The All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has described his side's first 50 minutes against Australia "as good a rugby as you'll ever see" after they beat the Wallabies in Sydney.
The All Blacks established a 54-6 lead in the opening match of the Rugby Championship but then allowed the Australians to score four unanswered tries as the vistors eventually ran out 54-34 winners.
Th win could not have come at a better time after a week studded with off-field distractions.
Lurid details of half back Aaron Smith's toilet tryst at Christchurch airport last year were published in the Australian media and were followed on Saturday by allegations of an extra-marital affair levelled at flanker Jerome Kaino.
All Blacks halfback Aaron Smith tries to evade the tackle of Wallaby hooker Stephen Moore. Photo: Photosport
Kaino, who had been rested from the Sydney test, was sent home on Saturday to deal with a "personal issue", New Zealand Rugby said in a statement.
In addition, the week was peppered with revelations from the All Blacks camp during the trial of their former security guard, who was found not guilty on Friday of planting a bugging device in the team's meeting room last year.
All Blacks flanker Liam Squire is tackled by Wallaby winger Henry Speight. Photo: Photosport
"Rugby's always going to have moments where you are not happy with things that are going on but ultimately it's all about Saturday isn't it?," Hansen said.
"It's about winning the game and doing things that you are proud of. We've done that tonight."
The World Cup-winning coach said he thought Smith had played "really well" on Saturday and bridled when asked whether Kaino would be considered for next week's return test in Dunedin.
"I think that's a pretty low question," he added.
"We all know what the problem is and he's got some stuff he's got to deal with and once he's dealt with that, we'll make some decisions."
All Blacks winger Reiko Ioane with Ben Smith in support. Photo: Photosport
Hansen and captain Kieran Read were much keener to talk about the side's display in running in eight tries to take a 54-6 lead in the 48th minute.
"Any time you can put that number of points on any international team that feels pretty good," Read said.
"And it really just came about by us doing the simple things well. We've got some talented players and we can give them go-forward ball and look after the ball in contact, things come off and the talent really shines."
Hansen's delight at the "really special" spell was tempered by what happened in the last 30 minutes but even that, he felt, might prove a useful wake-up call.
"The first 50 minutes was as good a rugby as you'll ever see and the last 30 some of the ugliest rugby," he said.
"I think we got a little seduced by the scoreboard and went away from some of the fundamentals of what we wanted to do.
"It's another learning for a group that's re-establishing itself and that will give us something to really focus on when we're going to Dunedin and that won't do us any harm.
"If we'd gone on and won the game the way we were playing in the first half, I don't think would have done us any good either."
-Reuters
