The All Blacks have raised the bar with a much improved performance in the second test against Fiji, powering to a 60-13 win in Hamilton.
After their team were out-muscled in the first test in Dunedin last week, the selectors rang the changes and their troops delivered with a clinical display, running in nine tries to one, most of which came from perfectly executed setpiece moves, while getting the better of their opponents at the all-important breakdown.
Richie Mo'unga was at the epicentre of the All Blacks machine, commanding proceedings with his elite running and kicking game to further tighten his grasp on the No.10 jersey.
Wing Sevu Reece's first-half hat-trick quickly swung the contest in the hosts' favour and David Havili sent another message to the selectors, with a superb shift at second-five.
Upfront, Luke Jacobson was exceptional off the back of the scrum, anchoring a solid defensive line, while hooker Samisoni Taukei'aho came off the bench to claim two tries in a dream test debut.
The result was undoubtedly encouraging for coach Ian Foster and his selectors, and would have gone a long way to answering some lingering questions about the make-up of their first XV heading into the opening Bledisloe Cup test in Auckland in three weeks.
Spurred on by a vocal minority of supporters, Fiji came out of the gates with plenty of purpose, testing the All Blacks defence early with their powerful midfielders and claiming an early lead off the boot of first-five Ben Volavola.
After some uncharacteristic early mistakes - particularly at the lineout - the hosts began to find their rhythm and the tries soon followed.
Reece nabbed the first of his haul courtesy of a slick setpiece move, as standout Havili cut inside the defence, before sending his wing in under the crossbar with a deft backhand flick pass.
Fifteen minutes later, halfback Aaron Smith's blindside snipe from the base of the scrum created an overlap for Mo'unga to find a streaking Reece, who finished unmarked in the corner.
The Fijian native soon had his hat-trick in the bag, scooping up a pass from Mo'unga that had missed its mark, but bounced fortuitously, before Ardie Savea powered his way over from a close-range ruck, as the halftime hooter sounded, to celebrate his 50th test with a try.
The All Blacks carried that momentum into the second half, scoring immediately after a mistake from the restart by Nemani Nadolo, as Mo'unga sent Will Jordan into a gaping hole from a five-metre scrum.
Just a few minutes later, Fiji struck back with their first and only try of the game, prop Peni Ravai peeling off the opposite direction from a five-metre lineout drive and crashing over the line to send the Fijian faithful into raptures.
That joy was shortlived, as - yet again - Mo'unga pulled the strings to put a pinpoint pass on a streaking Rieko Ioane's chest, after Jacobson's incisive blindside foray from a scrum.
In the 55th minute, Taukei'aho entered the fray and made an immediate impression. After finishing a textbook five-metre lineout maul, his barnstorming break through the midfield set up a try for Shannon Frizell, before he put the icing on the cake with a dive into the corner with time expired.
On Tuesday, the All Blacks will name their squad for the Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup, which begins against Australia at Eden Park on August 7.
All Blacks 60 (Sevu Reece 3, Samisoni Taukei'aho 2, Ardie Savea, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, Shannon Frizell tries; Richie Mo'unga 5 con, pen, Beauden Barrett con) Fiji 13 (Peni Ravai try; Ben Volavola con, 2 pen)
