AUCKLAND, Aug 6, (AFP): A solid defensive effort by the All Blacks created a 30-14 win over Australia in their Tri-Nations clash Saturday, giving their self-belief a boost in the countdown to the World Cup.
It was a far from perfect performance by the All Blacks who allowed the Wallabies an advantage with possession.
But while Australian attacks were swiftly shut down for most of the match the All Blacks, with Richie McCaw, Piri Weepu and Dan Carter to the fore, were able to find holes around the Australian ruck and out wide.
The three tries to two victory in the clash of the world’s top two sides ensured the All Blacks retained the Bledisloe Cup, the symbol of trans-Tasman superiority, which they have held since 2003.
It also left them on track for an 11th Tri-Nations title in the 16-year history of the competition and gave an insight into the game they are working on for the World Cup which starts here next month.
The Wallabies did finish the stronger of the two sides as the pace of the game told on several All Blacks having their first run since the Super 15 series, but Wallabies coach Robbie Deans said the damage had been done by then.

“Tactically we didn’t help ourselves. We allowed the All Blacks to establish the D (defence) line and really create some linespeed in their defence and stymie our attack. We left a lot of points out there as well. We lacked a bit of patience in the way and where we attacked.”
Weepu, getting a start at number nine after coming off the bench in recent Tests, stamped his mark with a series of breaks close to the maul and the All Blacks backs feasted off a supply of front-foot ball.
When they were not moving the ball wide, the All Blacks resorted to shallow chip kicks to negate Quade Cooper’s role as a sweeper on defence by drawing him forward into the face of the oncoming packs.
Carter, who had a flawless kicking performance and contributed 15 points, even resorted to a drop goal, a weapon rarely used by the All Blacks.
Any hopes the Wallabies had of back-to-back wins over the All Blacks, after they sneaked home 26-24 in Hong Kong last October, vanished early.

England 23, Wales 19
In London, England held off a spirited Wales 23-19 at Twickenham here on Saturday to win their opening World Cup warm-up match.
But both sides suffered injuries just weeks before the showpiece tournament in New Zealand.
Wales outscored England three tries to two, coming from 20-7 behind to set up a grandstand finish when wing George North crossed for the second of his two scores with four minutes left.
But, not for the first time, England great Jonny Wilkinson’s kicking proved the difference in the scores with the fly-half landing two conversions, a penalty and two drop-goals in front of a crowd of more than 80,000.
Wales had earlier seen Morgan Stoddart carried off on a stretcher before England captain Lewis Moody, who missed the Six Nations, also exited in the second half with what looked like a recurrence of the flanker’s knee injury.

Wales suffered a setback shortly before kick-off when veteran fly-half Stephen Jones had to pull out through injury on the verge of winning what would have been a Welsh record 101st cap.
Full-back Rhys Priestland moved to No 10 with Stoddart coming off the bench to fill Wales’s last line of defence.
England took a fifth minute lead through Wilkinson, starting in place of Toby Flood, after Wales were penalised for not releasing in the tackle.
But Wales scored the first try of the match.
They kicked a penalty close to the England line to set up an attacking line-out and then regained possession.
Centre Jamie Roberts tried to barrel his way over from close range but was repelled by England, wearing an all-black away kit that has angered New Zealand fans, even though they were at home.
However, Wales recycled the ball out wide on the right where Stoddart’s pass created the space for North to go over for a 17th minute try.
Priestland, taking over from Jones as Wales’s goalkicker, added the tricky conversion and Wales were 7-3 in front. But seven minutes later, England regained the lead with a converted try of their own.
England full-back Delon Armitage, making his first Test appearance since November, regathered from Wales No 8 Toby Faletau’s hack and counter-attacked.

Scotland 10, Ireland 6
In Edinburgh, a first international try by Jo Ansbro saw Scotland grab a late 10-6 win over Ireland in their rugby union World Cup warm-up test at Murrayfield.
The Irish, mainly a second-string side as coach Declan Kidney bids to reduce a 43-man squad to 30 for the World Cup, scored their points through two penalties by Jonathan Sexton.
Ansbro’s fine late individual try was converted by Ruaridh Jackson while the Scots’ other points came fron a penalty by veteran Chris Paterson, who is bidding to play in his fourth World Cup. Scotland coach Andy Robinson credited 25-year-old Ansbro’s try down to his scrum.
Robinson, who was assistant coach of England when they won the 2003 World Cup, was full of praise for man of the match prop Geoff Cross.
“He (Cross) is a very strong man and I was good to see him using that power to such good effect,” said Robinson.

“Another aspect which pleased me hugely was the fact that Ireland did not score a try against us - and didn’t even look like scoring.
“But I am also the first to admit that we also need to improve our line-speed when we are in the opposition half.
“We need to step up and take our game forward when we face Italy here in a couple of weeks.”
Kidney, who has been rewarded with a new contract ahead of the World Cup, insisted the outcome had not been a major setback.
“Obviously we came here wanting to win and I think we were a bit unlucky not to get that result,” said Kidney, who guided Ireland to the Six Nations Grand Slam in 2009.

“But I was delighted with many features of our play and many of the younger guys did what was asked of them and more.”
The Scots had made a storming start when wing Nikki Walker burst through three challenges before Johnnie Beattie burst into the danger zone.
But the good work was ruined when Jackson sent a wayward pass to Allan Jacobsen in the shadow of the posts.
The hosts suffered a setback midway through the half when Walker went off with a head injury and was replaced by Bath’s Jack Cuthbert, who was earning his first cap.
His entrance was the cue for Ireland to pile on the pressure and unlike their opponents they capitalised by edging in front with a simple penalty Sexton.
The initial stages of the second half were a carbon copy of the first as the Scots earned the bulk of possession and territory.

But there was still no sign of the Irish defence buckling.
Beattie set up the most potent attack by grabbing Fitzgerald’s chip-ahead, however instead of feeding the unmarked Ross Rennie he opted to duck infield and the move broke down.
Two minutes later the Scots did equalise via the boot of Paterson when the Irish defence sneaked offside close to their own tryline.
The Irish seized the initiative 15 minutes from time as Sexton found the target again to set up a tense finale and they looked like holding onto their advantage until Ansbro’s moment of magic.
The Scots have just one more warm-up match while the Irish have four including two against the French and one against 2003 world champions England.
The World Cup gets underway on September 9 in New Zealand.