New Zealand surprise Steve Hansen with ease of Rugby Championship victory

Saturday 17 September 2016 16:19, UK

Steve Hansen admits that even he is surprised by how easily New Zealand have wrapped up the 2016 Rugby Championship

The world champions sealed the Championship title with two rounds to go and when asked if he expected his side to be so dominant this year, he said: "To be really honest, no. The thing we lost most was experience and the thing I'm most pleased with is how [Kieran Read] has stepped up to the plate.

"His leadership group have stepped up to the plate and taken over and probably gone to another level."

The All Blacks runaway success this year has been attributed to New Zealand's policy of always preparing understudies and therefore paving the way for a near seamless transition from a World Cup squad to a rebuilding unit.

It is a policy that left new South African coach Allister Coetzee envious as his side has lost their last three games and only won three of seven since making the World Cup semi-finals.

Hansen has made it clear that process will continue and with the Championship already wrapped up and he is likely to bring in new faces for the remaining two away games against Argentina and South Africa.

"We're getting to that point in the season where we have to roll the dice anyway," he said.

"You can't keep playing the same athletes the whole time and expect to have that same zing.

"We're coming to the end of the season when we go round the world twice in eight weeks and play seven Test matches so we're going to have to use the rest of the squad.

"That will probably start in Argentina and there might be some new faces on the bench and maybe even playing. We have to play it smart."

The All Blacks have not been seriously challenged in the Rugby Championship, scoring 169 points, including 24 tries in their four matches so far.

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