Creating all sorts: Sonny Bill
Related links
Teams
Also see
A fine first-half performance helped New Zealand to a 41-10 victory over Tonga in the first game of the 2011 World Cup at Eden Park on Friday.
It was hardly a vintage 80 minutes but with the job done and dusted before the break, it is difficult to blame the hosts for taking their foot off the gas.
They carded six tries in all while the Tongans, who were unlucky not to take the second-half spoils after topping both the possession and territory statistics, responded thanks to a late try from replacement loosehead prop Alisona Taumalolo.
We had a sneaking feeling that a strong game here for Israel Dagg could make life very difficult for veteran Mils Muliaina to reclaim his number fifteen jersey. And so it happened as Crusader Dagg was a constant threat from full-back, scoring twice and claiming the opening score of the 2011 Rugby World Cup in the process.
New Zealand were sublime for many chunks of the fixture and the experiment of Sonny Bill Williams and Ma'a Nonu at centre gave more than a feeling that head coach Graham Henry had known about this combination for some time but kept it under wraps until the tournament kick-off. Rivals must now do their homework.
Japan are next on their schedule so expect plenty of changes in personnel for that, with Richie McCaw, Dan Carter and the entire back-three expected to be kept in cotton wool ahead of the France game. On this form and creating so many opportunities, one expects les bleus may struggle. As the aforementioned stats show, NZ don't need much to score.
It did take them ten minutes to cross the whitewash though as, following a Carter penalty five minutes before, Kahui busted two tacklers before recycled ball found Nonu who handed to Dagg for the simplest of scores. Carter missed the extras from wide on the left touchline.
Maybe there were still a few nerves at Eden Park as it took another nine minutes before the scorers were troubled again. This time it was the impressive Sonny Bill Williams who turned provider with a lovely inside offload to Isaia Toeava which led to Kahui getting over.
New Zealand were starting to turn the screw.
And so it proved as another Williams pass in the tackle to Toeava produced Dagg's second try before the full-back fed Kahui for try number four. The All Blacks had 29 points on their tally before a Kurt Morath penalty put the Tongans on the board on 40 minutes.
But it was a different Tonga after the break and in the first fifteen minutes Williams, Nonu, Toeava and Brad Thorn were all dropped in crunching tackles in reach of the try-line.
Kahui managed to break the second-half deadlock though, regathering his own chip kick and passing to the supporting blindside flanker Jerome Kaino who extended the lead.
But then came one of the biggest cheers of the night as Tonga, who had 6,000 supporters welcoming them at the airport upon arrival, crossed the line thanks to Taumalolo. The All Blacks had the final say though as Nonu scored late on to cap a professional showing.
Man of the match: It was a toss-up betwen Sonny Bill Williams for his assists and Richard Kahui for grabbing his opportunity on the wing with both hands. Kahui was just too good with two tries picked up - one of which was a well-finished score down the right touchline.
Moment of the match: The offload from Sonny Bill Williams back inside to Isaia Toeava was sublime. Without looking, SBW sent the ball behind his back and inside to the wing, who then handed the pill to a scoring Richard Kahui. Quality stuff that thrilled Eden Park.
Villain of the match: No bad-boy in what was a clean 80 minutes.
The scorers:
For New Zealand:
Tries: Dagg 2, Kahui 2, Kaino, Nonu
Con: Carter 3, Slade
Pen: Carter
For Tonga:
Try: Taumalolo
Con: Morath
Pen: Morath
New Zealand: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Richard Kahui, 13 Ma'a Nonu, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 Isaia Toeava, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Jimmy Cowan, 8 Victor Vito, 7 Richie McCaw (capt), 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: 16 Corey Flynn, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Anthony Boric, 19 Sam Whitelock, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Colin Slade, 22 Cory Jane.
Tonga: 15 Vunga Lilo, 14 Viliame Iongi, 13 Suka Hufanga, 12 Andrew Ma'ilei, 11 Siale Piutau, 10 Kurt Morath, 9 Taniela Moa, 8 Viliami Ma'afu, 7 Finau Maka (c), 6 Sione Kalamafoni, 5 Joe Tu'ineau, 4 Paino Hehea, 3 Taufa'ao Filise, 2 Aleki Lutui, 1 Soane Tonga'uiha.
