Player ratings: Trophy time
A sign of a very good team is that they are able to churn out victories at any given time, even when they are not at their best.
And that is exactly what the All Blacks did to claim the title with two rounds of matches still to be played.
Tauriq Ebrahim rates the All Blacks!
15 Ben Smith
Came to life in the second half with some hard running lines after a relatively quiet first half.
7/10
14 Israel Dagg
Racked up the mileage with ball-in-hand and was simply outstanding under the high ball.
7/10
13 Malakai Fekitoa
While he may have seemed quiet on attack, he was impenetrable on defence.
6/10
12 Ryan Crotty
Used as a battering ram throughout the encounter and gave as good as he got on defence.
6/10
11 Julian Savea
He loved having the ball and looks to have regained some form with some elusive running.
7/10
10 Beauden Barrett
Not quite his best performance from the kicking tee but his match awareness is unrivalled.
6/10
9 Aaron Smith
A backline is only as good as the service it gets and that is exactly what the scrumhalf delivered, not to mention the odd sniping run here and there.
7/10
8 Kieran Read
Produced a performance you want from your captain. Nothing fancy and flashy but executed the basics perfectly.
7/10
7 Ardie Savea
There are no words to sum up his overall performance in what was his first start in the No.7 jersey, that is how good he was.
9/10
6 Jerome Kaino
Another good example of how effective a dynamic loose forward can be and the impact he can make in all facets of play.
7/10
5 Sam Whitelock
His set-piece work was of the highest quality but his contributions in other facets need to be addressed.
6/10
4 Brodie Retallick
The engine of the team continued to roll on, even if was one of his more quiet displays.
5/10
3 Owen Franks
Gave was a perfect defensive display but it was offset by not offering anything on attack, which is why he now holds the record for the longest career without scoring a try.
5/10
2 Dane Coles
What more can be said about a hooker who has the silky touches and speed of a backline player.
8/10
1 Joe Moody
His performance was similar to that of Franks, although, he did slip a tackle.
4/10
Replacements:
16 Codie Taylor (on for Coles, 66th min)
Had big shoes to fill and failed to accomplish that, however, the match was already done and dusted by that time.
4/10
17 Wyatt Crockett (on for Moody, 46th min)
His time on the park was summed up by being penalised at his first scrum. However, he made up for it with a strong scrum later on.
4/10
18 Charlie Faumuina (on for Franks, 54th min)
Did what he needed to continue the good work at scrum time.
4/10
19 Luke Romano (on for A Savea, 60th min)
Had a few good carries with some decent tackles thrown in for good measure.
5/10
20 Matt Todd (on for Kaino, 53rd min)
He certainly knows what to do when he is given the ball as he produced two excellent carries.
6/10
21 TJ Perenara (on for A Smith, 64th min)
Showed what he is capable of with some sniping runs and crisp service.
6/10
22 Lima Sopoaga (on for Dagg, 68th min)
Not enough time to be rated.
23 Anton Lienert-Brown (on for Crotty, 66th min)
Not enough time to be rated, although he managed to break the line when he was handed the ball.
By Tauriq Ebrahim
@Tauriq365
@rugby365com
