Mismatch of the century: 102-0
Pacific minnows never stood a chance against the efficient All Blacks machine, writes Marc Hinton
It was billed as a celebration of Pasifika rugby. But the second half of last night’s historic international double-header at Mt Smart Stadium turned into more of a commiseration.
Yes, there was some gloriously skilful, scintillating rugby as the All Blacks ran in 16 tries to power to a 102-0 victory – equalling their biggest win (back in 2000) in seven contests against the Pacific Islands nation. Will Jordan scored five of them in a brilliant individual display of finishing in the first ever test played at this Auckland ground.
But the vast tracts of empty seats at a barely threequarters full venue told you plenty. The people who stayed away were well aware that this was a mismatch of epic proportions – a Tongan side missing more than 20 frontline players, with 13 debutants all told, up against a fresh, motivated and very dialledin All Blacks outfit.
Still, in these times, is there any normal? Tonga simply could not get a large number of their heavy-hitters back from the north, for various reasons, some of them quite concerning. The New Zealanders, of course, were at full strength and imbued with a very clear target of reclaiming their world No 1 ranking.
The Tongans, comprising mostly a collection of New Zealand-based journeymen, did their best. But they were outmatched in all departments and spent a long night chasing black shadows. Their opponents played at a pace, with a precision, they had no hope of living with.
It is hard to run too much of a rule over this All Blacks performance. But coach Ian Foster would have been pleased with plenty he saw. His team’s pace was frenetic, accuracy pretty good and the support and setup work was excellent. They really did all they could on a night where they were untested.
The pack, of course, dominated at set-piece time and at the breakdown. Luke Jacobson put in a brilliant shift at No 8, his power on full display, and Dalton Papalii picked up two tries to mark a crisp night’s work. Akira Ioane, too, was in his element, combining muscle in tight with the hustle out wide.
Quinn Tupaea had an excellent test debut at second fiveeighths, his link play outstanding, his distribution accurate. He ran for 79 metres on 12 carries and must have left the field, after 63 minutes, a very happy young man indeed.
Jordan was the star of the show, equalling Jeff Wilson’s second top mark of five tries in a test for the All Blacks. He ran for a game-high 146 metres, many of them on the way to those handful of touchdowns.
Fullback Damian McKenzie was not far behind him with a fabulous night of setup work, while Brad Weber, George Bridge, Richie Mo’unga and Rieko Ioane all showcased their skills. George Bower, Ethan Blackadder and Fin Christie all came off the bench to mark memorable debuts.
The suspicion we were in for a one-sided contest did not take long to be confirmed, with the All Blacks running in four tries inside the first nine minutes. It wasn’t a game, it was a shame on so many levels.
Still, the Tongans were at least able to peg the All Blacks back a little after that lightning start. The New Zealanders scored three more tries over the closing half-hour of the opening spell and a 43-0 deficit at the break even had this makeshift side of Toutai Kefu’s on track for something quasi-respectable.
Fullback McKenzie opened the scoring after barely a minute when he crossed on the back of good buildup work from Jacobson and Bridge. Openside flanker Papalii, halfback Weber and wing Jordan then nabbed a brace apiece as the All Blacks revelled in the freedom afforded them by a clearly outmatched Tongan outfit.
Some of the interplay, the skillwork and support lines of the New Zealanders was very impressive. They ran for 530 first-half metres, while the visitors managed just 70. They kept their standards for the most part very high, despite the limitations of their opponents.
The halftime stats told a telling story: the All Blacks had 66 percent possession and 65 territory; they made all 53 of their first-half tackles – Tonga missed 27 of their 97 attempted; Bridge ran for 95 metres over the first 40, new boy Tupaea for 72 and the rampaging Papalii for 69.
The second half was a bit of a carbon copy. The All Blacks began with a hiss and a roar to run in three tries inside the first 10 minutes and extend their advantage to 62-0. McKenzie was prominent, as was Bridge, as Jacobson powered over from close and then Jordan and Weber completed their hattricks.
It simply never let up from the men in black as they ran for the full 80. Jordan made it five and Mo’unga, Rieko Ioane, Patrick Tuipulotu and Bridge got in on the act. Scintillating. But also a little sad.