Another unblemished goalkicking evening topped by a try, produced a nifty 13 points for firecracker Daniel Carter as he eked out a points decision in his personal duel with Matt Giteau and an All Black victory overall.
Giteau was sharp as well but had a number of raggedtactical kicks which eased the heat on the visitors or put his side under the chokehold. There was nothing much though between two very gifted playmakers.
Carter shifted out to his old second five-eighths role when Stephen Donald came on as a substitute, all the sort of qualities Perpignan will look for from their huge six-months investment in Carter once the All Blacks' end-of-year tour is done.
But on Saturday in Brisbane it was plain to see the relief and joy he and the All Blacks shared after taking out the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup double. They lingered for some time after the test, absorbing the salutes from their supporters. Brad Thorn took the Bledisloe on his own personal tour at a ground where he initially earned his sporting stripes in league.
"I have been pretty lucky right throughout my career to have had these trophies since my first year," Carter said. "But this definitely ranks right up there with a pretty new-look side, new faces and the way we started the Tri-Nations with a couple of losses early on. And then to have our backs against the wall and fight back out like we did and come away with three very big wins is great for this bunch of guys."
Given the circumstances, it was among the best efforts from the All Blacks since he played the first of his 54 tests in 2003. The side was in neutral for too much of the first half. They had to increase their intensity rather than alter their tactics and that showed in the last quarter.
Carter will join his French club to register, undergo medicals and meet teammates in the next few weeks. Donald brought vim to the side when he came on, while Carter said he felt rusty when he shifted out to his former test position.
