All Blacks are a good shot of moving well past Lithuania’s world record of 18 consecutive test victories.

Fresh off completing an unbeaten Rugby Championship campaign, the All Blacks are a good shot of moving well past Lithuania’s world record of 18 consecutive test victories.

And think the closest anyone has come to beating the All Blacks this international season was Ireland in the second test in Christchurch; the same Irish team that conceded over 100 points to the Men in Black in the other two tests of that series.

While the All Blacks had been on song in La Plata the previous week, they were simply brutal against the Boks in Soweto, kicking any notion of the No 2-ranked Springboks making inroads on New Zealand’s top billing straight into touch with the swiftness of an Israel Dagg clearing kick. (Incidentally, Dagg looked much better kicking the ball at altitude when he stopped trying so hard.)

The half century of points the All Blacks clocked up in Argentina was fantástico to watch, but this was ruthless; an emphatic statement to the rugby world as they close in on Lithuania’s world record of 18 consecutive test victories.

In fact, such was the power, pace and precision they displayed over 80 minutes at Soccer City, a couple of the All Blacks’ tries (those to Aaron and Conrad Smith) almost looked like training moves.

Bok captain Jean de Villiers paid the All Blacks the ultimate compliment after the match, saying it “scares the living daylights out of me, thinking of how far they can go”.

They won’t want to let their standards slip in Brisbane next weekend (albeit in a dead rubber test) against a Wallabies side that still has nothing to lose after picking up a gutsy yet aesthetically-bereft win over Los Pumas in Rosario.

The Australians are in a bad place – mentally, physically, spiritually, you name it – and the All Blacks will be looking to ram home their advantage over their trans-Tasman cousins after a largely uninspiring performance when the sides met in Sydney in August.

They’ve demonstrated a degree of mental toughness over the last fortnight that should see them move that current record held by Lithuania up into the 20s before the year is out.

by Dave Campbell