New Zealand have reduced the World Rugby rankings gap to South Africa to just over a point after dismantling Australia 50-19 at Eden Park, with coach Dave Rennie attributing the turnaround to hard lessons from the Springboks' recent series triumph.
The All Blacks trailed the world champions by nearly four points following Rugby's Greatest Rivalry in September, when the Springboks claimed a 3-1 series victory. Saturday's 31-point margin over the Wallabies lifted New Zealand's rating from 91.15 to 91.81, leaving South Africa on 93.09 at the summit.
"We were confident in our ability; we failed in Africa," Rennie said. "There were a number of areas that needed to be better. We just lost key moments in Africa, and we won a lot of those tonight."
The All Blacks scored five of their seven tries in the second half to extend their Eden Park unbeaten run to 54 matches and retain the Bledisloe Cup for a 23rd consecutive year. Captain Codie Taylor acknowledged the sting of the Springbok defeats had sharpened his side's focus.
"We were hurting a little bit," Taylor said. "But it's awesome to come home, play in front of our fans, our people. We've missed it, and to get a result like that… hugely proud of the boys."
World Cup implications
The result carries added weight with the Rugby World Cup a year away and next week's Sydney rematch doubling as a venue rehearsal for the tournament. Rennie highlighted the return of Scott Barrett for his first Test in nearly a year as a catalyst for improved physicality and leadership in the pack.
Australia arrived at Eden Park on a five-match unbeaten streak that included a home victory over the Springboks two weeks earlier, but skipper Harry Wilson conceded the performance represented "a step back" after trailing just 17-14 at the interval.
The All Blacks face a potentially decisive November window in the Nations Championship, with South Africa scheduled for trips to Ireland and France. Should New Zealand navigate their remaining fixtures successfully, Rennie's side may yet finish the year atop the world rankings—a prospect that seemed distant when the Springboks departed Auckland in September.