Locals fail to fathom New Zealand's tempo
Step one of "Operation Grand Slam" is a complete success. All Black wing Rico Gear ran in a hat-trick of tries as New Zealand recorded an emphatic 41-3 victory at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday -- a record home defeat for the locals.
But Wales won the singing and they defused the haka by putting it in the midst of the singing.
After a beautiful rendition of "God Defend New Zealand" the All Blacks did the haka. But Wales were determined to have the last word -- and they had it with Catherine Jenkins leading "Land of My Fathers" while a flag-bearer hung from the ceiling of the closed Millennium Stadium. They followed that up with an operatic "Bread of Heaven". Unusually, the sides faced each other for the singing.
The history, myths and legends of 100 years of rugby came togther. The scene was set for a great celebration. In the end the celebrating belonged to the All Blacks because the promise of a contest fizzled and only the visitors dazzled.
Wales were brave, remarkably brave and resilient but New Zealand put together a combination of composed efficiency and composed flair based on clever support and smooth handling.
Any way you look at it, 41-3 is a hiding -- but the truth is that Wales, line-outs apart, did probably as well as they, Six Nations champions, could do. The Tri-Nations champions, beaten only once this year, were far too good at anything measurable.
The first half belonged to New Zealand. They turned every Wales scrum, all but one, to the left. They won the line-outs taking four off Wales and losing just one of their own. They crucially won the post-tackle turn-overs 4-0 -- in the second half they won just one.
All of that meant that Wales was forced to defence and defend, tackle and tackle -- which they did with courage. When you saw the line-ups of the two teams -- the ferocious islanders against the callow youth of Wales, you would have thought that they were Welsh lambs led to the slaughter, but they were brave.
Wales conceded just one try and could have had one of their own but for some unsubtle cheating by Conrad Smith.
New Zealand's try came when brilliant Chris Jack won a Welsh throw five metres from their line on the New Zealand left. The All Blacks went right. Tana Umaga was checked but stood up and then Dan Carter did a run around and the left-handed passes which followed were magnificent -- waist-high and in front in an unbroken line until Mils Muliaina gave to Rico Gear who scored half a metre in from touch. From there Carter converted. That made the score 13-3.
On all but one occasion, the All Blacks attacked going right -- which may be the result of having a left-handed fly-half.
Before that Carter had kicked two penalties and then Stephen Jones one.
Stephen Jones's penalty came when Smith infringed. Gareth Thomas came in from fullback and cut past Umaga. He gave to Kevin Morgan on his right because Ceri Sweeney was missing, held back by Smith, an infringement which the touch judge explained to the referee.
Late in the half Wales put the ball through many phases. They did not get all that far but it must have given them heart. Sadly their effort broke apart when Brent Cockbain punched Umaga.
Wales did better in the second half but conceded more points and scored none, which seems unfair reward for hard labour for the prisoners of the All Blacks.
New Zealand got their first try after four minutes of the half when they got the ball of a turn-over from Shane Williams and Carter went through a half gap before giving to Gear with room in from touch. The gliding wing cut inside Gareth Thomas and scored. Carter converted and it was 20-3.
Wales swapped Chris Horsman for Adam Jones in the front row and the scrummaging went better.
But the line-outs did not, not even when they brought Rhys Thomas on for Mefin Davies and beanpole Luke Charters for Brent Cockbain.
They lost two five-metre line-outs as they forsook penalties at goal in search of tries. In the second half they lost two line-outs and threw in skew once -- a loss and a skew throw five metres from the New Zealand line.
The All Blacks won a five-metre line-out but spread the ball from left to right with those long, accurate passes and a decoy runner to send Gear skidding over for his hat-trick try. Carter converted from five metres in from touch. 27-3.
There was a half an hour to play and both sides started their substitutions.
Wales got closest in the match when Garth Cooper tapped a penalty and darted, but at no time did a try really threaten.
Novice James Ryan had a wonderful run down the middle of the field but Wales got the ball from his pass to Kelleher.
There was some ugliness soon after this when Tony Woodcock looked to be doing something to Cockbain that resembled that "spear-tackle" on Brian O'Driscoll which has been the focus of so much attention. The referee penalised Woodcock with a stern ticking off.
With 12 minutes left the All Blacks went right when Kelleher played inside to Joe Rokocoko. Then they went wide left where Carter beat Sweeney just in from touch and over he went for a try, which he duly converted.
Carter got the last try as well when Ma'a Nonu, on for Umaga, checked and burst. He gave to Smith who grubbered a left-footed kick to his right. Nonu and Shane Williams arrived at the loose ball at the same time and it squirted out into Carter's hands. The cool pivot flopped over the line for his second try and duly slotted his fifth conversion -- and that was it, the "Grand Slam" remains a possibility.
Man of the Match: Nobody tried harder or better than Stephen Jones, bloodied but uncomplaining. He tackled, he ran and he kicked. He was wonderful. For New Zealand Carl Hayman was a powerful force, especially in the scrums, Mils Muliaina was all things alive and Rico Gear ran in a hat-trick but in the end it came down to two players -- Daniel Carter with his impeccable efficiency and Chris Jack who destroyed the Welsh line-out, won a turn-over, caught kick-offs and was part of New Zealand's dominant scrummaging. Chris Jack wins our award.
Moment of the Match: Rico Gear's second try, the first after half-time. It signalled Welsh defeat and New Zealand's impending victory.
Villain of the Match: There are three candidates -- Conrad Smith, Brent Cockbain and Tony Woodcock. Two probably acted on the spur of the moment, one perhaps unwittingly, but Conrad Smith's action was cynical and calculated and quite possibly symptomatic of something nasty, a flaw in a brilliant diamond.
The scorers:
For New Zealand:
Tries: Gear 3, Carter 2
Cons: Carter 5
Pens: Carter 2
For Wales:
Pen: S Jones
The teams:
Wales: 15 Gareth Thomas (Lee Byrne, 52), 14 Kevin Morgan, 13 Mark Taylor, 12 Ceri Sweeney (Nicky Robinson, 68), 11 Shane Williams, 10 Stephen Jones, 9 Mike Phillips (Gareth Cooper, 49), 8 Michael Owen, 7 Colin Charvis (Robin Sowden-Taylor, 68), 6 Jonathan Thomas, 5 Robert Sidoli, 4 Brent Cockbain (Luke Charteris, 61), 3 Adam Jones (Chris Horsman, 45), 2 Mefin Davies (Rhys Thomas, 61), 1 Duncan Jones.
New Zealand: 15 Mils Muliaina (Leon MacDonald, 72), 14 Rico Gear, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Tana Umaga (Ma'a Nonu, 68), 10 Dan Carter, 9 Byron Kelleher (Jimmy Cowan, 68), 11 Joe Rokocoko, 8 Rodney So'oialo, 7 Chris Masoe (Richie McCaw, 68), 6 Jerry Collins, 5 James Ryan (Angus Macdonald, 65), 4 Chris Jack, 3 Carl Hayman, 2 Anton Oliver (Andrew Hore, 65), 1 Neemia Tialata (Tony Woodcock, 51).
Referee: Chris White (England)
Touch judges: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa), Matt Goddard (Australia)
Television match official: Scott Young (Australia)
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