The All Blacks got back to winning ways in some style at the World Cup on Friday by running in 11 tries in a 71-3 hammering of a courageous but outclassed Namibia side to revive their Pool A campaign.
Stung by their loss to France in the tournament curtain-raiser last week, New Zealand tore into the Africans from the kickoff and scrumhalf Cam Roigard crossed twice in the opening seven minutes on his first test start.
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Flyhalf Damian McKenzie also grabbed two tries, the bonus point was secured by winger Leicester Fainga’anuku in the 25th minute, and after that it was only a matter of how many points the All Blacks could score.
Namibia never stopped looking for a try and had their chances, especially after New Zealand prop Ethan de Groot was sent from the pitch for a red card offence, but move on to face France next week still without a World Cup win in 24 attempts.
“They were just too good for us, I’m pleased that we were creating opportunities but we couldn’t convert them,” coach Allister Coetzee said.
New Zealand were wasteful at times, but then they could afford to be.
Winger Caleb Clark appeared to have squandered a break when in plenty of space on the right, but hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho was on hand to rumble over from a team drive shortly after.
The swirling rain that made a mockery of World Rugby’s granting of extra water breaks for the fixture did not deter the All Blacks from some typically ambitious play.
Prop Ofa Tuungafasi collected a pass on a break down the left and swung it without looking behind his back to the onrushing Beauden Barrett, before the play cut back inside for the livewire McKenzie to romp under the posts.
McKenzie, who despite his sparkling portfolio of skills has struggled to nail down a starting berth in the All Blacks, was on effervescent form here as he unleashed kick passes, silky offloads and effortless sidesteps.
New Zealand could likely wrap up qualification from the group with a win over Italy on Sept. 29th despite their defeat to France in their opening game, given they would then expect to beat Uruguay in their final pool match.
The All Blacks’ discipline continues to be an issue even in games like this one where they are in complete control. They conceded 11 penalties to Namibia’s seven, as well as seeing de Groot given a red card for a high shot.
Namibia’s flyhalf Tiaan Swanepoel notched a first half penalty kick to make sure the underdogs would not leave scoreless, but otherwise opted mostly to kick to touch as the crowd, hungry for amusement in the one-sided affair, bayed for them to score.
One sliced touchfinder that actually appeared to go backwards into the crowd, when the corner was beckoning, summed up the difference in class between the sides.
Namibia left slightly worse off than the 71-9 margin when these sides met in the last World Cup.
The game also looks likely to have cost Namibia Le Roux Malan for the rest of the tournament, after he went down with what looked like an awful knee injury and was driven off the field on a cart.
“It looked like an ankle fracture according to our doctor,” coach Coetzee said.
“We will need to fly in a medical replacement, hopefully by Monday.”
The crowd were on their feet to applaud Malan as he raised a fist from his stretcher on the way off, defiant amid disaster.