This was a test in the true sense of the word.
There was plenty of contact, and there would have been some sore bodies in a couple of Auckland hotels yesterday.
Pity the All Blacks who had to get up at 4.30am yesterday to start the long haul to South Africa.
Both teams were well examined but the All Blacks deservedly came out on top.
That was despite yet another average start.
How may tests in the past 12 months have the All Blacks got off to a slow start and had to come from points behind?In the Grand Slam tour last year, every game the opposition came out firing before the All Blacks gained some composure and came back to at times run out convincing winners.
But that is just average opposition teams running on emotion for a while, before actually having to go and rely on skill and ability and finding they possess neither.
Should All Black supporters be worried about the slow starts?
One day - do not mention matches in October 2011, not allowed, no predictions ever to be uttered - will those less than rocket-like startscome back to haunt the team?
On Saturday night there was the excuse of players coming back into test rugby and the few too many wonky line-out throws.
Momentum in rugby comes in putting phases together and placing the opposition under pressure and the home team could not do that as it did not hold on to the ball well enough in the first 20 minutes.
But credit to the All Blacks, it is the sign of a good - not yet great - team that it can withstand a poor start, remain calm and then get sorted out and go on to win the match, going away.
Centre Conrad Smith talked after the game about the lack of panic when the side went points down early on.
Would it have been different had Berrick Barnes thrown a pass to George Smith's hands rather than his head in the first half, which would have put the Aussies 17-3 ahead?
Perhaps but the All Blacks did well to get back on defence after a chip kick went wrong - and when do they not?
The make-up of New Zealand rugby teams is to remain calm and composed and the points will come.
As 100 years-plus history suggests, it usually works.
Raw emotion and guts works in short events like the 100m or a 1km cycle race.
Longer sporting encounters require more thought and composure.
Cool heads win out over screaming maniacs.
As for the Aussies, they would be disappointed and still have plenty of work to do.
They still need a better tight five, and a halfback with a decent kicking game.
Question: The All Blacks are building a nice playing record at Eden Park. And where are all the key games in a certain tournament about 800-odd days away?
Enough said.
No more to be talked about.
Let's concentrate on the here and now.
