All smiles: NZ centre Conrad Smith pounces for the All Blacks' fifth try
New Zealand got their Test season off to a winning start on Friday with a comfortable 60-14 win over Fiji at Carisbrook in Dunedin.
As expected, the world's top-ranked team outclassed their visitors in almost every aspect, running in seven tries to two.
Despite the final scoreline, the Tri-Nations champions will not be overly happy with their performance as it sometimes lacked the accuracy that will be needed against the Springboks and Wallabies over the coming weeks.
Credit however must be given to Fiji, who claimed their best ever result against New Zealand, scoring both their tries in the second half.
A 'work in progress' would probably be the fairest assessment of the All Blacks after Friday as Graham Henry and co. implement their new offensive structure.
After a somewhat rusty start from the All Blacks - and some solid defending by the visitors - New Zealand held an 18-0 lead after the opening half-hour.
The hosts gathered some momentum before the sides swapped ends though and took a 32-0 lead into the half-time break.
Deprived of any decent possession, Fiji never seriously threatened the try-line in the first half but matched the home side for half-an-hour after the break.
Colin Slade got the scoreboard ticking as the hosts took a cautious approach and opted for points from an early penalty.
Fijian-born Sitiveni Sivivatu was the first to cross the whitewash for New Zealand, finishing off in the corner just inside the ten-minute mark.
Slade showed great vision in scoring New Zealand's second try with a clever chip over the top which he chased down to score under the sticks after the ball ricocheted off the goal-post's padding.
The men in black continued to dominate possession and grabbed try number three when the ball was quickly spread wide to Andrew Hore, who had an easy run-in on the overlap.
Adam Thomson extended his try-scoring streak from Super Rugby as he burrowed his way over just before the break to give the hosts a 32-point head start going into the second forty.
Fiji made a much stronger start to the second half, enjoying an extended period of possession in the All Blacks' territory and were rewarded with a try when number eight Sakiusa Matadigo showed great pace in tearing down the touchline before offloading to scrum-half Nemia Serelevu who scampered over.
All Blacks coach Graham Henry was quick to call on his bench as he sent on Ben Smith, Sam Whitelock and Piri Weepu for Sivivatu, Jarrad Hoeata and Jimmy Cowan respectively. The scrum-half would soon have an impact as his grubber set up Hurricanes team-mate Conrad Smith on the hour-mark.
Slade's conversion was his last contribution of the match as he was soon replaced by Dan Carter, who was accompanied by the remainder of the Kiwi bench.
The hosts' sixth try came largely thanks to the replacements as Weepu's chip over the top created space for Mils Muliaina and Ben Smith, who offloaded to the supporting Weepu.
Fiji replied via a try from replacement Vereniki Goneva, who showed great skills to chip ahead and then volley again before touching down.
The visitors' scrum suffered for most of the match and conceded a penalty try in the closing stages. Muliaina added try number eight at the death with a break-away score after collecting a long, floating inside pass from Zac Guildford.
Man of the match: A mention for skipper Richie McCaw but we'll go with Colin Slade who responded to huge pressure with a cool-headed performance.
The scorers:
For New Zealand:
Tries: Sivivatu, Slade, Hore, Thomson, C. Smith, Weepu, Penalty try, Muliaina
Cons: Slade 4, Carter 3
Pens: Slade 2
For Fiji:
Tries: Serelevu, Goneva
Cons: Bai 2
New Zealand: 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Zac Guildford, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Colin Slade, 9 Jimmy Cowan, 8 Liam Messam, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Adam Thomson, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Jarrad Hoeata, 3 Ben Franks, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Replacements: 16 Corey Flynn, 17 John Afoa, 18 Sam Whitelock, 19 Jerome Kaino, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Dan Carter, 22 Ben Smith.
Fiji: 15 Iliesa Keresoni, 14 Timoci Nagusa, 13 Albert Vulivuli, 12 Ravai Fatiaki, 11 Napolioni Nalaga, 10 Seremaia Baikeinuku, 9 Nemia Serelevu, 8 Sakiusa Matadigo, 7 Akapusi Qera, 6 Dominiko Waqaniburotu, 5 Rupeni Nasiga, 4 Sekonaia Kalou, 3 Deacon Manu (c), 2 Sunia Koto, 1 Campese Ma'afu.
Replacements: 16 Viliame Veikoso, 17 Setefano Somoca, 18 Josefa Domolailai, 19 Malakai Ravulo, 20 Vitori Buatava, 21 Taniela Rawaqa, 22 Vereniki Goneva.
Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
Comments
Houston_11 says...
@thatllbme
Some are from N. Ireland but in rugby terms, the politics of religion is ignored. N.Ireland isn't viewed as the country. Rather, the northern region is viewed as Ulster which is the 6 counties of NI and 3 of Ireland.
It's a far better system.
Also, don't dare try and use that in this argument of NZ players playing for England etc... it just doesn't cut it.
Posted 20:35 22nd July 2011
dolgun says...
@stag
The answer is yes of course he's proud of himself. After all he moved to NZ when he was 17 and attended Wesley College before playing NPC for 2nd division Counties Manukau and then with Waikato in the first division. He's played 43 tests for the AB's and scored 135 test points and after last nights performance he's probably got a great chance of getting picked for the RWC squad.
And then of course he's also scored 210 points in 89 super rugby games.
Bloody proud I'd say!
Posted 19:22 22nd July 2011
crunchfit says...
"Surely it's time to put it all to bed and accept that the IRB make the rules and the selectors abide by them. Whether we agree with the rules is moot, as we can't change them."
I don't go on about the selection policies as much as some, but I don't have any problem with people talking about the English' selection policies. There is a big difference between what they do and what other unions do. We are the fans and we can discuss their selection policy and their shouldn't really be any problem with that. The selection rules are a joke anyway.
Posted 17:37 22nd July 2011
curates_egg says...
Jeez, the English and Kiwi posters are touchy. Surely the whole point of international rugby is to play for your own country? Otherwise, we may as well not call them national sides anymore but bigger club sides.
Ireland certainly took a few "naturalised" players in the past but, as a fan, I like the fact that our national squad is based on pretty much exclusively home-grown players who are proud to play for the country. I also enjoy the skills that the non-Irish players bring to our club sides but surely - deep down - you guys must accept that it is a little contradictory to cherry-pick your national side from non-national players.
Posted 17:12 22nd July 2011
stag says...
i hope the "Fijian-born Sitiveni Sivivatu" was proud of himself crossing the try line of the country of his birth.
Posted 17:12 22nd July 2011
Ramage says...
Tony you are far too harsh and I believe your thoughts about caps are built on beliefs which were held in the past and should stay there. To me it is an outdated colonial attitiude. We are trying to build the game world wide and this attitude does not help us do that. I ,who love the game, but have never played it at International leve, l respect any player who rises above his peers to represent his country. I do not look down on any player who represents his country and the fact caps are now awarded to the All Blacks when we play another Country's test players is well overdue and gives them the recognition they deserve as test players. This paternalistic attitude towards Fiji or Samoa is what we in NZ often complain about from others better trained in colonial matters We as NZers should not develop such misguided paternalism, remember pride comes before the fall.
Posted 16:44 22nd July 2011
APV1 says...
@ bruce
Well said you! As an Englishman (of dubious heritage!), I am already bored of the "International English Team" goings on and PR does seem to like to stir the pot somewhat.
"NZ poaching islanders..." "Aus poaching blah-blah-blah" "Ireland recruiting overseas..." "Italy with their international star player..." "SA having the pick of southern African countries' players..." BORING!
There are a few posters on here who harp on about it too and I agree with Ramage that the UK tabloid press hasn't helped either.
Surely it's time to put it all to bed and accept that the IRB make the rules and the selectors abide by them. Whether we agree with the rules is moot, as we can't change them.
Whether we agree with a selection based on form and skill SHOULD be debated. Whether they're eligible shouldn't.
Nice to have some clear heads in the tumult of the threads.
Posted 15:58 22nd July 2011
Tony says...
"It is their best ever result against the ABs.
The match you are citing was against a "NZ XV", not the ABs, and no caps were awarded. But nevertheless a good result back then. "
Rubbish. The 1974 match was against a full strength All Black side as were the other two matches prior to 1984 played in Suva and the one played in NZ. If you knew anything about rugby you would know that it is only in recent times that Test match status has been so easily allocated (against often poor rugby sides such as Fiji etc). All Blacks caps were once hard fought for; not so now.
Posted 15:46 22nd July 2011
StunTheMullet says...
@ Sebb - Stop dribbling over the keyboard to troll a non story when the scoreboard reads 60-14,
If anything the Fijians were lucky to get away with the latitude they did in the second half with getting mown down in scrums and slowing down/killing the ball.
