All Blacks stutter to opening win
New Zealand got their World Cup campaign off to a victorious start, but it was far from convincing as they beat a willing Tongan team 41-10 in Auckland on Friday.
The occasion was greater than the match, but what a wonderful occasion in the City of Sails - the darkness and the colour, the quiet and the music, the fireworks on the night sky - a Polynesian world in sound and tradition from creation to the coming of the people, the warriors.
Oh, the warriors. A Polynesian saying: "It is better to die like a hammerhead shark than a limp octopus."
There were no limp octopuses when battle was engaged.
The anthems were sung as anthems should be sung, led by the New Zealand Choral Federation Anthem Choir. The Tongans did their challenging sipi tau and then the All Blacks did their kamate haka. When the All Blacks had finished, the Tongans smiled and nodded acceptance of the challenge. And they were as good as their nod.
For 80 minutes the Ikale Tahi stood up to the All Blacks and did not budge.
They easily handled thump-'n-bang but it was those clever men with fleet feet and skilful hands that were too much for them, but the Tongans produced an impressive thump-'n-bang of their own - 10 minutes of it for a gleeful try.
After the All Blacks had led 29-0, they kept just 12-10 ahead for the next 47 minutes. In the match the Tongans led on territory, possession, breakdowns, penalties and time in their opponents' 22.
However, the All Blacks led where it really counted - on the scoreboard.
What it does say is that the Tongans were worthy foes, and you could see that they and their supporters were pleased with the performance. They were not pushovers, not at all.
The great occasion meant the start, at last, of World Cup 2011 and the way it started told the world that this was going to be a huge New Zealand success, a World Cup to make rugby really proud.
It started when Irish George Clancy blew the whistle and Tongan flyhalf Kurt Morath kicked off. The game was on. The World Cup was on. The eyes of the world were on that patch of light in Auckland that was Eden Park with 60 214 spectators on a perfect night for rugby.
New Zealand started running and the sturdy Tongans met them solidly. When the Tongans got the ball, they spent a lot of time preparing it. This was true throughout the match as if slow ball was their hearts' desire.
The All Blacks were best wider out and early on came close to scoring when Jerome Kaino was tackled out at the corner where Tonga took a silly quick throw-in, made a mess and conceded an offside penalty. Dan Carter goaled to score the first points of the 2011 World Cup. 3-0 after 4 minutes.
The All Blacks had massive outside backs. The five from inside centre to fullback averaged 102 kgs a man. The massive outside backs were all men of skill, capable of the clever pass and the long pass, but not always good at catching.
Carter involved his strong wings whenever possible and a break by big Richard Kahui, off his wing, set up the first try as they went wide left and Israel Dagg stepped inside fullback Vunga Lilo for the first try of the 2011 World Cup. 8-0 after 12 minutes.
Morath missed a 40-metre penalty but then it was Sonny Bill Williams, after a shaky start, who got an offload inside to Isaia Toeava who gave inside to Kahui who scored on the left. Carter kicked the first conversion of the 2011 World Cup. 15-0 after 20 minutes.
Now there were signs that the All Blacks were going to run away with it - as expected. Andrew Hore won a turnover off Viliame Iongi on the New Zealand right and Sonny Bill Williams's got a magnificent, long pass to Dagg who raced over in the left corner. Carter converted from touch. 22-0 after 29 minutes and four minutes later Kahui got try No.4 when Dagg flipped a brilliant underarm pass. Again Carter converted from touch. 29-0 after 33 minutes.
The floodgates now closed and for the next 47 minutes the All Blacks became labourers.
On half-time Jimmy Cowan was penalised at a tackle and Morath made the score 29-3 at the break.
Tonga made several changes at half-time, including bringing on prop Alisona Taumalolo for Soane Tonga'uiha, a hero at Northampton. Taumalolo had a profound effect on his side.
Ma'a Nonu created a scoring chance for Toeava but the TMO ruled that he had put a foot in touch in Siale Piutau's tackle. Then from a scrum on the right, Piri Weepu fed Kahui who chipped, chased and collected. As he grabbed the ball he immediately passed it brilliantly inside to Kaino who scored. 34-3 after 60 minutes. 20 minutes for five points.
Then came the moment that delighted Tonga and all its islands. Taumalolo raced up on Carter who, shocked it seemed, dropped the ball. Taumalolo picked it up. That was just before 62 minutes of the game. Ten minutes later Taumalolo scored and in those 10 minutes all the All Blacks did was defend their line as the Tongans bashed at it over and over again. They had four five-metre scrums. Two won them penalties and they scrummed again. The third won them a free kick and they scrummed again. Taniela Moa made for the line and the Tongans bashed again till, after 10 minutes of a replica of the Eton Wall Game, Taumalolo scored a try that will be forever in Tongan legend. Morath converted. 34-10 with 7 minutes to play. It was not a flamboyant try but it was an absorbing passage of Test rugby - testing all those players in mind and sinew and testing the referee as those close quarters encounters do.
Nonu broke from sloppy play and gave inside to Colin Slade, on for Carter, and Slade gave back to Nonu who scored under the posts. Slade converted.
And when the whistle went there was no All Black elation. The job was done but not with the panache they had hoped for. The happier side were the beaten Tongans.
Man of the Match: One would have loved to have given it to 40-minute Alisona Taumalolo but really it belongs to 80-minute Richard Kahui who had a huge effect on the game with his speed, strength and skill.
Moment of the Match: Alisona Taumalolo's try and the build-up to it from the moment he flew at Dan Carter till he scored the try.
Villain of the Match: Not a single candidate - not even with inventive use of the imagination. It was an honourable start to the 2011 World Cup.
The scorers:
For New Zealand:
Tries: Dagg 2, Kahui 2, Kaino, Nonu
Cons: Carter 3, Slade
Pen: Carter
For Tonga:
Try: Taumalolo
Con: Morath
Pen: Morath
The teams:
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 (captain), 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 (captain), 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)
TMO: Giulio De Santis (Italy)