Replacements: 16 Ephraim Taukafa, 17 Alisona Taumalolo, 18 Kisi Pulu, 19 Sione Timani, 20 Samiu Vahafolau, 21 Samisoni Fisilau, 22 Alipate Fatafehi.
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Craig Joubert (South Africa), Stuart Terheege (England)
Television match official: Giulio De Santis (Italy)
By Adam Kyriacou
Comments
7ton says...
powerplay
Yes they need a solid platform certainly but if we do look at 2007 against France they did keep it tight in the 2cnd half but got nowhere.
OK Barnes never penalised France (in the 2nd half) and some better attempts at a drop goal could have won it for them.
I may well be wrong but I wonder that if NZ are to win the WC they would be better playing how they play best and not trying to change their game. Although in recent games their backline seems to be a bit unorganised and not up to it's usual high standard. Too much experimenting perhaps?
Posted 12:11 11th September 2011
Rosbif says...
Can't comment on the parochial SH banter (!) but for a backline that had never played in this formation before, I thought they gelled pretty well.
Sure, SBW and Dagg are prone to showing-off a wee bit (and provoke surprisingly strong reactions from fans, a la QC, because of it), but clearly have a lot of talent. Not enough I would think to start the big games ahead of Smith and Muliaina, where your temperament and decision-making has to be spot-on. Revelation for me was Kahui. I would start him vs Fra with Jane on the other wing and Dagg on the bench. Guildford's done nothing wrong, but he's only a kid with one good S15 under his belt. And, to quote Tarrantino, if Toeva was gonna make it, he would have made it by now... And you cant drop Kahui after a game like that, surely?
As a Frenchman, I'm just happy to not see Sivivatu or Gear in the team. Crikey, your other blokes must be good if you're leaving those two out....
Oh, and please don't pick Kaino anymore. He's too good. It's not fair for the rest of us. By the way, how modest is he, letting McCaw and Read take the headlines all these years? He's even quieter than Brad Thorn..... Legend....
Posted 16:03 10th September 2011
7ton says...
powerplay
I understand your point but it was some good flashy stuff by Genia and the Aus backline that helped them win the 3 nations. Good Fast back play is not just hype like you say.
Of coarse hard up the front gutsy stuff is very important but the problem is it can at times be very much subject to the ref's interpretation, 50/50 calls, luck and penalties
Posted 13:09 10th September 2011
Storm says...
Trinats:
I will open a paypal account for you so that people can donate money to get you a shrink when the ABS win the World Cup.
Don't mention it! Your seven year old needs his dad back.
Posted 12:23 10th September 2011
KiwiLad says...
Trinats, Your quote.. I would rather play you than France..
Are you playing? Are you Quade Cooper?? Why didnt you just buy a laptop?
Posted 11:37 10th September 2011
dylster says...
@ powerplay
i hear you mate but dont entirely agree. They proved against Aus in the last game there is a plan B, pick and go's and more direct rugby - altho in that game they just did it too late. Still they brought it back from 20-3 was it (?) to 20-20, and thats with a lot pf the play makers having an off day.
So i think they plan is to play the natur
Posted 09:12 10th September 2011
rugby_phile says...
Question about the 5 metre scrums on the AB's 5 metre line. Until then the ABs looked comfortable. How hard were the AB loosies pushing? They looked more interested in disengaging quickly than pushing to me, McCaw's head was up and looking around sussing the situation, and at no point did the Tongans looked even close to a pushover try.
So lets not get too excited about the ABs scrum falling apart. However I do agree that they "professionaly" collapsed it a couple of times and a yellow was in order. But eh, the skill is to play the ref and they did this expertly. Clancy should have warned them, never did.
ABs still look both awsome and brittle at the same time, would be happier when one of these days they go ahead, then close the game down, and bore us all to death with 10 man rugby, because I fear that is what it would take to win this thing, and other teams are masters at it.
Trinats in the words of an old English comedian Dick emery (showing my age) "you are awful but I like you", never fails to stir the s**t in an expert fashion. I bet you got a lot of detention at school. And Kiwis lighten up, he is only pulling your leg, the naughty boy.
Posted 01:23 10th September 2011
firepower says...
the score should be less than 30 points but their [Tonga] poor defence cost the whole team,especially the fullback... he's out of form now i think he doesn't deserved a spot in the starting XV or even the 22. the coach should replace him with fetu'u vainikolo.
ta ke 'elo e le'okolo pea fkfoki ki vava'u hahahaha.
