KEY POINTS:
It is time to put one paranoid theory to bed: Australia have not suddenly discovered a well of talent in time for the World Cup.
Instead, after yesterday's drubbing in Dunedin, we have confirmation that Australia are just a couple of key injuries away from ignominy in France,
while Graham Henry and his merry men have a reservoir of talent.
The Pacific Nations Cup belongs to the Junior All Blacks but that was almost a sideshow to the real issue - the respective depth of each country's playing stocks.
If the word depth was mentioned once during the post-match conflab, it was mentioned a thousand times.
"There's a huge positive tonight that shows the depth we have in New Zealand rugby," Juniors co-coach Ian Foster said. "We have guys putting there hands up saying they want to be there [at the World Cup]."
To name those who impressed for the Juniors would be as time consuming as naming those who disappointed for Australia A but locks Tom Donnelly and Hoani MacDonald deserve special mention.
If this is the country's fourth tier locking combination, then we can downgrade the Lock-o-Meter from 'crisis' to 'mild annoyance'.
MacDonald got through almost an hour of excellent work before Jerome Kaino moved to lock and Daniel Braid moved into the loosies. Donnelly was named man of the match and even showed a bit of nasty towards the end, which led to the most tenuous of sinbinnings. "It's never a nice feeling to be sinbinned... but I didn't think there was much in it," he said.
What of Australia A? Despite a (brief) bright start, they thoroughly deserved their down-trou. Despite the disruption of losing loosie Julian Salvi in the first few minutes to a head gash, Australia A dominated the opening 10 minutes. Therefore it would have been with some dismay when they found themselves 0-10 down.
After repeated phases in the JABs' 10m, John Afoa filched one at a ruck and a fractured defensive line was easily exploited by Stephen Donald, who clearly isn't used to scoring 90m tries judging by the fact he mistimed his dive and landed at least a metre short before bouncing over.
The Juniors were brilliant but there was a nagging suspicion that Australia A clocked off early. Perhaps they're not so enamoured of the southern city.
Laurie Fisher, worryingly for Australian officials, spoke of a need for his countrymen to change the way they think about the game.
Too much reliance on a solid set-piece, he reckoned, which made up just a portion of the modern game and by no means the defining portion.
"There'll be a lot of things to learn out of this game," he said. "We need to change a couple of things about the way we play the game."
More passing and support play would be high on the list.
There's no doubt that in the first half at least, bar a couple of set-piece wobbles, the Juniors were very good. They were direct when they needed to be, expansive once the defence was sucked in and very effective at exposing weakness on the blind.
Three tries were scored on the short side. Donnelly benefited after slick work from Scott Hamilton before provider turned finisher after excellent work by MacDonald.
The Southland lock also played a big part in the fifth and final try of the half, sucking in two defenders to create a sliver of space which Anthony Tuitavake exchanged for five points.
Earlier Sione Lauaki scored after Peter Hewat thought it wise to run the ball from his own line. The Waratahs fullback was having the sort of evening that drives certain selectors to their cellphones. He was left exposed a couple of times, sure, but hanging a limp arm out at right angles does not a tackling technique make.
A Laurie Fisher ear-bashing was always going to result in a more committed second half showing but slick tries in quick succession to Ma'a Nonu and Daniel Braid at the three-quarter mark illustrated the gulf in class.
For the Juniors, accuracy was the key word. This extended to their misdemeanours. Just check out captain Marty Holah's pinpoint hurl of the ball that landed flush on Dean Mumm's snozz. It just about summed up the evening.
Junior All Blacks 50 (S. Donald, T. Donnelly, S. Lauaki, H. MacDonald, A. Tuitavake, M. Nonu, D. Braid tries; Donald pen 6 cons) Australia A 0. Ht: 38-0.
Donnelly quick to seize lock opening
If you want to make Tom Donnelly laugh, tell him about the supposed lack of depth at lock in New Zealand.
Injury has decimated Graham Henry's lock stocks, but those still standing, including last night's starting locks for the Juniors, Donnelly and Hoani MacDonald, are proving themselves capable of rising above the opposition.
"The amount of depth New Zealand has got in all positions in rugby means you can lose two or three top players and there's still one or two more sitting in the wings waiting to take their opportunity," Donnelly said.
"The All Blacks are such a great team that anyone could sort of step in and do the job if asked."
Donnelly is potentially only one more jarring injury from being asked to do such a job. It didn't seem possible last year when Otago lost to North Harbour. Donnelly wrecked his shoulder and had surgery that, under normal circumstances, would have meant his top-level rehabilitation would begin during the NPC.
These aren't normal circumstances though, as Ryan, Jason Eaton, Keith Robinson and Ali Williams will testify.
"I didn't think I'd play much rugby at all this season, just club rugby and NPC, but I got a break when James [Ryan] got injured, unfortunately, and am just really happy to be back playing.
"I'm just taking it each week as it comes, just trying to play top-level rugby week-in and week-out. What happens will happen but I'll make sure I take my opportunity when it comes."
Juniors co-coach Colin Cooper was impressed with how Donnelly fitted so easily into the system.
"He started to dominate in the lineouts. He put his hand up and said 'I'm in this locking area too, don't forget about me'."
Australia A won't forget this thumping in a hurry.
Coach Laurie Fisher highlighted multiple failings, in particular an inability to deal with the Juniors' early physicality.
"They use physical guys like Sione Lauaki to get good go-forward and the rest just hopped on board," he said.
Much of the pre-match interest centred around Lauaki's fitness. The 25-year-old blindside-No 8 has had an injury-plagued season and needed knee surgery.
He was in blockbusting form in the final three weeks of the Super 14, with some predicting he would be in the All Blacks initial squad of 30. More form like that and the question will keep getting asked about a possible late inclusion.
