Fast start and strong finish
You could tell from the get-go that the All Blacks meant business, bringing an intensity to the early stages of the game that you rarely see from any team. Every tackle they made, every run and every ruck hit came with extra vigour which saw the All Blacks dominated every aspect of the game. Consequently they raced out to a 17-3 lead and looked set to pile on a big score.
The English had other ideas though and fought back well, but when it came to the crunch the All Blacks found that extra gear again and closed the game out well in the final 20 minutes. The bench deserves a lot of credit for this, as they only added to the team upon their introduction, in contrast to England's, whose did not look quite at the same level as their starters.
The difference between the backlines
There was a clear difference between the skill level of the two backlines on show. While the English forward pack applied plenty of pressure at various stages, their backs simply did not look capable of scoring a try. There was no flair, no creativity, no spark. Indeed they do have a handful of dangerous outside backs, who looked OK on the counter, but did not get nearly enough chances as they were not used enough.
The All Blacks meanwhile continue to set the standard for back-play, possessing the instincts and skills to make them a threat from anywhere on the park. Not only this, their forwards are all capable of handling and running the ball too, making them even more threatening. It was this that saw them score three tries to England's one, making good use of the offload and their support players running good angles to hit the holes in the English defence.
Kicking game still needs work
The kicking game was not great for large parts of the game. Dan Carter looked class while he was on the field, but after his departure the side lacked the same sort of direction. Aaron Smith sent a few errant kicks while Ma'a Nonu is still persisting with his grubbers in behind. The grubber may have not been a too bad option in this game given the English defence was up very fast, but he was still using it unnecessarily and was not executing to the precision that he needs to if he is to use it. Admittedly the pressure the English chasers were applying made kicking accurately far harder, but you still have to be able to cope with this and remains a good area for the team to keep improving in.
The lineout
Set-piece was a mixed bag. The scrum struggled at times, but the lineout operated efficiently and is developing into something of a weapon for the All Blacks. They won all of their own ball, while also stealing three English throws and exploited the lack of cohesion after they brought their subs on. It can be hard to pin-point exactly where they are excelling as lineouts are an operation which require a great deal of team work where everyone needs to click for them to work properly. The throwers have been hitting their targets and the lifters have been hoisting the jumpers well, which both need to be taken into account as they often do not get the credit they deserve.
However, we must also look at the quality of jumpers and the number of these the team possesses. Of the starting pack, five different players were used. This means you have options to go to if the other team is marking one or two jumpers heavily, while also making it harder for them to know where it is going to go. On top of this it makes competing an easier task, as jumpers can be spread out right along the lineout and the best positioned one can jump.
Dan Carter
It was a shame to see Dan Carter have to leave the field early in his 100th test. To reach the milestone is a great achievement and one he fully deserves. What has made Carter such a great player over the years has been his all round game. While many first five-eighths may favour either a running or kicking game, Carter does both equally well. His ability to take the line on and beat the defender has been as good as any, helped along by his eye for a gap and strong fend. You cannot fault his decision making, which is always of the highest class and allows him to steer the team around the field well.
His field kicking is accurate and his goal kicking is above average, even if not quite at the same level as the Jonny Wilkinson's and Morne Steyn's of this world. On defence he tackles hard and low, going looking for tackles to make and making him like another looseforward on defence. It is hard to think of another first five-eighth who one could say all of this about and it is this that makes Carter so special. When fit he is still capable of doing all of this. He is becoming increasingly injury plagued and won't be around for much longer, so appreciate him, while you still can.
