Kiwis won’t rest on their laurels

WELLINGTON: The All Blacks’ ability to seal the Rugby Championship with two rounds remaining highlighted the burgeoning gap between the world champions and the rest of the sides, though the team were not prepared to let their final games become footnotes.

Their 41-13 bonus-point victory over the Springboks in Christchurch on Saturday gave them their 15th successive win stretching back to last year and the title was confirmed when Australia beat Argentina 36-20 in Perth later.

The All Blacks, playing a fast-paced and high skill style, have the maximum 20 points from the four games, with Australia second on nine points. The best total the Wallabies could finish with is 19. South Africa have six and Argentina five points.

“It’s very satisfying,” assistant coach Ian Foster said yesterday. “I guess wrapping up the Championship is more of a consequence of us playing some really good rugby and the way some of the other results have gone.

“It’s certainly pleasing to have it done after four rounds, but in reality it doesn’t change much, does it?

“We’ve still got two games on the road, our expectations are high and I’m sure the public’s are too so we’ve got to keep going.”

The All Blacks travel to Buenos Aires on Friday for their next match against Argentina on October 1 before they finish the competition against the struggling Springboks in Durban a week later.

If they win those two matches, they would extend their winning run to 17 consecutive matches, equalling a world record amongst toptier nations that was achieved by the Springboks in 1997 and 1998 and the All Blacks from 1965-69 and again in 2013 and 2014. – Reuters STOPPED IN HIS TRACKS: Springbok Francois Hougaard’s progression is halted during the Rugby Championship clash on Saturday, comfortably won by hosts New Zealand.