Richard Loe: Pack gets a pass mark, but only just

Richie McCaw of the All Blacks. Photo / Getty Images

A messy game and some messed up their reputations a little but the All Blacks are lucky to have opportunities like this to help develop players. They'll take a bit out of that.

It wasn't ideal but these games rarely are. The Japanese deserve credit for trying to play their game and they spoiled hard against the All Blacks. On the whole, they might even have stuck to their game pattern better than could have been expected.

However, I think the physicality of the exchanges got to them a bit. They stuck to their task well and maybe the All Blacks were expecting it to be a little easier than it actually was.

Even Richie McCaw - the best player on the park, in my view, had a muddled start before he really got into his work. I'd say Kieran Read is in no danger of losing his No 8 spot but McCaw really moved things up a notch or two as the match went on.

Dan Carter had a reasonable game after his recent absence but, boy, Beauden Barrett? That was the worst game I have seen him have by quite a long margin; he'll want to forget that one.

Ben Franks had an ordinary game and is moving out of the reckoning, I think. Dane Coles had an okay game and he showed up well in some phases - enough to suggest that he has more to come. The game suited him and he showed he has a little more to offer than we have seen yet. You could say the same about Dominic Bird - I would have liked him to have stayed on and worked away more rather than have him subbed off at Steven Luatua move into lock.

Jeremy Thrush took a long while to get into the game and while it was good to see him score a try, he is really a journeyman who won't be a star All Black. Luke Whitelock was interesting when he came on - I have heard his provincial coach, Scott Robertson, say he needs to do more in the physical stuff, both taking the ball up and in the tackle. But he also said he is a great student of the game and is dead keen to learn - and the spur of having two brothers there already will drive him on. He needs more game time before we can get anything like a good read on him.

Luatua had a quiet first half but did a lot of good lineout work while, in the backs, I am afraid I don't rate Tawera Kerr-Barlow. The ball stays too long in his hands for him to be a top All Black halfback though I applauded that little chip kick to set up a try in the second half.

Francis Saili, I think, may be good - but he had an ordinary game last night perhaps born of trying to do too much. More time needed there too. Ben Smith looked pretty good and I thought he was smart to give the ball to the grunty runner Charles Piutau and then scoot round to get the return pass for his try. Good vision and good top two inches.

Piutau and Frank Halai were the pick of the new backs. Halai didn't get many chances but Piutau ran hard and always causes the defence trouble. I'd say the coaches have a job deciding between him and Cory Jane for the second wing position (Julian Savea's safe), so well did Piutau back up his good performance in Dunedin.