Ma¯ori All Blacks get a win if not a crowd
Wing Shaun Stevenson scores two tries as Ma¯ori All Blacks maintain their perfect record against Samoa. By Phillip Rollo.
THE Ma¯ori All Blacks have maintained their perfect record against Samoa after wing Shaun Stevenson scored two tries to secure a comfortable 35-10 win at an empty and sodden Sky Stadium in Wellington last night.
Stevenson may never score an easier try than the one he got two minutes before halftime, literally jogging over the tryline to extend the Ma¯ori All Blacks’ lead to double digits.
Fullback Kaleb Trask looked up and saw green space out on the right following a turnover and delivered a pin-point kick out to his Chiefs team-mate Stevenson, who safely collected the ball and dawdled over to score his second of the game.
Yesterday’s clash had to be staged behind closed doors due to restrictions on mass gatherings in alert level 2, resulting in an eerie atmosphere for the first Ma¯ori All Blacks game in Wellington since 1993.
Stevenson got his side off to a perfect start when he dived on the ball following a stab kick from Trask to open the scoring inside the first 10 minutes, but Samoa hit back through a piece of individual brilliance from winger Neria Fomai, who put in a clever chip and chase to score on his debut.
The Ma¯ ori All Blacks hit the lead again when wing Sean Wainui took a flat pass from captain Ash Dixon following a lineout maul to make it 14-7 in the 31st minute, and then Stevenson bagged his double before the break.
Samoa cut the deficit by three when first-five Rodney Iona slotted a penalty early in the second half but the Ma¯ori All Blacks were able to add two more tries through hooker Dixon and No 8 Whetukamokamo Douglas, with Dixon driving over from a maul and Douglas throwing a dummy off the back of an attacking scrum.
Samoa were denied a late consolation try when replacement prop Michael Alaalatoa lost control of the ball in the act of scoring.
The two teams meet again at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland next Saturday. Covid-19 permitting, there should be a crowd in attendance.