Hayman, Oliver, Woodcock, Ryan, Williams, Collins, McCaw and So'oialo must rate as the equals of the '96 side that withstood the ultimate pressure of the Boks in the final twenty minutes of that epic third test which saw them beat the Boks in a series for the first time ever.  They're actually better than that because the players today are bigger by a margin, faster, fitter and professional and for eighty minutes they defended as no other side I can remember.  It does remain though, to see where they go after this with regard to the Boks who remain the only other side in the world who hate losing and will not accept it during an eighty minute period of rugby.
So'oialo, Collins and McCaw were awesome but so was Ali Williams who showed after that performance that the depth problem we had in the locking area may have been solved beyond even my wildest dreams.  What a colossus.  But, I remain somewhat baffled by their ability to turn it on when they want to or need to.  What magical incantations are being said to them during the build up that produce a performance like that compared with the dross they served up in the last Tri-Nations match?  Is it a pattern of play or is this the world's best managed side that has people managers and coaches that are able to manipulate the opportunity as they seem fit so that the messages going out are 'whenever we want to we can turn up the wick and burn your asses'.

Even so, is there cause for worry here?  Possibly.  For long periods, no matter the epic defensive qualities, we could not get the ball.  Much of our try scoring prowess is dependent on turnover and strike running from deep.  They aren't engineering that many try scoring moves from set piece plays either.  Is this an issue?  It might be if they come up against a side that doesn't make mistakes but there again, all sides make mistakes and all tries are scored from errors anyway.  Even so, for a large part of the second half, the All Blacks could not get their hands on the ball.  It didn't matter as it turned out but if the same sustained pressure was applied by Australia or South Africa, would the result have been any different?

The physical domination last night was almost as if nothing had happened since November 2004 when the same thing happened.  French scrum eaten alive up front even though the grand master de Villiers has improved and become a fine physical specimen himself.  The hitting around rucks and in the tackle was massive too with several French plays stopped in their tracks.  I watched the game on TV5 with French commentary to choruses of 'oohh la la' and aye yai aye while they watched Mssrs Collins, McCaw and So'oialo hammer the French.  Watching the game in this part of the world, you are so rarely treated to complete rugby and commentator and spectator alike are amazed at what the men in Black are capable of doing to their national sides.

So, in summary, after all of the other superlatives and excellent analyses from posters in here, we are left to ponder what can get better.  If there is anything that can it is set piece and structured attack though multi-phase ball retention.  During two matches now I haven't see that much of it when in reality the All Blacks are masters of it.  Is this area of offence the final element to be fitted to what is appearing to me to be perhaps the finest All Black side ever?  Well played France.  Without your reputation this match would hold little meaning.  As it is Laporte must now know that his team, strategy and tactics are in tatters for no matter the result next weekend, the damage has been done.  There must now be major doubt everywhere.