Barrett and Retallick stand out for All Blacks

A couple of things became increasingly evident as the All Blacks at first dominated and then were forced to dig pretty deep to subdue Australia in Yokohama last night: the class of Beauden Barrett and the importance to the team of Brodie Retallick.

That Barrett is New Zealand’s best first-five is clear but he probably needed a big performance for his own peace of mind as much as anything else as Richie Mo’unga continues to snap at his heals.

The naming of Damian McKenzie as fullback and second playmaker was a concession that Barrett has been given a tough time recently by South Africa, who denied the Hurricanes player both time and space in Wellington and Pretoria.

He needed a big one at Nissan Stadium but he also needed a little help, and McKenzie probably provided that with a second kicking option in the front line and certainly a different sort of attacking threat for the Wallabies to attempt to contain.

One of Barrett’s greatest attributes is his extraordinary pace and it was seen here big time — firstly with a run (and typically good hands) after the break which had the Wallabies scrambling and needed an excellent Bernard Foley tackle to stop, and secondly with the finishing of Rieko Ioane’s break down the left. It was a classic Barrett try. His through-thelegs try assist for Ioane’s try was another classic of its type.

But he was brave, too, and the All Blacks needed that on defence because Australia’s ability to cut through with inside passes, and the apparent ease with which their pack put them on the front foot, stressed Steve Hansen’s men.

At one point early in the second half, it seemed a Boks comeback of Westpac Stadium proportions was on the cards.

Regarding the latter — enter Retallick, and his return has come at just the right time for an All Blacks pack which appears to be creaking a little.

The world’s best lock took to the Nissan Stadium pitch just after the 50-minute mark in what was his first game since the test against the Pumas in Nelson last month.

Perfect timing? Just about, because the Wallabies were getting it a little too easy. It wasn’t necessarily that Retallick made a huge impact but more what it represents for the next big tests against England and Ireland.

The Wallabies had built momentum from their converted try to Sefanaia Naivalu just before halftime and have form as far as comebacks are concerned.

Up to that point, it was Ardie Savea who was dishing it out defensively and at the breakdown.

Liam Squire, just back himself from injury, looked a little short of a run, but Savea is in the form of his life and was ably assisted by first Retallick and then Matt Todd.

Todd replaced Squire and tackled like he has just been given a new lease

of life as far as his All Blacks career is concerned. Which he has.

A word, too, on hooker Codie Taylor, who has started the last 11 tests for the All Blacks and is probably due a rest but is playing like he is only a couple of games into the season.

His development this year in Dane Coles’ absence has been remarkable and he was also crucial as far as the All Blacks defence was concerned, as Steve Hansen’s men made it a Bledisloe Cup clean sweep.

His fourth-quarter push on replacement hooker Silatolu Latu, to which Latu responded with a push to Taylor’s face, was probably unnecessary, but even that worked out for the Crusaders man, the Wallaby sent to the sinbin at just the wrong time for his team.