KEY POINTS:
In the bowels of the Millennium Stadium yesterday, the seating arrangements had been reversed.
Just over a year ago, the All Blacks were a gracious but dejected group at one end of the interview room, fielding questions to which they had few answers after being jettisoned out of
the World Cup by France.
After beating Wales 29-9 yesterday, the All Blacks were in good humour at the top table, placed at the other end of the room where their journalist inquisitors had been stationed in all their prying pomp a year ago.
It was time to look ahead after the win in Cardiff and, finally, coach Graham Henry relented, even if it was in his quizzical manner. "Goodness me," he started when told the 42-6 margin at Twickenham. "I am surprised," he added, hinting England might have won until he was told otherwise.
"There will be depression in England, I guess, not financially, but psychologically, or something like that."
Henry then veered away from the cut and thrust to accept that he and his squad could now focus and talk about the Grand Slam,
"You don't want to get ahead of yourselves on these things. A lot of sides have done that over the years when they have come over here and talked about Grand Slams. We did not want to go into that situation. I think it is arrogant, anyway.
"Now it is a reality, I guess, and we can focus on trying to win a game next week at Twickenham with the Grand Slam at stake."
Henry said his staff and players would probably watch a replay of the Boks' massive win against England when they reached their London base later today.
After starting with a win against the pick-up Pacific Islanders side, England under new coach Martin Johnson have suffered two heavy defeats against the Wallabies and Springboks. That schedule has no respite, and the All Blacks are now seeking their third Grand Slam in the last match of their heavy 2008 schedule.
Henry was coach of the 2001 Lions' tour to Australia and had Johnson as his captain. While there may have been some difficulties on that tour - which finished with a series loss in Sydney - Henry yesterday spoke warmly of his old skipper.
"Martin's got a lot of character and I have a lot of time for Martin Johnson. He will take it on the chin and get on with it and that's all he can do. He has done it before and been successful. It might take a bit of time for him to get the side where he wants them to be so I guess he will be saying 'patience'.
Henry then, whimsically, applauded the media for stirring the pot and regurgitating stories about the Millennium Stadium hoodoo a year ago and also his coaching rival Warren Gatland, who had added some well-placed fuel on the media fire.
"It just so happens we lost a special game here," Henry said, referring to the World Cup quarter-final exit. "I don't think the gods were against us, I don't think the demons are there to kill us, we just need to play well and we played well today."
Henry thought Wales were in with a decent shout against the Wallabies. They were a rugby side on the rise and Richie McCaw and his troops had to pull out "their best half of rugby this year".
