All Blacks are where they want to be

Coach Steve Hansen said after the Test the side had got better each game, they had blooded new people, they had a new leadership group and a new captain, and they had all done well.

"We've answered a lot of questions we need answered. Is our game where we want it to be – no, but it never is. We'll strive to get better at that but we're very happy. Losing a little bit more than 800 caps, not many Test teams would carry on as if that hadn't happened, particularly with the quality of people that we lost so we're very happy," he said.

Hansen said the big emphasis for the All Blacks in Dunedin had been improving on their start, and by cutting down the errors from the amount made in the second Test in Wellington they had been able to put pressure on Wales earlier in the game.

The momentum they built allowed them to take right it through the first half and into the second half. Defence was another area the side had improved.

"We got off the line and were reasonably fearsome in our tackling. There's still lots of our game we have to improve on but if anyone had said you're going to lose 818 caps and come out and do what we've done over the last three weeks, you'd be very happy so we are but we're not the finished article yet," he added.

The introduction of new players had been a positive from the game.

"Elliot [Dixon] was good, then Ofa [Tu'ungafasi] came on and he played particularly well and Liam Squire I thought was great. Beauden [Barrett] at flyhalf and then going back to fullback played a really good 80 minutes of rugby," he stated.

Hansen acknowledged fullback Israel Dagg's return to top form. He got injured last year but had a great off-season and had come back to show his best touches.

"He's [Israel Dagg] back to the player we know he can be and when he's like that he's world-class," he said.

There were some tough decisions ahead for the Rugby Championship as a result of Dagg's form. When there was Dagg and Ben Smith, and then Waisake Naholo and Julian Savea on the wings there were calls to be made.

"We're going to have to make some choices when they are all playing well. His [Dagg's] form at the moment is going to make it very difficult to leave him out. Ben's form, he had an outstanding game on the wing – it wouldn't matter where you play him he is such a good rugby player, so both of them will be there somewhere," he added.

Hansen said Savea had done well after recovering from an early dropped ball and while he hadn't had a lot of opportunities with the ball in hand, he was a lot more involved in the game and wasn't far away from being right back to his best.

Captain Kieran Read said the intention had been to not give Wales a sniff, they had managed to hold them out in a couple of crucial situations and then by scoring just before half-time, it had set up the second half well.

"The leaders have learnt a lot of these three Tests, we're all learning so it will do us a lot of good leading into the Championship later," he said.

Read said Dixon and Squire had both played well on debut. Dixon had showed his abrasive side and got off the line really well and got some dominant hits early, which was what had been seen before from All Blacks flanks.

"He made himself count when he was out there, he just didn't get the opportunity on attack. I think Liam, when he came on, showed a great maturity and showed the skills he has. It was a messy time in the game but he really stepped up," Read added.

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