Richard Loe: Positives aplenty in opener

Ben Smith flies past French flanker Thierry Dusautoir. Photo / Greg Bowker

If I was the All Black coaching staff, I'd be pretty pleased with the 23-13 win and I'd be looking to start the same 15 next test.

It was a typical All Black first time out performance but there were a fair few positives to come out of it - and I'd expect a 15-20 per cent improvement next week.

The most obvious element was the form of all the Highlanders' players. Ma'a Nonu had a big game and worried the French for 80 minutes and Ben Smith was just electric. The way he ran and made space was a highlight.

Aaron Smith hasn't looked like it all year but turned in a game that announced his return to form. It wasn't perfect but it was enough to signal that he's back.

You'd have to say that Steve Hansen was right when he intimated that the Highlanders players would shape up for the All Blacks once he got them in camp. Some people criticised him for that - but he got it spot on.

They'd even be happy with hooker where it turned out to be a good decision to start Dane Coles. Again, he wasn't perfect - there were too many poor throws to the lineout and he got dragged off after one. But then again, we had five or six years of Anton Oliver doing that and there's plenty there to work on with Coles.

His scrum work and round the field play was good and I don't think Keven Mealamu brought that much more to bear when he came on. Brodie Retallick was another to have a big game - he did his core duties well and tackled and did some great work at the breakdown while Luke Romano was a little bit quiet by comparison.

The props did well - the French put the pressure on through their starting front row but I thought their replacement props came second to the All Blacks, particularly the South African Daniel Kotze who got done quite aggressively by Wyatt Crockett.

There'll be a few in the All Black ranks who will think they have more to do - Liam Messam, Aaron Cruden and Julian Savea was quiet too. But there were good signs of form improvement from Israel Dagg and Kieran Read went hard at the French all night; Rene Ranger added something when he came on, with his hard running.

For the French, No8 Louis Picamoles was the pick of their players though I bet he felt sick when he grassed that pass with the line open. It could have turned the test. It wasn't an easy pass to pick up but that's sometimes the difference between a shock win and a brave loss.

Their second-five, Wesley Fofana, looked all class and they'll want to brush up their defence on him.

But, all in all, it was a satisfactory first test if a little too close for comfort.