The 26 -12 scoreline in Auckland on Saturday does little to underline to dominance the All Blacks enjoyed throughout the second half against Australia - and perhaps in dry conditions the margin could have been much wider. But in all facets of the game, the New Zealanders held the upper hand in the Bledisloe Cup and Tri-Nations showdown.

The early signs for the All Blacks were not good, going backwards at the first scrum and losing several lineouts. However, once the players realised that the game was going to be won up front, the tide soon began to turn. This in itself was a good sign for a team who have not always changed to Plan B quickly enough in the past.

The ball rarely went beyond second-five Luke McAlister in the back line, instead it was typically kept in close as the forwards pounded away on their opposites. Fullback Mills Muliaina and wingers Joe Rokocoko and Doug Howlett saw limited chances through out the game, and most of those came while returning kicks.

'In the past two weeks neither the Springboks nor the Wallabies have been able to cross the New Zealand line; in fact neither team really threatened to score a try'

The entire pack showed that they are not just big and strong, but also extremely mobile and supremely fit. No matter what number forwards had on their back, they all seemed to show up at the breakdown and do their share of the work.

The pairing of Dan Carter and McAlister performed well as both players controlled the tempo of the game and kicked well for position, turning around the Australian pack whenever they looked to be gaining parity. Both players also filled in at half-back when required, especially after one of Byron Kelleher's trademark runs close to the ruck.

As the game wore on it became apparent that the Australians were tiring. It was at this point coach Graham Henry brought on fresh legs in the form of hooker Keven Mealamu, who steadied the lineout, and half back Brendan Leonard, who almost immediately made a telling break which lead to the game's only try.