Truth be told, All Blacks simply out of this world

08 October 2016 - 02:00 By LIAM DEL CARME

It is one thing being World Cup holders, it is quite another being out of this world. That is exactly where Steve Hansen's All Blacks find themselves - in some distant galaxy far removed from world rugby's also rans, certainly well beyond the telescopic view of Allister Coetzee's Springboks.The All Blacks yesterday again reminded the Springboks that the sands of their time-honoured rivalry had long run out.The teams once separated by inches are now poles apart.story_article_left1The teams that were mirror images of each other now stand in stark contrast. Yesterday, one team was in pursuit of a record, the other just wanted to put the record straight.What sets the All Blacks apart is that they weren't just in pursuit of a record, but of perfection. They weren't perfect yesterday, but they weren't far off.The 57-15 defeat they inflicted on their old foe wasn't just a reflection of how far ahead they are in the global scheme of things, but the vertiginous drop Bok rugby has been in over the last few years.Springbok fans will ask this morning: can their team fall any further?Even without their banned general Aaron Smith, the All Blacks were every bit as incisive as they've been throughout the Rugby Championship.One can reasonably argue that had Smith had 22 accomplices in a disabled toilet in Christchurch Airport, Hansen's B team would still have beaten the pants off the Boks.As the Smith episode has now proved, they are not easily distracted.The New Zealand flag that was carried onto the field as part of the pre-match routines was sans the four red stars that would usually associate with their national symbol. It mattered little, for Hansen's side reached for the stars and touched it yesterday...

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