All Blacks trounce Tonga World Cup warm-up clash in Hamilton
By Patrick McKendry, NZ Herald
An afternoon of free-scoring high numbers for the All Blacks against Tonga in Hamilton has finished with the most significant for them as they prepare to board a plane for the Rugby World Cup in Japan: zero obvious injuries.
That by itself will allow coach Steve Hansen to rest a lot easier over the next couple of nights before Monday’s flight because, with five players missing this warm-up match against Tonga due to niggling injuries, another more serious one to any of his match-day 23 would have been distressing for all concerned.
Just as important was the conclusion to an incident in the final minutes in which replacement fullback Jordie Barrett collided with Tongan outside back James Faiva when contesting a high ball, an act which sent Faiva tumbling forwards to land on his upper back.
It was a potential act of foul play checked by referee Angus Gardner and his assistants, but fortunately for Barrett, the officials decided he had collided with teammate Sevu Reece after being in a position to compete for the ball. It was accidental, in other words, and no foul play.
Another red card for a Barrett after Scott’s indiscretion in Perth would have sent Hansen and company into a royal funk.
As it was, it will be Tonga who will have the most to mull over following this because the match was as one-sided as it gets, the All Blacks playing the final 15 minutes with 14 men after second-five Ryan Crotty went off – thankfully uninjured – and there was no one on the reserves bench to replace him.
It was presumably a planned move – a practice for the possibility of being a man down at the World Cup – and if it was a mercy-rule type arrangement from the All Blacks’ coaches then so much the better, for this was a bit ugly at times for the men in red, who played with 14 themselves for 10 minutes after lock Sam Lousi was sinbinned for a no-arms tackle on replacement first-five Josh Ioane.
Starting in the eighth minute when Sevu Reece stood up Tonga midfielder and skipper Siale Piutau to score the All Blacks’ first try after eight minutes, it was a cruel demolition which may have helped with both teams’ fitness but it would presumably have done little for Tonga’s morale a day out from their flight to Japan.
The home side scored eight tries in the first half for a 54-0 halftime lead – their second highest first-half points total in a test behind the 84 they scored in the first 40 minutes against Japan in the 1995 World Cup.
From there it was a race for other records, with George Bridge scoring four and getting close to Marc Ellis’ record of six in a match in that same test against Japan, won 145-17 by the All Blacks.
Under bright sun at Waikato Stadium in front of a crowd of 23,443 enjoying a pre-season type atmosphere, the All Blacks scored 14 tries in total, the only scares coming when replacement prop Angus Ta’avao received treatment on an ankle injury before continuing and then Jordie Barrett’s unfortunate collision.
Not surprisingly, the All Blacks were on a different level to Tonga for most of the match. After 30 minutes they hadn’t missed a tackle and they missed only one in total in the first half.
Replacement first-five Ioane enjoyed his first time on the field for the All Blacks after replacing Beauden Barrett at halftime and Ioane’s first act was to send the re-start into Bridge’s hands for another try.
Ardie Savea was impressive as usual, as were his loose forward colleagues Kieran Read and Matt Todd. Crotty, who scored two tries, made a welcome return from a broken thumb and looked sharp, as did fullback Ben Smith.
It was always going to be a matter of by how many rather than if, but the All Blacks impressed with their focus and control. This was a valuable exercise for them. For Tonga, perhaps not so much.
All Blacks 92 (George Bridge 4, Ben Smith 2, Ryan Crotty 2, Sevu Reece, Codie Taylor, Kieran Read, TJ Perenara, Matt Todd, Ardie Savea tries; Beauden Barrett 7 cons, Josh Ioane 4 cons)
Tonga 7 (Siale Piutau try; Sonatane Takulua con)
Halftime: 54-0
This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and was republished here with permission.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Should've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to comments