KEY POINTS:
It was another great step forward for the All Blacks in Brisbane.
This game didn't go according to the script either, with Australia scoring in those crucial periods each side of halftime.
Graham Henry won the tactical battle with his substitutions helping swing the game New Zealand's way. You have to be bold in these situations and Henry was prepared to take off a few players who had been going pretty well so as to put new impetus into the All Blacks' game. Guys like Keven Mealamu and Piri Weepu made a big difference when they came on.
In contrast, Robbie Deans - the supercoach - was caught in the headlights a bit and didn't respond to the situation.
There was so much to be impressed about with this All Black performance and I can't really think of anything to criticise.
Remember, this is an All Black team that is being rebuilt. There are some fairly new guys out there.
I always worry arriving in Australia when the Wallabies are being written off. That is when they are so dangerous. Some people predicted a blowout but I never thought that would happen.
There are All Black teams of the recent past who might have folded when they were 17-7 down. People would have said it didn't matter, and then you turn up to a World Cup and watch them choke.
There is good news on a number of positional fronts.
We've got two halfbacks who have come in from the cold and are performing very well in Piri Weepu and Jimmy Cowan. It was also encouraging that Jerome Kaino had one of his better tests, especially on defence. The elevation of Andrew Hore to start at hooker this season has been spot on and Richard Kahui is looking better and better on the wing.
I'm not sure whether Kahui will get a shot at centre on the end-of-year tour. He's big and strong but Conrad Smith is so important to the side, with Mils Muliaina, in organising the defence.
So now it is off to Hong Kong which is a dead rubber, but I doubt whether Henry will make many changes to this lineup.
And a final word on Suncorp Stadium. It's the best stadium in the Southern Hemisphere and not just for the obvious reasons about being the right shape for football. It's so well designed - you don't have to queue up for anything.
