Matthew Rye
Deputy Sports Editor
Final Score
New Zealand – 41
Tonga – 10
Dagg and Kahui each got another try before half-time as both after Toeava and Williams combined with more excellent passing and line-running. Mercurial out-half Carter managed 75%of his kicks, but it was Williams who ran the show and Conrad Smith would be lucky to play again.
As good as New Zealand were in the opening 40 minutes, however, Tonga were equally poor. There was a lack of fire and resilience about the Islanders, something which we’ve come to expect from them. Everybody was singing All Black praises at half time; New Zealand seconds could beat Tonga. Strike that, New Zealand seconds could beat most teams.
The second half wasn’t just a different story, but a different genre entirely. The style of rugby changed, Tongan tackling improved considerably, and New Zealand had to work harder to keep the ball. There was no whiz on the ball, everything was being done a little bit slower, very uncharacteristic of New Zealand. The New Zealanders don’t like defenders running at them.
15 minutes into the second half, New Zealand still haven’t scored, despite several opportunities. Williams mucks an overlap chance, Kahui drops a pass. Things start to turn away from the number one side in the world.
A lapse in concentration from a scrum – and some fantastic hands from Kahui – leads to blindside flanker Jerome Kaino going over between the posts. Carter misses the standard conversion, then gets levelled going backwards. He is promptly substituted. More tireless Tongan perseverance leads to a series of scrums, at the end of which substitute prop Alisona Taumalolo rumbles over for a consolation try.
The All Blacks brought Tonga roughly back to earth with the pick of the tries, 3 minutes from time. Nonu combines brilliantly with Carter’s replacement Colin Slade to run over from 60 meters.
George Clancy calls an end to the game, which gives New Zealand a 41-10 win at the final whistle. Seven tries, a spirited Tongan second half performance, and a man of the match goes to the Limerick man Clancy as referee, for penalising the New Zealanders ten times at the breakdown. Enough entertainment there for the impartial supporter, but with improvements needed in rugby standards for most people to be satisfied entirely.
Whoever coined the phrase ‘stats don’t lie’ clearly never watched the All Blacks play; Tonga had more possession, territory, and ball in the opposition 22. As a contest, however, it was over after the Haka was finished.
