Released on - Sunday,18 July , 2010 -09:05
With the World Cup just a year away, All Blacks coach Graham Henry is not letting his side get carried away after their latest walloping of South Africa.
Despite the All Blacks blowing away the reigning world champions 31-17 in Saturday's second Tri-Nations Test, following their 32-12 domination the previous week, Henry only gave qualified praise.
"We're just a step ahead at this point in time," Henry said.
"But if we don't do the right preparation for the team and don't prepare correctly as individuals that could change very quickly."
Both matches were four-try bonus point efforts and put the All Blacks firmly on course to regain the Tri-Nations crown they relinquished to South Africa last year.
But they also highlighted similarities with 2002 and 2006 when the All Blacks again twice hammered the Springboks -- only to later crash out of the World Cup, drawing fierce criticism they had peaked too soon.
The second Test did not earn a straight 'A' from the former schoolmaster after Henry spent the week drumming into the players they were not to drop away from the standards set in the first match.
"We weren't as clinical as we were last week at the set piece and defensively, so we've got a bit of work to do before we play Australia in Melbourne in a couple of weeks' time," he said.
Henry felt the result was still in doubt until a solid defensive effort with 20 minutes to play with the All Blacks leading 23-10.
"About the 60th minute I think the game could have gone either way. We were under pressure on our line and we defended superbly for about three or four minutes... so I think it was probably a turning point," he said.
In contrasting conditions for both matches -- pristine in Auckland and wet and windy in Wellington for the second Test -- the All Blacks played the same brand of rugby.
They were ready to run the ball at all times after their forwards dominated the much-vaunted Springbok forward-power fortress.
However, like Henry, forwards coach Steve Hansen also tempered his praise.
"I don't think we put as much pressure on their lineout as we did the week before and there'll be some learnings there," Hansen said.
The South Africans were in no doubt that they were second best.
"On the whole, in these two Test matches we've been thoroughly outplayed, so it's back to the drawing board for us and credit to the All Blacks," acknowledged flanker Schalk Burger.
"The emphasis was on getting off to a good start and unfortunately we didn't and ended up chasing the game for 70 minutes, which was hard work."
The Springboks play Australia in Brisbane next week, desperate to get some points if they are to stay alive in the competition and keen to rectify disciplinary problems.
In the second Test Danie Rossouw was yellow-carded for kicking Richie McCaw while wing Jean de Villiers earned a two-week suspension for a dangerous tackle on Rene Ranger.
The previous week lock Bakkies Botha was both yellow-carded and incurred a nine-week ban for separate incidents.
Springboks captain John Smit said the yellow cards put his side on the backfoot early in both Tests, but he still saw improvement in the second game.
"The result's still the same, we lost the game, but there were far more positives to pull out," he said.
"The guys at least put up a fight, got stuck in. In the Tri-Nations you really have to be on the top of your game if you want to win away from home."
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