1 Catch them cold
The All Blacks are the reigning world champions and have a conveyor belt in overdrive, churning out contenders to replace even Richie McCaw and Dan Carter without too much disruption. But even the best take time to settle into a new campaign. Wales, stung by their warm-up form against England at Twickenham but with that game under their belt, were excellent at Eden Park and deserved their first-half lead. Ireland were even better against South Africa, making the Springboks frequently look clumsy. England took a couple of early blows but were formidable in their seizure of power. A return of 2-1 on the day against the big three is impressive – with plenty more to come.
2 Never mind the start, finish well
Ireland looked positively unruffled in their opening exchanges against South Africa, only for CJ Stander to be sent off for his challenge on Pat Lambie. This made the fundamental point that it is inadvisable to surrender numerical parity in the southern hemisphere, if only because of a theory that seems to be doing the statistical rounds: that players in the south cover more metres per minute – and for all 80 of them – than in the north. Ireland made a mockery of that. England made a rocky start but recovered superbly to control the game, although there was a time, before the final, decisive, try from Jack Nowell (left) when Australia were piling on the pressure. Ireland defied logic in Cape Town; England survived in Brisbane; Wales did not in Auckland. Wales not so long ago boasted of high fitness levels, but there now seem to be worries that their regional teams in the Pro12 are losing ground on the stamina and speed fronts.
3 The set-piece must function
It doesn’t matter if your sole intention is to kick for territory; the scrum and lineout must be productive. England were excellent at both and seized control of the match. Ireland had to push and jump with seven against eight – never easy and most taxing against the Springbok Goliaths. Wales were solid at the scrum, but their lineout began to leak. When you lose the ball, you lose the right to put it where you want on your terms, and the process of tiring is accelerated. Having a limited supply of good ball (sometimes the All Black way) is a lot different from playing on scraps, which is what Wales had to do in the second half.
4 Have no fear
Wales were at their best when accepting the invitation to give it a rare old rip. The All Blacks look so ferocious but Liam Williams (left), more scaffolder than gym-freak, slipped their tackles and made his yards. And Wales scored from deep, returning to a style dear to their hearts. It’s just the supply chain: limit it and the expression of true feelings of love are compromised. And the temptation to slip miracle balls out of contact takes hold, gifts unfailingly accepted by all southern foes.
5 Make somebody’s day
Taulupe Faletau is never far from being Wales’s man of the match, but he was truly exceptional in Auckland. Alun Wyn Jones was the 100-cap hero, but the No8 led from the front, was the glue that held Wales together and finished off with a try. Iain Henderson had a memorable game in green, as did 13 others, while James Haskell pulled on his bright red scrum cap, shut out extraneous sounds and tore around Brisbane, knocking all sorts of reputations out of his way. England in 2003 had a whole clutch of players who could rise to any occasion. Northern teams now need to grow world-class performers in batches. Ireland may claim they just have.
6 Find the next big thing
England are rediscovering their dark side. It’s a positive move, reaching for the essence of the rugby self that once made them feared and respected. Wales look willing to use New Zealand as a place to be themselves: lovers of space, a little less rigid and formal. Ireland did something hugely Irish and refused to buckle in the face of adversity. They were all solid missions, but equally they were all absolutely about reaching for something that has always been. Who will have the next big say in where rugby goes next, pushed by concerns over the game’s physical toll towards enterprise and running from deep? Australia, it seems. It’s time the north began to think and not just thud, unless it’s an Irish thud.
