wallabies to break their decades old Eden Park hoodoo.

An attack minded All Blacks side, bolstered by the likely return of Kevin Mealamu and Kieran Read will kick things up another gear and win with plenty left in the tank.

James Marshall

Try time for New Zealand's Colin Slade during the victory over South Africa last Saturday © Getty Images

The 82nd meeting between New Zealand and South Africa brought together two sides at completely different stages of build-up to the World Cup that is now just a little over a month away. The signs were there before a ball was kicked, with the home fans expecting nothing less than a commanding performance against an under strength Springboks who’s decision to rest so many players has been so well documented. And in the end the game played out very much that way, with the home team dominating and opening their Tri-Nations account in style.

The fast aggressive New Zealand forwards were all over their counterparts’ right from the outset. To a point where the All Blacks could well have been forgiven for removing kicking in general play from their game-plan entirely. They were able to control the breakdown at every opportunity against a South African side that were only able to generate one turnover at the ruck for the entire game. In defence, the All Blacks were aggressive and yet were able to remain patient in the periods where their opposition were able to mount sustained pressure.

The result of this breakdown domination was a fantastic platform from which the All Black backs could operate. And operate they did, often with surgical precision. Wingers Zac Guildford and Cory Jane both scored doubles in outstanding individual performances, which will no doubt add to the enviable headache Graham Henry will be starting to have about which outside backs to include in his 34-man World Cup squad.

In the first half alone, the All Blacks ran for over 470 metres, more than double that of their opponents. And much like Quade Cooper last week for the Wallabies, Dan Carter was pulling all the strings superbly.

Carter’s return to the side gave the All Blacks far more focus and direction. While he may only have had an average night with penalty kicks and conversions, his ability to read what is in front of him and select options to best take advantage of any given situation will be key to any success that the All Blacks have in this World Cup year.

These qualities were on display for all to see during this game, with his brilliance highlighted in the lead-up to The All Blacks’ second try. Great vision and a deft touch produced a quality short kick dribbled through the line for Ma’a Nonu. Carter then backed up beautifully to hit the pass back from Nonu at pace, before a step and a fend got him between South African defenders, finally popping a beautiful short ball for Zac Guildford to run 40 meters for the first of his tries.

For the South Africans, their “smoke and mirrors” decision to leave so many players home for whatever reason has meant that they have lost any momentum for the time being. They played Australian and New Zealand sides that, while by no means at their best, were still able to dispose of the tourists in relative comfort.

Being effectively out of the running for the Tri-Nations title will not bother them, and they will no doubt drip-feed players back into the side in their last two remaining home tests before the World Cup starts. This plan has worked for them before, but they will want to make sure they are still able to build momentum at the right time.

For the All Blacks, despite a score-line that came within 3 points of the all-time biggest winning margin over their South African opponents, they were still a little rusty at varying points throughout the game. They will no doubt be aware and the first to admit that there is work still to be done. They are a team that is more than capable of blowing teams away even while not playing to their full potential with their high work rate, high energy and high intensity.

An intimidating forward pack and a lethal back line, both with great depth, is a great spot to be in at this stage of their build-up. But a World Cup played on home soil, especially for a country as rugby-centric as New Zealand, brings unfathomable pressure. They will want to make sure that no stone is left unturned as they seek to iron out any flaws in their game.

And that starts with getting back to work this week in preparation for the visiting Wallabies at Eden Park next Saturday night. While both sides will no doubt have the looming World Cup in the back of their minds, and there may well be more important meetings between these two sides to come this year, both would dearly love to keep their momentum going, especially at the expense of their neighbours.

Simon Furey