New Zealand coach Steve Hansen says last weekend's Bledisloe Cup blowout in Sydney betrayed the true ability of an Australian side that nearly stole victory in the second Test in Dunedin.
The All Blacks reigned supreme once more on Saturday, with their pulsating 35-29 win clinching the trans-Tasman series for the 15th year running.
But the Wallabies were right in the hunt all along and will be shattered that one of their best performances in recent memory did not yield the result it deserved.
Still, it should get some hecklers off the back of coach Michael Cheika after the 54-34 defeat in the first Test triggered hysteric predictions about a grim future for Australian rugby.
From the second half of that match stretching through to midway through the first half at Forsyth Barr Stadium, the Wallabies managed to pile on 45 unanswered points against the world champions.
Hansen said they always had it in them.
"I think they've always been a good side," he said post-match.
"I'm not sure I'd say they've turned a corner because I don't think they needed to.
"Last week they played their first game, probably most of them, in four or five weeks and it's really hard when you've got a group that have battled hard and have gone through finals football ... the intensity of that allows you to play at a level.
"They finished off the game last week well and got some confidence out of that and they've come into this week and played well again."
The win continues New Zealand's domination at home against the Wallabies, who have not won across the ditch since 2001.
They will have to wait one more year to break that hoodoo with the third Bledisloe Cup Test -- now a dead rubber -- to be played in Brisbane in October.
Share
