Chris Rattue: Kaino's star is rising as Carter's fades

The good news - Jerome Kaino. The not so good news - Dan Carter. Kaino's stocks have soared. Carter's are dipping.

The All Black forwards have sorted themselves out for the World Cup. New Zealand should have a pack of hard-nut veterans and rising stars primed for the tournament, so long as age does not weary a couple of them.

The backs not so, especially as linchpin Carter is showing frailties, second five-eighths remains a contentious selection, it is difficult to have total faith in the mercurial Isaia Toeava and hard to know which Sitiveni Sivivatu will emerge after injury.

Wales did what British and Irish teams usually do against the All Blacks - they play like men possessed of everything but the key attributes of nous, speed, skill and fitness over 80 minutes.

What about Kaino, though? Wow. Didn't realise he had that sort of game in him. The Auckland forward put on a series of smashing tackles and rampaging runs in a crunching performance to remember.

Kaino has been a bit of a hit-or-miss proposition, although his hitting power in tackles is always impressive and his career has been on a gentle rise. He was firing until the very end yesterday.

In Richie McCaw, Kieran Read and Kaino the All Blacks have the best loose forward trio in world rugby while the Springboks struggle to sort themselves out. The All Blacks have a long history of magnificent loose forwards - they are the world leaders in this department. Every now and then an A-grade trio turns up and the McCaw/Read/Kaino combo might be one of those.

But Carter is not the Carter of old, although it would be churlish not to acknowledge his world points record before questioning his form.

The Welsh defenders pushed the offside limits and encircled the All Blacks' inside backs. Carter and Sonny Bill Williams struggled to respond.

Carter's trademarks used to include cleverly directing traffic and taking off like a stolen Ferrari when the time was right. He has faded in both departments, though, makes strange mistakes, and had goalkicking woes against Wales. Put it this way - Stephen Donald would be slammed for a similar performance.

Carter has come through mixed times - the sabbatical, injury, a failed business venture. Maybe they have taken a toll.

By their own standards, Wales were a rip-roaring success yesterday morning. By the standards of a top-tier rugby nation, they failed.

Reports claim they were brave. Brave should be mandatory for a test team.

By hook or by crook Wales were in the hunt for a shock victory after more than half a century of failure. These are the moments in life to grab. Supposedly gallant failure just doesn't count.

The All Blacks won by four tries to none when it counted and had Carter's goalkicking been on song, they would have broken the Welsh spirit and piled on the points.

Wales also found a new nadir.

The blindside attack by one of the Terrible Taffs on Richie McCaw was a disgrace, a swinging arm to the head that deserved a card way more than the one waved at Daniel Braid for getting stuck in the bottom of a little pile-up.

This incident might highlight Braid's weakness - he is small for a test forward and gets rolled into bad positions. Maybe reputations play a part, but it's hard to remember R. McCaw getting carded for such problems.

The scales of rugby justice are skewed, though.

You are a threat to society if unable to wiggle free of a 400kg blanket, but it's okay to smash opponents in the noggin. The All Blacks should make their displeasure known, because the incomparable McCaw is a target.

Get rid of this truly remarkable footballer, and the chances of the All Blacks winning the World Cup will plummet.

The trouble is, the All Blacks won't take the medicine they prescribe for others. They whinged that Keven Mealamu was hard done by against England, putting him forward for sainthood and refusing to acknowledge any wrongdoing when clearly - to any impartial eye - he had headbutted a prone opponent. It was a dangerous act deserving of sanction.

Andy Powell has no defence for his attack on McCaw.

But if Wales want one, they should trumpet that Powell guides countless old ladies across the road, and helped a neighbour unblock a drain. If the going gets rough, they could cite a long and distinguished career in his neighbourhood watch group.

If anyone argues that none of the above about Powell is true or relevant, I would contend in response that no footballer, including a very nice All Black, is a saint.

Weekend winner:

* Jerome Kaino. A truly memorable performance against Wales.

What to watch:

* The Ashes - Hostilities resume in Adelaide (Friday, 12.30pm, SS2).