All Blacks prove their class

If you watched this match on a perfect evening at Eden Park, you had the privilege of watching one of the greatest performances by an international team in the history of the game. It was simply splendid. There just are not enough superlatives to describe the skill, variety, speed, team-work, vision of this All Black team. It was a breathless performance. The only pity is that it lasted only 80 minutes.

There were 48 211 spectators lucky enough to watch this match at the great ground where the All Blacks last lost in 1994.

What a change from last week's try-less draw. Was it the difference the weather makes? Was it taking the elephant of a possible world record off their backs? Or was it just the best team in the world doing what they do better than any other team in the world?

The All Blacks were so good that you could not feel sorry for the Wallabies and you could not even admire their brave two tries. Anything they did was incidental to the glittering performance of the All Blacks. The fact that the All Blacks scored more points against them and gobbled up a bonus point for lots of tries was also incidental to the way they played.

It is an understatement to say that the All Blacks were brilliant. The match the Barbarians played against the All Blacks in Cardiff has been preserved and shown over and over. The same should happen to this match. Preserve it and air it when ever you have a chance. We may never see its like again.

Even in the relatively sedate first half an hour there were signs that something special was happening as both sides attacked whenever they could. The All Blacks had many more opportunities to do so. And yet the scoring said that there was Sydney without the rain as the first five scores were penalty goals and the sixth a penalty try.

The first penalty came after just 18 seconds – for obstruction by Conrad Smith at the kick-off – and Curtley Beale goaled. After that the All Blacks attacked and the Wallabies were forced to defend, which they did well. But two penalties  by Aaron Cruden put the All Blacks ahead 6-3 after 8 minutes.

The next penalty goal was significant. Richie McCaw, the All Black captain, was sent to the sin bin for a 'cynical' offence at a tackle. 6-6 after 13 minutes and then 9-6 to the All Blacks after 17 minutes. (This was apparently for offside.) And all the while the All Blacks were attacking, including a great break by Ryan Crotty.

Twice the Wallabies were penalised for infringements at a post-line-out maul and on the second  occasion Rob Simmons came in at the side and lifted an All Black leg to bring the maul down. He was sent to the sin bin as McCaw ended his sentence and returned to cheers.

The first scrum of the match came after 24 minutes and what a scrum it was! The All Black eight destroyed the Wallaby seven and won a tighthead. Aaron Smith broke and Brodie Retallick was over but held up, producing a five-metre scrum to the All Blacks. Again eight shoved seven and when the scrum was collapsed the referee awarded a penalty try. 16-6 after 27 minutes.

Then came a remarkable passage of play.

Israel Folau countered on a long, evasive run and could have passed but was tackled inside the All Blacks 22. He was tackled high by Cory Jane who jumped to get around the taller man's neck. This went unpunished and the Wallabies went wide right where they lost the ball inside the New Zealand 22. Cruden ran out of defence, dummied and kept on running till he popped a pass to Julien Savea on the half-way line and  the great wing strode easily to score his 24th Test try in his 24th Test. 23-6 after 30 minutes.

Simmons came back but in his absence the All Blacks had scored 14 points. The Wallabies also lost Nathan Charles to injury.

After the next 30 minutes, the score would be 44-6.

The Wallabies found it hard to live with the speed and efficiency with which the All Blacks played.

Early in the second half Crotty went off with a damaged cheekbone and Malakai Fekitoa took his place and then Jane hobbled off with a sore right  knee and Ben Smith moved to the right wing and Beauden Barrett to fullback. There was an astonishing moment when Barrett received the ball just inside his dead-ball line and started running and his team went joyfully away.

From a turnover the All Blacks went left to Savea who, with his right foot, grubbered infield. Fekitoa got the ball and was stopped at the Wallaby line but a short pass sent Kieran Read bursting over for a try. 30-6 after 50 minutes.

The next two tries were scored by McCaw in similar fashion – a penalty, a line-out, a maul and a try. The Wallabies just could not contain the New Zealand maul. 44-6 after 59 minutes and the first of those two tries gave the All Blacks a bonus point.

Then – alleluia – it was the Australian turn. They attacked with Scott Higginbotham and Nick Phipps, both substitutes, paving the way. They went right where Folau scored in Ben Franks's tackle. 44-13 after 61 minutes.

The Wallabies now had greater enthusiasm. A penalty gave them a five-metre line-out but the All Blacks contained their maul till Michael Hooper broke away to the left and his speed took him through McCaw and Aaron Smith for the try. 44-20 after 63 minutes.

They nearly got another when Folau intercepted a pass from Ben Smith just outside the Australian 22 but 10 metres from the All Back line Barrett tackled him and it became a line-out to the All Blacks. It was a great tackle.

With four minutes to go Ben Franks became the third sin-binner of the match.

A penalty gave the All Blacks a five-metre line-out. They formed a maul but gave to their backs going right., Back they came left when, as the siren sounded, a short pass sent Steven Luatua racing straight to the posts for a try which Aaron Smith (sic) converted.

Thus ended a great match.

Man of the Match: The All Blacks, from 15 to 1.

Moment of the Match: Take your pick by Julian Savea's try had great nobility about it.

Villain of the Match. The thought is silly, yellow cards notwithstanding.