Sure New Zealand can play some silky rugby, but when those boys need to they can rough you up.
The defending champions lead Australia 16-3 at half-time but the price paid is much higher than the scoreboard deficit.
From the moment captain Stephen Moore’s nose started bleeding in the opening moments, the Wallabies have been beaten up all over the field.
They have lost influential playmaker Matt Giteau and second-row surprise package Kane Douglas to injury and will need to dig deep into their resources and resolve if they are to stop their neighbours from becomign the first nation to retain the Webb Ellis trophy.
First to go was lock Douglas, who looked to land very painfully on his left knee. The big man was an unmitigated disaster at Leinster but the grunt he adds to the scrum will be missed.
A bigger loss, however, will be Giteau, who came off the worse after an attempted tackle on Brodie Retallick. The Toulon centre has been instrumental in Australia’s attack and, while he was replaced temporarily by Kurtley Beale for a concussion assessment, the fact he stumbled off in the wrong direction like Bambi on sedatives suggests he will not return.
Michael Cheika has a job to do at the break.
