Another test, another set of player ratings from the poison keyboard of yours truly.  Not so poison really, although there are a couple of players one wonders what the hell they are doing in a black jersey at this time.  It is not me though that these blokes have to impress, it is the three wise men in charge of the Cartel.

Not a bad effort at scrum time again this week, a definite pass mark for the eight there (not bad with completely new front row from the World Cup match that never happened), a big fat F for the line out work, and another pass with honours for the backline.

So, on with the show, the ratings.

15:  Mils Muliaina  7/10
Another solid display from Mils this week, looking better than he did last week, despite the build up for the test where his hamstring slowed him down.  Perhaps he would have caught Topsy had he not been hampered by that?  He certainly mowed the Pom winger down until defeated by the angle in his 70 metre chase.  Hit the line well in support of the Nonu break to score his try.  Defended well, but still not back at the top of his game.  Not far off though, but he might get a rest this week with Panadol MacDonald perhaps getting a start in Christchurch.

14:  Antony Tuitavake  7/10
A much better game than last week from the Harbour exocet missile.  Not many chances with the ball in hand, but he put in some fantastic tackles, and was in the game big time, despite not having the ball.  While not many chances with the ball in hand, he was dangerous the few chances he got.  Certainly deserving of his jersey, and looking like a good third option on the wing for the All Blacks behind Sivivatu and Rokocoko, perhaps even ahead of the cousins should their form slip at all.

13:  Conrad Smith  7/10
Another nice effort from Smith, taking his try scoring chance nicely, attacking the bouncing ball from the Carter grubber and coming up trumps.  Not really tested on defence, but continues to build a nice combination with Nonu at 12.  The real test for this pair though will come in the coming weeks of the season when Mr Mortlock and the Boers come to the party.  But at the moment, nothing but good news to report - I am sure the media vultures will be hating every moment...

12:  Ma'a Nonu  8/10
A game breaker who seems to have perhaps, maybe, by the looks of things, probably, found his niche at last!  And not only that, he seems to have had the blinkers removed, the decision making sharpened, and in general, he is looking like a hard running 12 set for the long haul...  I mean, how many times in seasons past would Nonu have made that break that led to the Mils try, but instead of looking to pass, would have tried to beat the last line of defence, and blown it - yes, 9 times out of 10.  Not any more, the big man is making the right calls at the right times.  Getting a lot of help inside and outside though from the sharp rugby brains of Carter and Smith though, but that is what rugby is all about.

11:  Sitiveni Sivivatu  7/10
Looked class again this week, showing his test experience, and playing like the senior test wing should.  Although I still hate how he does not just get the ball from kicks and run as fast as he can as soon as he can, instead of dithering around until the defensive line comes up!  Another try this week, and the try scoring pass from a lovely set piece move from a scrum.  Also clever play from the kick off, although replays show that he got his execution not quite right, but that was missed by the linesman/touch judge/assistant ref.

10:  Dan Carter  9/10
I was probably a bit generous last week in my ranking of Carter giving him 8/10, when a 6 or 7 would have been better, but I must have had my rose tinted glasses on then.  This week though, the test was Carter's from go to woe, class kicking, lethal running, and mainly, his passes finding their correct targets.  If you were picky, you could say that some of his passes were try scoring assists too, even though they were to white jersey players...  Great to see him getting better and better with more time on the field too.  Something that the Cartel has learned!

9:  Andy Ellis  6/10
Still not sold on Ellis.  That box kick he put in on this test would have made even a low level club halfback blush, let alone a highly paid professional footballer.  I hope that Ellis is keeping the jersey warm until Leonard comes back to full fitness.  Probably one of the positions in New Zealand rugby where we are genuinely really bloody weak.  Thankfully it is not an important position, the link between the forwards and the backs...  Yeah right.

8:  Jerome Kaino  7/10
Much better game from the youngster than last week in the arctic at Wellington.  Starting to form a nice combination now with the two vetereans McCaw and So'oialo.  Still finding his feet at this level, but like Tuitavake looked much more comfortable at this this week.  Would have been nice to see him get another 80 minutes though, instead of seeing him being subbed for an unfit looking prop...

7:  Richie McCaw  8/10
You know he is playing well when the opposition coaches start bitching about him.  And they are, and he is. 

