KEY POINTS:
Impressive in parts, the All Blacks started to look the goods against England last night - and it was very pleasant to see.
England were a bit disappointing - we'd heard about their tight five being a threat but there were a few too many chubby chaps who weren't particularly effective for my money. The All Black tight five really fronted and set the platform for the loosies and the backs.
We heard about Andrew Sheridan's supposedly destructive scrummaging but, big and strong as he is, he wasn't much of a threat - and not for the first time in New Zealand. Greg Somerville won their duel and I thought Neemia Tialata had another highly impressive match.
He's getting a good hit on and all he has to do is work on his bind and he'll be a huge danger.
The main benefit to take from the night was combinations. Look at the backline and that axis from 9-10-12-13. They are working well together and the more they play together, the better they'll be. Halfback Andy Ellis had one of his best games for the All Blacks - he's been a new boy up until now but he is starting to take charge and I thought he was decisive and effective last night.
Dan Carter was back near his best, Ma'a Nonu had another terrific game and Conrad Smith was all class. And yet you saw the lack of combination when Sione Lauaki and Sitiveni Sivivatu let Topsy Ojo away for his second try.
And that was my only grumble really - I thought the coaches chucked too many people on as substitutes and for no real reason other than to give them a trot.
I know we are down in depth and they will be wanting to give the new guys a go. That's fine, but the All Blacks are going to benefit more from winning and winning well. They didn't score for the last 34m and I thought that was a black mark.
And let's be clear. We've had some strange stuff served up to us by the NZRU last week. Steve Hansen tried to tell us that Richie McCaw was the best No 7 ever, even better than Michael Jones, and Steve Tew was apparently surprised that Graham Henry's re-appointment was unpopular.
There's only one way the coaches and the All Blacks will take people with them - play their best team all the time and develop their combinations and win well.
They are doing that - their first XV are doing the job. I would have left most of them on to play. Why take Jerome Kaino off, for example? When Sione Lauaki replaced him, he merely showed what a good job Kaino was doing, in spite of all the critics saying he isn't a number eight. Same with Brad Thorn- didn't seem a lot of point taking him off.
Let them play; develop their combinations and their faith in and knowledge of each other. We don't have to do the subbing thing for the sake of it.
Win well first; develop depth later - that's what fans want to see.
