New Zealand may not yet be the side to reclaim the world title on home soil next year, but they are getting there. Today in Dunedin they had far too much for Wales, beating them five tries to nil – two of those and a total of 27 points coming from a back-to-form Dan Carter.
The 28-year-old fly-half may not yet have returned to the dizzy heights of 2005, but here he scotched suggestions that he has become purely a kicking No10. It was a day when older All Black heads such as Keven Mealamu, Conrad Smith, Joe Rokocoko, Jimmy Cowan and Tony Woodcock ruled the roost.
As for Wales, they go to Hamilton looking like many former teams from a nation that has spent spent 57 years travelling to New Zealand without recording a win there. After a brave first half they were simply blown away, conceding 27 points without looking like they could construct a scoring move.
At the death Wales were mentally and physically drained, and could barely raise a finger as Richard Kahui ran in the final try nine minutes from time. Despite this they started brightly, with Stephen Jones dropping a goal and Leigh Halfpenny kicking a monster penalty from inside his own half to give them a six-point lead.
The advantage could have been greater but for a couple of fumbles by Halfpenny and Adam Jones within five metres of the All Black line. New Zealand looked jittery, making six handling errors in the first 20 minutes. as Carter was charged down and Cowan knocked on. But the All Blacks are polished counter-punchers and from two attacks scored twice – even if the second try had a whiff of offside about it.
First Cowan tapped a penalty 10 metres out and Mealamu wriggled under Adam Jones to satisfy the video ref. Then, Smith was the first to spot a ball as it popped out of a ruck 70 metres out. A flipped pass put Cory Jane away and after 31 minutes of dominating territory and possession Wales were 15-6 down. Unfortunately, an even more devastating three minutes was to come.
Television footage showed Graham Henry giving his All Blacks a half-time lecture, but it was the coach's decision to add the veteran loose-head Woodcock from the bench that kicked off the second-half fireworks. Until then Adam Jones had been making life very difficult for Ben Franks, but the Welsh tight-head was about to have the tables turned.
Woodcock earned a penalty, which Carter kicked to put the All Blacks on their way. From the next Welsh attack the fly-half chose to run from his own line, with Rokocoko, new boy Benson Stanley, Jane and then Kahui taking the move on before, 90 yards upfield, Carter spotted a gap and brushed off three lacklustre tackles to go over.
He kicked the subsequent conversion and that was the game finished, even if Halfpenny and Tom Prydie briefly raised Welsh hopes before Kahui's final flourish.
However, Carter was not done. When Mealamu anticipated some poor and predictable Welsh passing, the lock Brad Thorn turned defence into attack and four passes later Carter was over again. In New Zealand, it is rumoured that the snapped tendon the fly-half sustained while playing for Perpignan has slowed him down permanently. The Wales full-back, Lee Byrne, would probably disagree having been turned inside-out as Carter cruised 40 metres to the corner.
Kahui's canter was rich reward for an impressive 40 minutes as replacement for one of last week's heroes, the full-back Israel Dagg. But if the new faces got the praise after the nine-try beating of Ireland at New Plymouth, today showed that Henry and his coaching team are combining their tactical nous with athleticism throughout the squad.
In the build‑up to the last ever Test at Carisbrook, much was made of the All Blacks' recent failures to South Africa and France at the so-called House of Pain. Ryan Jones, the Wales captain, confirmed the extent of the hosts' revival in fortunes when asked to give his verdict on the Wales scrum: "Yes, it was a pretty even contest – we just lost out around the rest of the park."
NEW ZEALAND Dagg (Kahui ht); Jane, Smith, Stanley, Rokocoko; Carter (Cruden 72), Cowan (Weepu 59); B Franks (Woodcock 45), Mealamu (De Malmanche 59), O Franks, Thorn, Boric (Whitelock 56), Vito, McCaw (capt), Read (Thomson 70)
Tries Mealamu, Jane, Carter 2, Kahui Cons Carter 4 Pens Carter 3
WALES Byrne; Halfpenny, Bishop (Knoyle 74), Roberts (J Davies 70), Prydie; S Jones (Biggar 56), Phillips; James, Rees, A Jones (Yapp 56), B Davies, AW Jones, J Thomas, G Thomas (McCusker 57), R Jones (capt)
Pens Halfpenny, S Jones Drop goal S Jones
