New Zealand take full points in Tri-Nations opener
It was first blood to New Zealand in the expanded Tri-Nations tournament. The All Blacks recorded a convincing 32-12 win over Australia in the opening match at Jade Stadium in Christchurch on Saturday, gaining an all-important bonus point by outscoring the visitors by four tries to two.
For the first half hour, all the pre-tournament moans and rumbles about New Zealand peaking to early and not being settled looked like being proved right. The All Black backs stood too flat, the forwards left each other isolated, and the hands spilled ball as though it were made of vaseline.
Australia's defenders stood in a line, tackled with solidity, and bided their time in patience, breaking out once after a quarter of an hour to score a scintillating try. It had an aura of inevitability about it too, and a source of New Zealand riposte was not easy to locate.
Then Rocky Elsom was sin-binned, and it all changed. Wallaby tacklers fell off their prey. Line-outs became a lottery. The scrum -- which had in fairness been buckling already as Carl Hayman welcomed Greg Holmes to the big time -- crumpled out of all existence under the weight of the extra man. Keven Mealamu picked off a stray line-out to level the scores, and then dived over a maul to hand the home team the lead.
New Zealand were seven points behind when Elsom left, by the time he returned, New Zealand were seven ahead at 14-7, and as the players left the pitch, the air of a let-off trailed behind them in the light Canterbury mist. The Wallabies were not so lucky in the second half.
The stupidity and effect of the sin-binning should not be under-estimated. Elsom had been warned by referee Jonathan Kaplan -- who handled affairs with his usual detached authority -- just two minutes before for killing the ball.
At the very next ruck, Elsom simply collapsed on top of the ball-carrier in an untidy heap, even wriggling briefly so as to make sure the ball was not even able to peep out around the corners of his impressive frame.
Kaplan had little choice but to dish out a yellow card, and suddenly Australia had one choice less at the line-outs too. Two minutes later, Tai McIsaac's throw evaded Dan Vickerman's clutches, and Mealamu seized the bouncing ball to score, right through the hole which Elsom had hitherto been filling more than adequately.
For the next ten minutes, New Zealand found that particular Elsom-shaped hole all over the pitch and in all phases of play, as their game finally came together. Five minutes after the first, Mealamu popped up again, this time capitalising on a magician's sleight of hand from McCaw which took out three defenders. All Mealamu had to do was fall over.
Mealamu's first try cancelled out the opener by Lote Tuqiri, which was the highlight of the opening half-hour. Chris Latham took one of a few nondescript kicks from Aaron Mauger, and ran it back, chipping and regathering spectacularly as he burst through a couple of tackles like a Hollywood cop charging through a villain's front door.
Latham's timed pass took Leon MacDonald out of the game, and although Mat Rogers could not find the extra yard to get past Dan Carter, Lote Tuqiri popped up on that familiar inside shoulder angle and cantered the final five yards to the line.
The tackle stats gave a measure of how much the game turned on that Elsom sin-binning. Shortly before it, the missed tackle stats stood at 3-3. By half-time, Australia had missed six more as they struggled to cope with the extra man. Later in the second half, the same stat yielded a count of 3-17. Once Australia had been knocked by those two sucker-punches, they never recovered.
The New Zealanders took to the pitch in full flight in the second half. Everywhere the ball went, it was followed by a hyena-like pack of black shirts, a scavenging bunch that tore the entrails out of every stray Wallaby move gone to ground. Australia, in particular George Smith and Dan Vickerman, fought gamely, but were always a step behind in the loose.
The All Black tactic of the midfield inside pop-pass, which had floundered on the flat-standing backs in the first half, now yielded several clean breaks as the supporting runners measured their distances and angles more accurately.
From one such, Mauger tore through, past and round three defenders, and then weighted a kick towards Australia's line for Joe Rokocoko to chase. Larkham got to the ball first, but fumbled it on the ground and ended up carrying the ball over the line between his legs. There the ball stayed, on the goal-line and trapped under the maul. McCaw, ever ready to do something special for his team, had the presence of mind to reach between Larkham's legs and grab the ball, and Kaplan consulted his TMO before awarding the try.
