The All Blacks’ high-paced approach should once again expose Australia’s porous defence in Saturday’s Test in Dunedin, writes CRAIG LEWIS.

Although the Wallabies added some respectability to the 54-34 scoreline last weekend by scoring four second-half tries, the match statistics still made for some horror reading.

In the opening stanza alone, the All Blacks scored 40 points to set the record for the most first-half points in a Rugby Championship game, and the most-ever conceded in a Test half by Australia.

New Zealand also completed a whopping 652m against Australia, while executing 27 clean breaks to 13, with the Wallabies missing as many as 30 tackles.

The fact that the All Blacks faded towards the end of the encounter was simply a result of the Test being over as a contest by half-time.

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The All Blacks are a superior team to the Wallabies in every department, while they have now welcomed back influential hooker Dane Coles to the starting lineup.

Australian rugby is in big trouble, with their Super Rugby struggles, and the underperformance of the national side having also served to disillusion the public (just 600,000 Australians watched last Saturday’s Test on TV).

Coach Michael Cheika has sought to shore up some of the Wallabies’ defensive woes by elevating Tevita Kuridrani into the midfield, but the All Blacks will simply be too hot to handle on Saturday.

Besides the fact that New Zealand have not lost to Australia in New Zealand since 2001, the hosts will be motivated by a desire to honour legendary former All Black Colin Meads, who passed away last Sunday.

Expect New Zealand to play with pace and power, and for the Wallabies to once again find themselves fighting a losing battle. In fact, if the All Blacks can avoid another sloppy finish, more records could fall at the roofed Otago Stadium, which offers ideal conditions for another high-scoring spectacle.

Stats and facts

• The All Blacks have now won six games in a row against the Wallabies, averaging 40 points per game in that run.
• The last time Australia travelled to New Zealand and defeated the All Blacks was in August 2001. They’ve since lost 20 such fixtures.
• The last and only previous meeting between these teams at Forsyth Barr Stadium saw the All Blacks run out 41-33 victors, in 2013.
• The Wallabies will be looking to win back-to-back Rugby Championship games away from home for the first time since 2000, when they earned consecutive wins in New Zealand and South Africa.
• New Zealand gained a round-high 652m against Australia last round. The last time any team, other than the All Blacks, made so many metres against Australia was England in November 2010 (708m).

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All Blacks – 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Ben Smith, 13 Ryan Crotty, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 Rieko Ioane, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Kieran Read (c), 7 Sam Cane, 6 Liam Squire, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Brodie Retallick, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Joe Moody.
Subs: 16 Codie Taylor, 17 Kane Hames, 18 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 19 Scott Barrett, 20 Ardie Savea, 21 TJ Perenara, 22 Lima Sopoaga, 23 Anton Lienert-Brown.

Wallabies – 15 Israel Folau, 14 Dane Haylett-Petty, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Kurtley Beale, 11 Henry Speight, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Will Genia, 8 Sean McMahon, 7 Michael Hooper (c), 6 Ned Hanigan, 5 Adam Coleman, 4 Rob Simmons, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Scott Sio.
Subs: 16 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 17 Tom Robertson, 18 Sekope Kepu, 19 Rory Arnold, 20 Lopeti Timani/Jack Dempsey, 21 Nick Phipps, 22 Reece Hodge, 23 Curtis Rona.

Photo: @AllBlacks/Twitter