Posted 14:22 22nd July 2011
snjsngh says...
Fiji can only improve from here on...they need to be better than what they showed in their recent games if Fiji wants to come up top of teams like wales and Samoa in the RWC....all in all a good game by fiji...NZ would have liked to have done better...
Posted 13:49 22nd July 2011
nbmb007 says...
Job done! Now have something to build on for next week and will only get better from here on in. Aim has to be to start RWC with best XV and a clear gameplan. In 3 months we will know who has the best rugby team in the world!
Posted 13:41 22nd July 2011
Ramage says...
@ Bruce tut tut be careful and dont upset the editor bless his little cotton socks. He becomes very touchy when you criticise his journalists or the ones he chooses to use on this site. Please do not attack poor journalism and try to keep to the rugby. Remember the Editor is watching. Will be interesting to see the reports from these journalists in a few weeks when England have their hit out. Will we read South African born or new Zealand born because if we do it is going to be quite repetitive. I agree Bruce this is tiresome but something I have become used to reading in the British tabloids during my years in the UK so dont hold your breath and think it will be put to bed as it won't happen I know it should as all the players are within the rules and it is time this thoughtless (or as you suggest deliberate) type of journalism is put to bed. The editor might like to have a word to these journalists to knock it on the head cos I'm sure you will all agree he is such a fair man and wants the posts on this site to be concerned with the rugby and would like this kind of journalism to cease.
A rusty start to the year but as a preview on the TVNZ website stated the All Blacks were damed if thery did and damned if they didn't. Win and it was expected, lose and armageddon was upon us. However there were some good efforts good to see Slade in good form Ali Williams despite some poor passes came through his return to the test arena well. Sound game from both Weepu and Cowan. Sivivatu was hungry and outstanding. So all in all they did well. Im sure it was a good feeling not only to have their first hit out but also to come away with a good winning result. Fiji have showed that they will be competitive in most games especially when they have all their players back in the team. However they really must work on their discipline as they tend to give away too many penalties.
Posted 13:22 22nd July 2011
dolgun says...
I thought that Smiths try off Weepu's kick from the attacking scrum was the best try. Part of their new game plan I reckon.
Posted 12:27 22nd July 2011
mayce says...
@ Bruce - I was thinking the same thing mate. PR just feeding the non-issue.
Posted 11:56 22nd July 2011
Tony says...
It is NOt Fiji's best ever result against the All Blacks. In 1974 in Suva they lost to the ABs by one point when NZ (Grant Batty I think) scored a late try.
Posted 11:42 22nd July 2011
fattysock says...
Robbie Deans can say what he likes about team selection etc (which I didn't have a problem with, to be honest) but the fact of the matter is that Australia messed up vs Samoa by not taking their penalties early on and going straight for tries.
Not only did it backfire on the scoreboard, but if the Samoans weren't fired up before the match, then seeing their opponents treat them with such disregard on the pitch (you simply don't pass up easy points in Test matches!) would have really wound them up.
On that note, I think it's good to see that the ABs took those two early pens - despite the fact that this was a much weaker Fijian side (due to unavailable players) than the Samoan one. The ABs were very scratchy, but taking those two early pens - plus the try - meant that if the Fijians did score a try, the ABs were still in control.
If Aus had taken those early pens last week, they coudl have been 9-0 up by the time Samoa crossed for their first try ... psychologically a much better place to be (up 9-7)... and I'd be surprised if the rest of the match had played out the way it did.
I've got no problem with resting players/rotation/whatever you want to call it. But when you get out on the field, you treat a Test match like a Test match... that's where Aus went wrong last week, and that's why the ABs, despite being very rusty, ran out comfortable winners today.
Posted 11:29 22nd July 2011
thehound says...
Rusty, but first game of the season so not all bad. Weepu looked good as did Slade. Ma'a and Conrad not great but once again first hit out so cant read to much into that.
Posted 11:10 22nd July 2011
APV1 says...
No great surprise with the result. I'm looking forward to watching the game later, when I get home from work.
Posted 10:47 22nd July 2011
KiwiLad says...
Stuart Dickinson did his best to make up for previous wrongdoings earlier in the year, but was hardly the difference.
Rusty 1st up performance from the ABs, but 60 points on the board is nothing to be sneezed at.
And they beat a PI side, something others have failed to do recently.
Posted 10:33 22nd July 2011
Lankanallblack says...
was this the new game plan by the allblacks?
Posted 10:32 22nd July 2011