To be hailed as matter of fact hardly seems the most lustrous compliment ever paid. Even the most taciturn of New Zealanders – and there are many who express their everyday devotion to the All Blacks as little more than a grunt of approval – like a little cheer when a course through a period of turbulence is charted.
Well, matters in Cardiff were at one stage very testing – and then they weren’t. The world champions were trailing and the hands on the clock were spinning – and then they weren’t. With time to spare and with not a frond of his silver fern ruffled, Richie McCaw led his team to victory, as he has done 88 times in his 100 matches as the captain of the All Blacks.
For their response to be so outstandingly cool, the All Blacks had to know pain. Here Wales emerged with enormous credit. Dan Biggar had a prodigious game at outside-half, throwing himself in defence at bodies twice his weight, while in attack detaching himself sufficiently from the fray to steer Wales into the lead.
Inside him, Rhys Webb had another game of high energy and skill, forming a partnership not only with Biggar but also with Taulupe Faletau. The 8-9-10 axis worked splendidly for the home side, as did the restored pairing of Jamie Roberts and Jonathan Davies.
In the face of these rushing centres, Conrad Smith, the most unflappable of the All Black thinkers, rose to the challenge but there were distinct signs that Sonny Bill Williams, just for once in his illustrious cross-code career, was uncomfortable on the receiving end of so many jarring collisions. His trademark flips and feeds led to little.
Beauden Barrett had identified the speed of the midfield rush from Wales and had tried to kick the ball delicately into space behind Roberts and Davies. As with Sonny Bill’s sleights of hand, these dinks by boot had yielded little. The game – 3-3 at half-time – awaited the moment when something gave.
Julian Savea, whose tally of 29 tries in 33 Tests did not include a try against Wales, made the breach. Now South Africa stand as the only team he has not scored against. It seemed that the All Blacks had regrouped at the interval and decided to cut out the fancy stuff and take a more direct and conventional route. Savea crashed over in forthright style, confirming that the All Blacks take control after half-time like no other.
With 25 consecutive defeats to these opponents behind them, a response by Wales was not guaranteed. Within two minutes, however, the scores were level again after this formula: Webb to Faletau; Faletau back to Webb, with a two-handed pass out of the tackle.
There then came a moment when something else gave: the cool of Dane Coles, who rushed in to grab Webb after Wayne Barnes’s whistle had sounded for a penalty in Wales’s favour. The fiery hooker was given no more than a word of warning – but it was a sign of strain.
New Zealand nevertheless soon struck again. Barrett’s kicking confidence had not been dented and he landed a peach of a crossfield probe on Conrad Smith, who passed inside to Jerome Kaino. It was an obvious plus for New Zealand and a double negative for Wales: the score itself and the clash of heads in the buildup between George North and Alun Wyn Jones. The wing retired on wobbly legs.
Another test for Wales, one they negotiated with composure. McCaw was penalised, always a cause for celebration, and Leigh Halfpenny landed the penalty from in front that put Wales 16-15 up with no more than 13 minutes to go.
Here we come to it. The simple one, two, three – the number of tries New Zealand scored in the period of maximum exhaustion, when the brain longs to shuts down. Two for Barrett, one for Kieran Read. The challenge had been acknowledged; the response was now produced. Thank you and goodbye. So unperturbedly, so brilliantly matter of fact.
Wales Halfpenny; Cuthbert, J Davies, Roberts, North (Williams 63); Biggar (Hook, 74), Webb (Phillips, 56); James, Hibbard (Baldwin, 61), Lee, Ball (Charteris, 61), AW Jones, Lydiate (Tipuric, 61) , Warburton (capt), Faletau.
Try Webb Con Halfpenny Pens Halfpenny 3.
New Zealand B Smith; Piutau (Slade, 55), C Smith, SB Williams, Savea; Barrett, A Smith; Crockett (Moody, ht), Coles, Franks (Faumuina, 45), Retallick, Whitelock, Kaino, McCaw (capt), Read.
Tries Savea, Kaino, Barrett 2, Read. Cons Barrett, Slade 2. Pen Barrett.
Referee Wayne Barnes (Eng). Att 74,500.
