International matches/Wales - 3 New Zealand - 41: The All Blacks have barely flicked the ignition switch but already there is a sense that the only ones capable of denying them a Grand Slam are their own selectors. To blow Wales apart by a record margin and then announce wholesale changes for this weekend's Test in Ireland, as Graham Henry will do tomorrow, might hint at arrogance; the truth is these New Zealand tourists have talent to burn.
Never mind the fact Wales fell as woefully short of expectations as Clive Woodward's Lions in another one-sided rejection of roulette-table orthodoxy, which insists red against black is always a 50-50 call. New Zealand can beat only what is in front of them and, without ever reinventing the wheel, the simplicity and accuracy of their attacking play were far too good for outclassed opponents.
They also have one of the wonders of the rugby world, an outhalf blessed with such sureness of touch he makes Jonny Wilkinson look like a flaky has-been.
A century after the first All Blacks v Wales Test people still argue about Bob Deans's disallowed try but on the sodden streets of Cardiff on Saturday night there was no disputing the shimmering brilliance of Dan Carter, whose haul of 26 points, including two tries and a 100 per cent kicking return, silenced a crowd who once worshipped at the altar of great Welsh number 10s.
No one should underestimate the influence of Chris Jack and the awesomely strong debutant flanker Chris Masoe, or the wonderfully intelligent centre Conrad Smith, but even the wing Rico Gear, scorer of a needle-sharp hat-trick, was quick to tip his cap to the 23-year-old Carter.
"He's got an all-round game and he can do anything, pretty much," said Gear, the 19th player to score a Test hat-trick for New Zealand.
"We just adjust to what he's doing."
Even the revelation that a few All Blacks went on a drunken bender the previous weekend, which involved boarding a London-bound train in the early hours, scarcely diminished Henry's satisfaction, not least because this result represented a neatly timed rocket up the backside of those still stubbornly insisting this is not a particularly gifted New Zealand team.
"Lansdowne Road will be very different. I'm sure the Irish are waiting," he protested, doing his best to deflate suggestions that his side need do little more than turn up to guarantee success in Dublin.
He knows, though, that the world's best openside, Richie McCaw, had only a walk-on part in Cardiff and his back-up strike-force of Doug Howlett, Leon MacDonald and Sitiveni Sivivatu have shared 56 Test tries.
The young lock, James Ryan, who has injured knee ligaments, is likely to be the only enforced absentee next weekend but Carter may well be rested and no one is expecting the captain Tana Umaga to entertain an Irish crowd who have not forgotten Brian O'Driscoll's summertime blues in Christchurch.
The Welsh camp, for their part, still insist these All Blacks are beatable. They are entitled to their opinion but the thesis seems primarily based on the law of averages.
Gareth Thomas was closer to the mark when he muttered: "It's going to take a strong team to beat them."
Even if their six absent Lions had all been on the pitch the Six Nations champions would have struggled to find holes in the onrushing black wall, but the most unflattering comparisons were in midfield and out wide.
Had Byron Kelleher not butchered a glaring early overlap his side would have been clear much earlier, the cool, collected manner in which Umaga offloaded out of contact in midfield for Gear's first try to punish another botched Welsh lineout underlining the massive gulf in philosophy and execution.
If Wales were lucky to be only 13-3 down at half-time their reprieve was temporary as Gear, the sharpest point of an irresistible triangle with Mils Muliaina and Joe Rokocoko, helped himself to two more tries in the first eight minutes of the second half.
Perhaps even more exhilarating was the fourth try after 67 minutes when Smith slipped away another offload for Carter to burst unstoppably around the cover down the left.
There may have been a shade more luck about Umaga's flick pass off the floor for Carter's second but again it was a reward for support running of the highest quality.
The sight of skilful players running on to well-timed passes at pace is one of rugby's timeless attractions and, for that reason alone, Henry's team deserve to be feted. If the 1905 side were the "Originals" and the 1924 team the "Invincibles", this lot are threatening to become the "Untouchables".
WALES: G Thomas (capt); Morgan, Taylor, Sweeney, S Williams; S Jones, Phillips; D Jones, M Davies, A Jones; Cockbain, Sidoli; J Thomas, Charvis, Owen. Replacements: Horsman for A Jones (46 mins); Cooper for Phillips (48 mins); Byrne for G Thomas (56 mins); R Thomas for M Davies, Charteris for Cockbain (both 61 mins); Robinson for Sweeney, Sowden-Taylor for Charvis (both 68 mins). Pen: S Jones
NEW ZEALAND: Muliaina; Gear, Smith, Umaga (capt), Rokocoko; Carter, Kelleher; Tialata, Oliver, Hayman; Jack, Ryan; Collins, Masoe, So'oialo. Replacements: Woodcock for Tialata (51 mins); Hore for Oliver, Macdonald for Ryan (both 66 mins); Nonu for Gear, Cowan for Kelleher, McCaw for Masoe (all 68 mins); MacDonald for Muliaina (73 mins). Tries: Gear 3, Carter 2. Cons: Carter 5. Pens: Carter 2.
Attendance: 74,402.
Referee: C White (England).
Guardian Service
