ABs make hard task of victory

Doug Howlett dives in to score in the corner, despite the efforts of Wallaby Loti Tuqiri. Picture / Fotopress

The catchphrase during the week was beware the wounded Wallaby. Turned out, though, that the All Blacks were in far more danger from themselves, as they administered a quite distressing litany of self-inflicted wounds.

The pecking order of world rugby really is in flux when the All Blacks can beat the Wallabies and still wake up to a barrage of criticism.

But that's because these Wallabies really should have been dusted off by halftime and then dismantled at the All Blacks' leisure in the second 40 minutes.

Instead, they had to rely on a quite brilliant goalkicking effort from replacement first-five eighths Luke McAlister to steer them to victory. His three long-range efforts gave the All Blacks breathing space when they were being strangled.

Without that space, it's debatable whether the All Blacks would have ever found the inspiration to create Doug Howlett's third try that ultimately closed the game out for them.

It was more than just McAlister's goalkicking that made the difference. Maybe by just not being Leon MacDonald, McAlister induced a calm and composure that had gone missing.

And that was quite unfathomable. That this contest was ever close will, hopefully, be sitting heavily on the soul of Graham Henry's side this morning. Mark Gerrard's try in the first minutes of the second half should be an episode of particular shame. He was allowed to cruise through a gap the Titanic would have considered generous and put the Wallabies within eight points.

When MacDonald, oblivious to the lessons of last week, had his clearance kick charged by Lote Tuqiri, we had to seriously start thinking that the Wallabies were going to win.

That was plain ridiculous. The Wallabies were so bad in the first half hour that it looked as if they had missed a trick by not sending out 15 pavlovas in yellow jumpers.

There was no question at that stage, that putting away that volume of iconic desserts would have presented the All Blacks with a stiffer challenge than the one they faced.

Who knows, maybe even playing the Lions would have been tougher.

It was so absurdly easy for the All Blacks that it almost seemed as if they were deliberately making errors to help their guests feel slightly embarrassed about their own glaring deficiencies.

That clumsiness, particularly in the first half, prevented the All Blacks from running up a score that would have left an indelible scar on the psyche of Wallaby rugby.

It wasn't just the clumsiness that was a problem. Somehow this side have decided that kicking inside the opposition 22 is more often than not the right thing to do.

Ali Williams showed, when he took a tap penalty and deftly floated the ball into Howlett's arms, that the tactic is legitimate.

However, too many times it is being done by the inside backs with no real panache or conviction.

It's all the more infuriating when they are so effective with ball in hand.

Still, despite these failings, the All Blacks did manage to inflict a reasonable toll of carnage.

Without the curious judgement of Frenchman Joel Jutge to protect them, the Wallaby scrum was dismantled. Carl Hayman was so destructive that one can only wonder if his opposite, Bill Young, is now travelling back to Australia a few inches shorter.

He's certainly travelling with his reputation, hardly one to make his mother proud before the game, further tarnished.

The All Black lineout was also operating at a higher level, with Ali Williams now having regained the form he showed in the 2003 Super 12.

Some may say that form has been there since the Lions series but with Williams you really need to see it again and again before you believe it is ingrained.

The same is true of the team. We need to see them take control of lesser opponents from the start and not allow them even a glimmer of hope.

That, then, is the challenge on the Grand Slam tour - to leave the British Isles without hearing a peep from Wales, Ireland, England or Scotland.

New Zealand 34

(R. McCaw, D. Howlett (3); L. MacDonald cons, pens; L. McAlister 3 pens, con).

Australia 24

(M. Chisholm, M. Gerrard, L. Tuqiri, L. Johansson tries; M. Rogers 2 cons)

- HERALD ON SUNDAY