Wallabies succumb to Barrett masterclass

[Ulquiorra]

Michael Cheika has described the All Blacks as the elite burglars of world rugby after his Wallabies were torn apart 40-12 at Eden Park.

Beauden Barrett was chief executioner as the world champions ran amok in the second spell at Eden Park to extend their Bledisloe Cup reign into a 16th year.

Barrett scored four tries and 30 points in a dazzling performance, heaping more trans-Tasman agony on a gritty but outclassed Australia at a venue where they haven't won since 1986.

In a performance which will heap more pressure on coach Michael Cheika, the Wallabies couldn't handle five-eighth maestro and two-time world player of the year Barrett, whose points haul is a Bledisloe Cup record.

His four tries is the most by an All Black in a trans-Tasman Test and equals the famous tally of Greg Cornelsen at the same ground 40 years ago.

The 27-year-old also converted five of his team's six tries in one of the great Test displays.

The Test was otherwise an evenly-fought affair, similar in many respects to last week's 38-13 win by New Zealand in Sydney.

Will Genia's try pulled the Wallabies level 7-7 on the half-hour mark and it was only Barrett's second try on the stroke of the break which left the visitors seven points adrift at halftime.

However, it was again one-way traffic after the resumption as the Wallabies turnovers were ruthlessly punished.

Chieka said the All Blacks' rapier-like attacks from turnovers sets them apart in world rugby and his team weren't industrious enough to shut it down.

"Like last week, we got killed on the turnovers," he said.

"They knew it too. We stopped some of them but we couldn't stop the others.

"You've got to get up and work extra hard until you get the ball back. Five or six key moments we didn't do that.

"The rest of the game we worked our backsides off."

Cheika cited the lineout and scrums as two definite areas of improvement from Sydney, where the set piece work was shambolic.

The introduction of props Scott Sio and Allan Alaalatoa stiffened the scrum.

Dane Haylett-Petty impressed at fullback in the absence of Israel Folau while No.8 David Pocock was a standout performer again.

Pocock appeared to be the victim of at least one neck roll but his complaints to referee Wayne Barnes fell on deaf ears.

After Barrett's first try, Australia enjoyed their best period on the back of a series of strong attacking scrums before Genia scampered over.

Wallabies hearts sank in the 10 minutes after halftime when prop Joe Moody and flanker Liam Squire powered across for straightforward tries.

Wallabies five-eighth Bernard Foley's scything run to set up centre Reece Hodge that reduced the margin to 16 points.

Barrett responded with a sizzling solo try, had another disallowed and bagged his fourth soon afterwards as the game opened up in a manner the New Zealanders thrive on.