GO TONGA!! GO THE IKALE TAHI!!
Posted 22:55 09th September 2011
KiwiLad says...
Trinats, if France do top this pool, as you mentioned, we will get to kick your sorry butts back across the Tasman earlier than the final..
Posted 22:27 09th September 2011
dylster says...
@ bigb69
thanks, finally a post worth reading, not sure what blametheref has been smoking.
I thought Clancy had a great game as ref, but didnt really know what was going on in the scrum. One scrum he penalised ABs for going early, and he had clearly said engage when they went?! And to the people suggesting a yellowcard, who to? Franks for dominating? I only saw one scrum when they were camped on the AB 5m line that looked like a faircall...Tongans poured on the pressure and the ABs collapsed.
The refs have got to sort out the scrum calls, crouch, touch paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuussssssssseeee.......................................engage! - is not working, if they said it without the delay then the teams will know when to hit.
atg77 - what game were you watching? SBW was sublime at times and terrible at others whereas Nonu had a great game. And not sure how you can outplay someone on the same team as you?
Kahui and Dagg were awesome, Mils might struggle to get his jersey back, unless they move Dagg to the wing instead of Toeava, who was ok.
Posted 22:25 09th September 2011
FTM89 says...
Its very scary that NZ didn`t peak yet, because thats the problem all the other world cup years. They peak and then they choke in the knockout stage.
I do hope they peak against France. So then they can choke in the Semis...
Posted 22:10 09th September 2011
mydogbitjesus says...
Itv commentary is a case of dumb and dumber. hope we don't have to listen to these clowns for the rest of the tournament. Think they got mixed up with the comment team from total wipeout...
Posted 21:46 09th September 2011
atg77 says...
Sonny Bill Williams completely outplayed Nonu. Williams surely has to be first choice 12 for NZ.
Posted 19:39 09th September 2011
Danrich says...
Watched it in Bangkok there was no commentary just the ref and players talking ?
Odd but a good started to world cup , the France All Black game should be a goodun
Posted 19:31 09th September 2011
Orca says...
Well done to the Kiwis for the best opening for a World Cup to date - absolutely awesome. Perfect start for the tournament...well almost... would love it if the first game could be the defending champs against the host nation...now that would be a cracking way to start the games....also, the teams would only be able to meet again in the Final...
Good luck to the Kiwis as host nation.
Born a Bok
Posted 19:12 09th September 2011
jamesliveinhope says...
@rolf - presume you don't mean a final minute consolation try
Posted 15:55 09th September 2011
blametheref says...
3 serious problems with this as a spectacle and rugby in general.
1. Sledging - This should be cut out of the game, we saw a fair bit of it in this game and it drives me nuts! Players patting their opposite number on the head when a penalty is won should be seen as provocation, which it is, and a penalty reversal.
2. Substitutions - What we are seeing more and more in the last 20 minutes of matches, with teams now having strong and tactical benches, is numerous substitutions which knocks the tempo and continuity out of the game.
3. The Scrum - I think it took almost 6 minutes to get a 5 metre scrum for Tonga sorted - Not only this, but they clearly deserved a penalty try in my opinion. The rule on constant infringing (and gamesmanship) at 5 metre scrums should be cast in stone, it seems to be interperted differently by different referees and depending on the opposition, in this case NZ being the culprits.
On a different note, I thought Clancy let NZ play a metre in front of the back foot on far too many occasions, they always seem to have 1 man nonchalently wandering forward, while he pinged Tonga for this almost every time
Posted 15:39 09th September 2011
greyprop says...
Good start for ABs, though I would liked to have seen them keep the foot on the gas for the second half.
ITV coverage not too bad really. LoL needs some more practise on the old interactive IT. Commentary team done a good job, unobtrusive and intelligent with some humour, though please ITV when the ref speaks turn up his audio and mute the commentary. What he has to say is much more important.
But hey it can only be better, no Barnes and Harrison droning and wittering, drawing circles and arrows on the screen--- ---- ok end of rant.
Posted 15:15 09th September 2011
GoWalesGo says...
Trust me the nz commentary wasn't pretty bad. Probably the most biased and very boring.
Posted 14:52 09th September 2011
Tony says...
All Balck scrum struggleed after Woodcock and Thorn went off. Before taht they had largely dominated. We know that Ben Franks aint that great. So what
Posted 14:47 09th September 2011