Bledisloe Cup rugby: Gregor Paul - Watch out world - the real All Blacks have arrived

The All Blacks celebrate with the Bledisloe Cup. Photo / Dean Purcell

OPINION:

There have been sporadic flashes and big hints that a quality rugby team has been trying to break out from the shell of mediocrity in which it has been encased and finally the true All Blacks broke through at Eden Park.

There was pace, power and panache from the All Blacks in a performance that would have to be the best they have produced since the last World Cup.

There was a flow and cohesion to it, as well as physical clout and whatever everyone was thinking about this team, they will have to change their minds now.

These All Blacks are not so bad. They are in fact a tight and gifted unit with the requisite steel and resilience to believe that their growth trajectory will be upward and by the end of the year, if they keep building the way they are, they could be quite the handful.

They are certainly on to something after a bit of a slow start to the season and for the first time since Ian Foster took over as head coach, the light veil of gloom that has engulfed the rugby nation can lift a little.

Perhaps even a touch of optimism, confidence even could be generated by a performance that had a potent mix of ruggedness, creativity, dynamism and patience.

The All Blacks celebrate with the Bledisloe Cup. Photo / Dean Purcell

There were multiple dimensions to the way the All Blacks went about destroying the Wallabies. They were prepared to mix things up in a way they haven't been in 2021 and their unpredictability made them dangerous.

Australia couldn't pick where the All Blacks were going next. One phase it would be the forwards popping it between one another, the next the ball was zipping wide and the balance for the first time this year was bang on.

It was also the first test in which the All Blacks have harnessed the full running power of Akira Ioane and the damage he was able to cause when he was given the ball with a bit of space justified entirely why he is the preferred number six.

There was just too much firepower for the Wallabies to contain. When they did manage to claw down Ioane, Ardie Savea would come at them with his leg drive or Codie Taylor with his supremely good support running.

Sam Whitelock, too has to be mentioned for his all-round contribution. He was always on hand to carry close to the ruck, he drained the confidence out of the Wallaby lineout and he delivered astute, assured captaincy.

He had an innate feel for things and his line of communication to key playmakers Aaron Smith and Richie Mo'unga was clear.

Those two had an iron grip on proceedings and Smith, who played for most of the game on one leg after taking a bang, was sensationally good at directing the attack.

Australia gifted them two soft intercept tries and nor are they necessarily top of the tree opposition with the grunt game of others, but they provided enough of a tussle to be sure that the All Blacks played well to secure the Bledisloe Cup.

Brodie Retallick scored for the All Blacks. Photo / Dean Purcell

So many people want to bag the Wallabies, see the All Blacks beat them up and then declare it a non-event, "because it is only Australia", but the visitors will beat some good sides this year and in time, this performance will come to be seen in an even better light.

The Wallabies asked enough questions to enable the All Blacks to prove they are capable of producing rugby that would satisfy anyone's definition of physicality.

That's where the contest was won. The All Blacks had a presence in everything they did. There was bite in their defence and more importantly, so too was their control and discipline.

Tougher challenges await this team. No one is kidding themselves about that. The Pumas will bring a different set of skills and the South Africans will be another level up from that again.

But no one should fear what awaits this All Blacks team anymore. They can play. They can really play and now they have the silverware they coveted back in the cabinet, the magical ingredient of confidence will enter the mix and enable them to build on what was an impressive benchmark.