For New Zealand, its comfortable win over Japan on Saturday will become a mere statistic in its fabled rugby history, even if some will deride the All Blacks for not choosing stiffer competition to warm up for their European tour.

For Japan, though, the 54-6 loss was far more significant, evidence that the wheels of progress, backed by a professional environment and infusion of international expertise, are turning in a country that will host the 2019 World Cup.

Japan's previous two test encounters with the All Blacks, both at World Cups, had been lopsided defeats of 83-7 in 2011 and 145-17 in 1995.