New Zealand 76 Italy 14

When will sides learn? It should be a commandment pinned to the wall of every international dressing room: "Do not rile the All Blacks unnecessarily."

Opponents should know by now that the pre-match haka is pretty precious to them. They should face up to the challenge like men - not converge in a huddle and refuse to pay it even the scantest regard, as Italy did on Saturday.

It miffed the Kiwis no end. Even when the Italians dispersed from their extended team talk, not one of their throng could bear to make even the slightest eye contact with any of the All Blacks. And there were plenty of the men in black loitering by the halfway line ready to do so in return.

One of them was captain Richie McCaw. Within 64 seconds he was on the scoresheet. Good thinking that from Italy. They might have been better served worrying about their defensive alignment from a simple lineout move. Rodney So'oialo tapped at the tail to Ali Williams, peeling round. The second-rower passed inside to his captain, and McCaw was through untouched. Tries should not be that simple. A few minutes later, McCaw was over again, too powerful for the double tackle after accepting the inside ball from darting halfback Byron Kelleher.

Nobody in their right mind expected Italy to triumph, but the talk beforehand had been of excited expectation of some typical Italian "softening up" of the All Blacks, at least until half-time. If only.

Instead, this was an utter embarrassment for the Italians. To think they contemplated fielding a weakened side in preparation for the more manageable challenges ahead. Imagine the fiasco then. But we will have that sort of scenario when New Zealand face Romania and Portugal. Is it not too late for the International Rugby Board to introduce an interim regulation whereby a grotesque mismatch can be terminated early?

If this had been a cricket match, the All Blacks surely would have declared before half-time. They were 43-0 to the good inside 28 minutes, a ferocious rate of scoring from a ferociously formidable side, playing with the punishing precision of a team fortunate to be blessed with such a calculating decision-maker in Dan Carter. His clever chip kicks created two tries and spoke of a vast vision. That he kicked accurately to gather 17 points goes without saying.

There were six tries in that opening salvo and 11 for New Zealand in all, including a hat-trick for wing Doug Howlett, who now has 46 Test tries, equalling Christian Cullen's New Zealand record. That Italy replied with two of their own scarcely warrants mention.When the All Blacks introduced a raft of substitutes in the second half, they displayed a bit of clumsiness, but by then the rest of the world had been warned of their frightening possibilities.

Although it was a punishingly hot 28C and some of the All Blacks complained of wobbly legs in the last quarter, the sight of breakaway Jerry Collins galloping over for a brace of tries in two minutes between the 68th and 70th minutes (one an outrageous chip-and-chase) was evidence enough of their near-peak physical condition.

Williams and fellow second-rower Chris Jack were astounding in their athleticism as individual flashes of brilliance illuminated the All Blacks' performance.

Some doubters reckoned there were cracks appearing in the All Blacks' play during the Tri Nations, but the truth was that the quality of that first quarter was scary. Just like the haka, apparently.

The Daily Telegraph, London