KEY POINTS:
LYON - A "springboard" but no more than that at this stage.
In an assessment that will send jitters through the rest of the rugby world, coach Graham Henry suggested there was still room for improvement from his All Blacks team despite a near-perfect performance to humiliate France.
The comprehensive nature of the win raised one obvious question...
Is it worth the while of any other team turning up to France next year for the World Cup if the All Blacks are going to continue playing with the mix of muscle, flair and accuracy they brought to Lyon's Stade de Gerland?
"We're just trying to get to better all the time," was Henry's low-key response.
"There's an indication tonight that we're getting better and that was the idea of this tour.
"That gives the guys confidence and a good springboard for next year."
He allowed himself a small chance to bathe in one of their finest hours.
"Everybody's fronting and playing the best they can, and I think that's a very encouraging sign," he said. "We've come over here to road test for the World Cup.
"We're playing on this ground [in pool play against a repechage opponent] so it was good to get an experience of that."
- NZPA
