Rugby Championship: All Blacks power their way to win over ...

At Mt Smart, Auckland: All Blacks 35 (Aaron Smith 5min, Shannon Frizell 15min, Will Jordan 67min, Richie Mo'unga 77min tries; Mo’unga 3 con, 3 pen) Springboks 20 (Malcolm Marx 52min, Cheslin Kolbe 62min, Kwagga Smith 80min tries; Kolbe con, Faf de Klerk pen). HT: 20-3.

It won't have been the many aches, abrasions and scrapes that prevented the weary All Blacks from drifting off to sleep after the 35-20 win against the Springboks in Auckland on Saturday night.

The vital lessons absorbed from the pulsating Rugby Championship test, a bruising encounter that forced All Blacks captain Sam Cane to retire hurt with a neck injury at halftime, would have ensured their brains were buzzing long into the night as they attempted to process this memorable win at Mt Smart.

The All Blacks, having led 20-3 at the break, discovered the meaning of having to be alert and dangerous on both sides of the ball as the Springboks, thanks to their tactic of unloading a coterie of mean forwards off the bench, came screaming back at them with all the tenacity and zeal we have come to expect from New Zealand's most respected foe.

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Shannon Frizell scored a try for the All Blacks in the first half of the test against the Springboks. The All Blacks won 35-20.

Tries to Aaron Smith and Shannon Frizell, combined with the deadly boot of goal kicker Richie Mo'unga, rocketed the All Blacks to a dream start.

And, then, inevitably, the Springboks rushed back. There was nothing fancy with what the visitors served up, and no-one should have been surprised - especially not the All Blacks.

The Springboks slowly locked them in a vice-like grip as they flooded the breakdowns, held on to possession for longer periods and scored tries through hooker Malcolm Marx and wing Cheslin Kolbe.

It was All Blacks wing Will Jordan, who in his first test of the year enhanced his reputation with an excellent performance, who gave the All Blacks the breathing room they so desperately needed when he latched on to a cross kick by fullback Beauden Barrett to clinch the win in the 69th minute.

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All Blacks wing Will Jordan was impressive in his first test of the year.

Then came the try to playmaker Richie Mo'unga with three minutes left on the clock. That was the knockout punch. Kwagga Smith replied for the Springboks on the final hooter, but it was only cosmetic.

Up until the tries to Jordan and Mo'unga, anyone who had pinned their hopes on an All Blacks' victory was gripping the arm of their chairs, their beers or their loved ones, as they wondered whether their team could put their opponents away.

Fair play to the All Blacks – they deserved this win.

In claiming the victory, and ensuring they have one big fist on the championship trophy, they proved to New Zealanders that they are capable of being a genuine force at the World Cup in France later this year.

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Aaron Smith scored a try in the first half for the All Blacks.

All Blacks coach Ian Foster had many questions answered during this effort. Frizell was a brute in the No 6 jersey, and surely will lock the job down ahead of the mission to France, and Jordan emphasised his value down the wide channels.

Forwards coach Jason Ryan would have also treasured that effort from his pack in the first spell, when the scrum was a rock and they hammered the rucks like madmen chasing a buried pot of gold.

Scott Barrett, Ardie Savea and Frizell were tireless, and openside flanker Cane, until he retired, never stopped grinding away.

Mo’unga was excellent at No 10, proving to Foster his value when the pressure is intense.

The All Blacks came thundering out of the gates with the power and enthusiasm of a thoroughbred chasing the big money at the nearby Ellerslie Racecourse, as soon as referee Mathieu Raynal rang the opening bell.

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All Blacks wing Mark Telea has support from hooker Codie Taylor during the test against the Springboks.

It was truly impressive stuff as the hosts abstained from smacking boot to ball, trading the tactic for a willingness to regurgitate quick possession from the breakdowns and shift the pill at speed and commit defenders.

As the phases kept building in the opening minutes you could sense the Springboks praying for an error as their chests heaved with the stress of trying to load their lungs with enough oxygen to stay in the fight.

Something had to give and when it did, it was Aaron Smith who was the punisher.

The All Blacks No 9 ran a sweet line to receive a pass from Jordan, the latter having escaped the clutches of Willie le Roux to dart into a hole in the thin green defensive line.

When Frizell collected the All Blacks' second try of the half it seemed rude to not avert your eyes from le Roux, after he was used as a doormat by the rampaging blindside flanker.

Memories of the late Jonah Lomu charging over a hapless Mike Catt in the 1995 World Cup semifinal in Cape Town were impossible to suppress as Frizell lined-up le Roux in his headlights, and rumbled over him.

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All Blacks fullback Beauden Barrett looks for support during the test at Mt Smart.

Frizell could have, perhaps, tried to swerve and pass to a support runner. No dice. He just fixed his eyes on le Roux and mowed him down on the way to the line.

A couple of conversions and two penalties from Mo’unga topped-up the All Blacks' account for them to take a 20-3 lead at the break.

The All Blacks also had their share of luck. A Springboks try appeared imminent when Kolbe, having competed against Beauden Barrett in the air, pounced on a loose ball but TMO Ben Whitehouse ruled a knock-on.

But it was the All Blacks’ perseverance, after the restart, that impressed so much. The Springboks are the yardstick, and they came up short.

The big moment

The blistering start by the All Blacks. Up 20-3 at halftime, this was theirs to lose.

MVP

Frizell was a rock for the All Blacks. It was exactly what forwards coach Ryan would have wanted.

Match rating

7.5/10

The big picture

The All Blacks have one test left in the championship, against the Aussies in Melbourne on July 29. Mark it down. The title should be theirs if they can replicate this performance.