All Blacks triumph in Tri Nations smashfest

OPINION: Never have we been prouder of an All Black forward pack who put their shoulders, collarbones and upper arms on the line in beating Dingo Deans' Wallabies at Eden Park on Saturday night.

The ACC payer-outers must have winced at the rugged brutality involved in the rucks, because this was a smashfest; if ever a 22-16 win was overwhelming this was it.

The black forwards hit like daisy-cutter missiles, using their bodies for what they were never intended when they were mere glints in their parents' reproductive eyes.

The Aussies must have felt they were back under siege at Tobruk. While they have one of the world's best packs, they couldn't cope with our mujihedin prepared to die for the cause of not losing at Eden Park since 1994.

But no wonder surgeons see so many mashed shoulders these days.

My sympathy goes out to Springbok lock Bakkies Botha. He was suspended for cleaning out British Lions prop Adam Jones by using his shoulder in a manner identical to 100 cleanouts on Saturday night. Brad Thorn does the same at every ruck.

Now Bakkies will miss facing the All Blacks at Bloemfontein at an altitude of 1.395m at 5pm next Sunday. It will be the first time our warriors have played at Free State Stadium since 1976 when Joe Morgan scored the winning try.

Games are won nowadays at the rucks. Back in the olden days, rucks would be tallied in single figures. Last night there were 117 and there's a phenomenon known as counter-rucking.

Rush defences almost dictate brute force and survival.

This was no spectacle, no cuts or double-rounds in the backs, no sweeping backline moves, and almost everyone plays the same way.

Players have to kick or flick before they're hammered. Notice how the All Black kickers seldom chased their own kicks on Saturday night.

The All Blacks won without flair because they had to.

And so we are content as a nation, even if there is such a fine line it only needed one line break by the O'Connor kid through a missed tackle and our men might have been in the poo.

When the All Blacks win, that's how it should be; it's our psyche. When they lose, it is death!

Fortunately though, George Smith missed a certain try when the pass pinged off his nostril.

Had the Wallabies gone to 17-3, the ABs would've had to set a new comeback record at home.

The biggest was 12 points down, to Ireland at Dunedin in 1992 and the biggest away was 17, versus the Boks in 1997.

Stephen Donald did not resemble an All Black first-five against the Frenchies, but he redeemed himself at Eden Park, keeping Luke McAlister rooted to his bench. Donald has a funny way of dropping the ball on to his boot, which must mean less control.

He missed touch from a penalty and the Aussies should've scored from a chargedown.

But his clean break had try written over it and he kicked the goals Daniel Carter would have got too.

Our guys will get better now Richie McCaw has blown out his rust, and Andrew Hore sorts out his throwing, Jimmy Cowan stops reffing the game and wasting precious turnover ball and Owen Franks stays out of others' scraps.

And Wallaby prop Al Baxter is penalised so often because he looks so mean and angry.

It was good to see another Palmy lad in Jason Eaton so fired up in an All Black haka.

And we didn't begrudge coach Henry a swill of his green Steinie afterwards.

Henry 4, Deans 1!

- © Fairfax NZ News