The All Blacks claimed the Tri-Nations title and Bledisloe Cup and took a confidence-boosting step towards an even more vital prize when they beat the Wallabies 26-12 in Auckland on Saturday.

It was not a commanding victory in the winner-takes-all match, with only one try to the All Blacks bolstered by seven penalties, but it did inflict a telling psychological blow seven weeks out from the rugby World Cup.

For both sides it was the final work out before their World Cup squads are finalised — the All Blacks on Sunday and Australia a day later — and barring upsets they are not due to meet again until the World Cup semifinals.

In a match where heavy early rain reduced attacking opportunities, the All Blacks led only 12-9 at half-time.

But they took control in the second half, taking a leaf out of the Wallabies performance in the first 40 minutes by kicking deep to stay on the attack.

As conditions dictated, the All Blacks kept it tight much of the time, making ground by driving through the Wallabies forwards and winning the game up front.

In six previous Tests this year the All Blacks have played wide but suffered from a high error rate.

This time they stamped their mark up front particularly in the second half when the Wallabies rarely had front foot ball.

In an even first half, Adam Ashley-Cooper, being blooded at fullback, gifted the All Blacks the lead at the turn when with the scores locked at 9-9 he was penalised for throwing the ball away at a lineout for Daniel Carter to land his fourth penalty.

But it was Carter's third penalty that was the most telling when he found the uprights from the half-way line, while Australia's points in the first spell came from two Stirling Mortlock penalities and a 45 metre drop goal from Matt Giteau. Following penalty exchanges between Carter and Mortlock in the opening stages of the second half Tony Woodcock diving over in the corner from a ruck in the 57th minute for the game's only try.

Credit for the scoring move belonged to replacement All Blacks halfback Brendon Leonard whose appearance on the field early in the second half for Byron Kelleher marked a turning point.

It was a Leonard intercept which allowed the All Blacks to charge forward to the Wallabies' line for Woodcock to score.

Although Carter missed the conversion he put the All Blacks out to 26-12 with his seventh penalty in the 72nd minute.

It was the All Blacks 26th consecutive home win, their fourth successful defence of the Bledisloe Cup and their third straight defence of the Tri-Nations crown.

AFP