Carter's conversion made the score 24-7 -- he had converted both first-half tries and landed a penalty two minutes before this one -- and it was a killer blow. All that remained was to wait and see if New Zealand could get their bonus point to finish the job.
They seemed oddly reluctant to do so. Australia managed a swift reply, a brief burst of cohesion and power which got Scott Fava to the line under a pile of bodies, but Mortlock missed the conversion and Carter landed another penalty, taking the all Blacks three scores ahead at 27-12.
Yet four minutes later and with the clock ticking a little louder, McCaw told Carter to go for posts again from a penalty, and the New Zealanders looked to have eased off the gas, content to simply soak up the Australian running and wait for the chance to break.
Once, the forwards did so, with handling that belied the clumsiness most forwards show when in full flight. In a bizarre role reversal, Mealamu, Jack and McCaw strung together passes that took them forty yards downfield, and Ali Williams tapped down Carter's crossfield kick with the deftest of touches. Rico Gear only had to catch it to score, but dropped the sitter like it was a steaming hot pie.
Finally, the All Blacks did get their bonus point. Carter -- who eclipsed Larkham all night and whose defence work was integral to the team performance -- charged down one of the Australian's trademark chips and then picked up the loose ball, before feeding young Isaia Toeava who would never be caught from 70m.
Carter's conversion hit the post -- he will not be too happy with his conversion tally of five from nine -- but the final scoreline of 32-12 sends its own message. Peak too early? They may have only just begun ...
Man of the match: For Australia, Georges Smith and Gregan both stood out for work-rate, as did Dan Vickerman. Chris Latham was the pick of their backs. But the award should go to a black-shirted recipient. Carl Hayman's performance at prop was towering, and Jason Eaton proved how much of an asset his athleticism is. Dan Carter's tackle count was magnificent for a fly-half, but for ceaseless tackling, running, ball-carrying and leadership, Richie McCaw was the one who went the most extra yards.
Villain of the match: In a clean game, the only moment of real villainy -- especially for Australian fans -- was Rocky Elsom's idiotic yellow card which cost his team its momentum.
Moment of the match: Already described above in its glory, Chris Latham's first-half chip and regather in the lead-up to the opening try was the individual piece of skill that lingered longest in the mind.
The scorers:
For New Zealand:
Tries: Mealamu 2, McCaw, Toeava
Cons: Carter 3
Pens: Carter 2
For Australia:
Tries: Tuqiri, Fava
Con: Mortlock
Yellow card: Rocky Elsom (Australia) -- killing the ball, 27
The teams:
New Zealand: 15 Leon MacDonald, 14 Rico Gear, 13 Malili Muliaina, 12 Aaron Mauger, 11 Joe Rokocoko, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Byron Kelleher, 8 Rodney So'oialo, 7 Richie McCaw (captain), 6 Jerry Collins, 5 Jason Eaton, 4 Chris Jack, 3 Carl Hayman, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: 16 Andrew Hore, 17 Greg Somerville, 18 Ali Williams, 19 Chris Masoe, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Luke McAlister, 22 Isaia Toeava.
Australia: 15 Chris Latham, 14 Mark Gerrard, 13 Stirling Mortlock, 12 Mat Rogers, 11 Lote Tuqiri, 10 Stephen Larkham, 9 George Gregan (captain), 8 Rocky Elsom, 7 George Smith, 6 Mark Chisholm, 5 Dan Vickerman (vice-captain), 4 Nathan Sharpe, 3 Guy Shepherdson, 2 Tai McIsaac, 1 Greg Holmes.
Replacements: 16 Jeremy Paul, 17 Al Baxter, 18 Scott Fava, 19 Phil Waugh, 20 Sam Cordingley, 21 Matt Giteau, 22 Ben Tune.
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (SA)
Touch judges: Craig Joubert, Marius Jonker (both South Africa)
Television match official: Mark Lawrence (South Africa)
Assessor: Steve Hilditch (Ireland)
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