6:  Rodney So'oialo  7/10
The most able right hand man for McCaw.  Again in the middle of the battle all night.  Some of his clean outs at the rucks were bordering on suicidal at times, or perhaps murderous, considering that you would have to be hard as nails, or as hard as Thorn to dent the dreaded wonder.

5:  Ali Williams  6/10
The caller of the lineouts must shoulder some of the blame for the shit sandwich which was the All Black lineout drill in this match.  Sure the poms competed well, but go to your safe options and just win the pill to start with, and then worry about the flashy stuff later!  Solid enough game around the park but for some early dropsies, the big man will not be happy with his game by any means.  If he wants to be a great, he'll have to start playing like one...

4:  Brad Thorn  8/10
Subbed, and with that subbing, the All Black forward effort seemed to slacken.  Has been huge for both the Crusaders and the All Blacks this season.  Is getting back into the swing of things big time, and starting to carry the ball more often too, and with great effect.  Just ask crash test dummy Mears.  Powerful work in the tight, top scrummaging, long may his old bones hold together..!!

3:  Greg Somerville  8/10
Andrew Sheridan, who the hell is he?  Oh, that BIG lump of meat touted by all 'n' sundry to be the next coming of the perfect prop. Unfortunatly for the man mountain though that rugby is played on the rugby field, and not in the gym, otherwise he might be the be all and end all of props.  But I am not here to bury Caesar, but to praise him, to butcher some famous quote or other...  Somerville.  Was immense at scrum time against the briefly mentioned above Sheridan.  Immovable at scrum time, and buried in the tight up to his nut sack as per usual.  Defended well, and looking more mobile than he has in the past - thanks to the ELV's no doubt getting him fitter.

2:  Andrew Hore  6/10
Not a day to remember for the hard working hooker.  His lineout stuttered along like an old jalopy, his own ball work was shabby, he would not have been happy with any part of his game expect perhaps the scrum.  highlight of his match would have been the Kaino cover tackle that saved a try after his awful attempt at taking a high ball on the All Black 22.  Lowlight will be watching the replay of that non take, where after the ball had bounced off his chest, he was looking for where it went, and having no idea, was quite comical if you were not Hore!!

1:  Neemia Tialata  8/10
Another 80 minutes from the big man, at loosehead prop, and another demolition job.  The main reason the English scrum got the wobbles was from Tialata dealing with Stevens at scrum time.  The big guy lasted another 80 minutes in battle too, he is looking the goods, despite looking completely pants during the Super 14!!

16:  Kevin Mealamu  6/10
Like Hore, not a great day at the office.  And not only the lineout yips, he was also hooking when the All Blacks lost a tighthead.  Yes, they lost a feed to the scrum, a good old fashioned tighthead!

17:  John Schwalger.  Got splinters.  Would have had to take the field if MacDonald had gone off...

18:  Anthony Boric  6/10
All Black test debut, didn't really stand out.  Might just be holding the jersey until Jason Eaton comes back ionto form again.  Certainly did not strike me as a candidate to be a long term All Black.

19:  Sione Lauaki  3/10
Lauaki gets some points because he wore his jersey around the right way, managed to get his boots on the right feet, and to do his laces up by himself.  Other than that, he did nothing on the field for the All Blacks.  As a super sub, he made a good laughing stock.  I can't belive how slow he is, when Topsy raced past him on his way to his second try, Slowaki, as he was coined on the forum, looked like he was running in the slow motion replay, not live on the field.  Mind you, last season when he got that intercept in the RWC and struggled to go 50 metres, well, we knew then he had the pace of a legless frog, but jeez, he is slow.  Please let this be the last experiment.  I am sure the big ginge Thompson would have not conceded that try.

20:  Jimmy Cowan  5/10
Started badly, but got better as his game went on.  Was the halfback that fed the ball for the tighthead too.  God we are lacking at halfback at the moment.

21:  Stephen Donald
Not really on long enough to rate - made a tackle or two I recall, but the game was pretty much a wreck when he hit the field, so no chances really to excel!

22:  Leon MacDonald
As per Donald above.  Not on the field that long, but still managed to get a head knock and look a bit dazed for a moment or three.

All in all a soild performance from the All Blacks - an overall rating of say, 7.  Lots to work on at lineout time and kick receiving again too.  Bring on next week.