1
All Blacks credit 'composure' in overcoming spirited Uruguayan opening quarter
The All Blacks‘ mammoth round-four win over Italy put the team in control of their own destiny heading into the last round of pool play at the Rugby World Cup.
ADVERTISEMENT
Needing a bonus point win to secure their place in the quarter-finals, New Zealand dished Uruguay a hefty 73-0 defeat. All 73 of those points came after a stalemate opening quarter of the match.
When No 8 Luke Jacobson came up just short contesting the Uruguayan lineout, Los Teros surged forward to get front foot ball just a minute into the match and well within the All Blacks half.
A handling error returned the ball to New Zealand but only after Uruguay had pushed into the All Blacks’ 22. The tight opening sequence was a sign of things to come as both sides had tries disallowed in the game’s opening quarter.
Los Teros’ unrelenting start posed a sizable challenge for the All Blacks to overcome, which they managed to do in the 19th minute through Man of the Match Damian McKenzie.
The floodgates were then opened as 19 points followed before the halftime break.
“It was quite a tough test match,” captain Sam Cane said after the win. “Especially in that first half. We were made to really work for it.
“In that first 20 minutes, we showed some good composure and patience to not allow (errors) to creep in and we started getting some rewards.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I thought Uruguay, they have been outstanding this World Cup. I have enjoyed watching their passion and ability to throw the ball around so congratulations to them on a really good World Cup.”
Having pushed Pool A’s only undefeated team, France, right into the final quarter of their match in round two, Uruguay’s physicality was no surprise to the All Blacks.
Throughout the week, head coach Ian Foster referenced that France Test numerous times in assessing the threat of their opposition, noting the similar scoreline in both Uruguay and New Zealand’s losses against the tournament hosts.
The coach was pleased with the way his team responded to the challenge.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Really proud of it,” he told the press. “I thought Uruguay really honed in in that first 20 and they showed a massive degree of spirit and managed to slow the game down.
“We held our composure very well and were quite clinical, a little bit different from last week in that we had to grind our way through that contact area, it was hard to get quick ball but, pleased with the patience.
“We expected that sort of game, we talked about how this was going to turn into a bit of a bun fight at the breakdown.
“We flagged earlier we were really impressed with their work in the pool and it took us a while to break them down, they put a lot of energy into that period and reaped some rewards but it is how do you sustain that for 80 minutes?”
Comments on RugbyPass
Yes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
34 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to comments