The All Blacks may be ranked second in the world now but they reminded everyone who's defending the Rugby World Cup this year with their emphatic Bledisloe defence at Eden Park.
After an embarrassing 47-26 loss to the Wallabies in Perth the week prior, the All Blacks put on a vintage display packed with counter-attacking flair and resilient defence to lock the Bledisloe Cup away for another year with a 36-0 win in Auckland on Saturday night.
"It was [a complete performance] especially given the past two or three weeks that we'd had to put up with," former All Black Frank Bunce said on The Front Row.
"I was really happy to see that the attitude had changed and other things that they'd actually talked about in the lead-up to the Test.
"It was just two or three levels above what we'd been seeing, I thought."
1 NEWS Sport presenter Andrew Saville added the past two weeks were important stepping stones in the All Blacks' journey to Japan.
"The All Blacks wouldn't have wanted a loss but Steve Hansen and Graham Henry always said you learn more from a loss.
"It's a massive wake-up call and realisation for some of these guys who haven't lost a lot in the All Blacks jersey - this is what happens when you lose, this is the reaction from the public and the coaches and this is what you have to do to turn it around."
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