KEY POINTS:
You couldn't take anything but positives out of the All Black win last night, although I'd sound two gentle warnings: The Australians and the South Africans will be made of much sterner stuff and that bloke "Dingo" Deans might be rubbing his hands after the All Black injuries
to senior players.
Even my complaint last week that the subs made things disjointed didn't apply this week. People like Sione Lauaki made a real difference this week after Richie McCaw went off - I'd say the All Black management would have sat Lauaki down and showed him his game from last week on the video. It would have been a horror show.
But you'd have to be happy with the forward showing, even minus McCaw and Ali Williams. Tony Woodcock made his presence felt when he came on and, not long after, Matt Stevens went off. Brad Thorn stood tall when Williams went off early - and I'd say he'd have had the highest work rate of anyone on the field - it was enormous.
And what about the debutants? Richard Kahui was terrific, I thought. He ran well and his tackling was dynamic. I'd say Conrad Smith would be a bit worried now and it will be interesting to see which way the selectors go - as there is no doubt Kahui gives them a bit of offensive defence.
Flanker Adam Thomson also had a good match. His hands let him down a few times but that was just when the All Blacks were trying to throw it round and got a bit willy-nilly at times.
But his work at the breakdown was first rate and he got around the field very well. I thought he shaped as a good foil for McCaw.
Ma'a Nonu was powerful and rock solid again and Leon MacDonald had an excellent game returning the ball and getting involved in the close stuff as well.
Referee Jonathan Kaplan performed well too. He caned them with a lot of penalties in the first 20 minutes but he reffed the breakdown and the offside well and that was why the All Blacks were able to string set piece tries together - there was room for them to do so.
The English didn't have anything like the same creativity and I'd have to say a lot of the forwards were rotund and slow.
They were trying to slow the game down deliberately but it was a tactic that didn't work very well for them.
But, let's get back to those gentle warnings - there's still work to do.
If Ali Williams is out against the Australians, we'll have to tidy up the lineouts quite a bit and Anthony Boric has a bit to do there.
There will also be a lot more of a physical presence and drive from the South Africans, for example, as I thought the English were largely playing to restrict things rather than trying to win.
And what about Dan Carter? What a player and what an influence he can exert on a match.
