Richard Loe: Southern hemisphere game on another level

Richard Kahui crosses the try-line. Photo / Getty Photos

I said at halftime at Carisbrook that the All Blacks would run away with it in the second half ... and so they did. You could see it coming.

The Welsh tried to live with the All Blacks at the pace they were playing and you could just tell they wouldn't be able to hang on.

The referee, Mr George Clancy, played a part in that. I thought he ran the advantage well and let both sides have good time with the ball. If it had been more of a stop-start match, with the game halting every time the ref saw an infringement, I think Wales would have hung in there longer.

But Mr Clancy kept the whistle in his pocket and gave both sides a good opportunity - and that benefited the All Blacks.

You can see with both Ireland and Wales now that we are playing a different game down here in Super 14 and the Tri-Nations. The northern hemisphere sides are clearly having difficulty living with the pace of the game down here - and that was why the score got away on the Welsh and made the match look like a bigger hiding than it actually was.

It's a different level of rugby and definitely played at a greater pace - and that's what undid the Welsh.

For the All Blacks, I thought it was a good hit-out and, as Warren Gatland said, they complimented the Welsh by putting out almost the same side as last week. It was a good team effort and I don't think anyone in a black jersey did themselves any harm.

The forwards all took their chances and played well and there were good performances from the likes of Keven Mealamu, Anthony Boric, Kieran Read, Victor Vito and Richie McCaw. The backs went well from Jimmy Cowan and Dan Carter out.

One thing I have to say after grumping on about what a mess the replacements made of the game against the Irish - the subs went well this week. Richard Kahui, after a very ordinary Super 14 season, showed he is still a class player by coming on at wing after Israel Dagg went off and his try was full of speed and running good lines.

Tony Woodcock also played strongly, doing well enough in the scrums. And it was time he got rid of the ginger beard.