New Zealand 78
Samoa 0
Murray Kinsella reports from Eden Park, Auckland
AS IF THE Lions weren’t already aware of the scale of the task awaiting them over three Tests in the next month, the All Blacks served a sizzling reminder by scorching 12 tries past Samoa in their first game of 2017.
Hansen might have preferred a more robust challenge, but just over a week before the All Blacks face the Lions at this venue, Samoa’s defence was extremely brittle in Eden Park and they began to tire as early as the first half, allowing the Kiwis to run riot.
There is no doubt that the handling skills, running lines, support play, work rate and decision-making of the All Blacks are the best in world rugby and after a relatively rusty start, they were utterly clinical.
Beauden Barrett was at the heart of much of their scoring, 24 in total from the out-half – his seven from eight shots at goal would have pleased Hansen too – but others like the intelligent Anton Lienert-Brown and the grizzled Brodie Retallick were also immense.
Most worryingly of all for the Lions, it looked as though the All Blacks weren’t even at full tilt as they danced around the Samoans and catch-passed their way to score after score after score.
Several of the tries were stunning, with virtually the entire team getting on the ball from long-range, drawing in defenders and releasing team-mates into space, while the offloading skills were supreme.
There were debuts for Hurricanes pair Vaea Fifita and Jordie Barrett off the bench too, as Hansen took the chance to add to the All Blacks’ enviable depth.
Just as importantly, the All Blacks suffered no injuries on their first outing of the year, on what was a wholly satisfying night. While the Lions have struggled for cohesion and form at times on their tour, the Kiwis have picked up where they left off in 2016.
Still, the Lions will provide a far greater test of the All Blacks’ attacking skills, with the Samoan defence bordering on amateurish at times as they utterly failed to slow the flood of scores.
Warren Gatland and his defence coach Andy Farrell will feel that the strengths of their squad can counter some of the All Blacks’ qualities – or at least stress them a little more – but they face a huge task in the coming weeks.
Despite a ropey start in Auckland, Hansen’s men didn’t take long to score and Lienert-Brown was over for the first try in the 12th minute, accepting a clever Barrett offload on the tryline and dotting down after a split second of confusion at the ease of his finish.
The slight rust continued, however, as Samoa missed two long-range shots at goal through wing Albert Nikoro and Sonny Bill Williams was bamboozled by the footwork of his cousin, Tim Nanai-Williams, around the quarter mark.
But Samoa couldn’t finish their chances and the All Blacks punished them for a Kieran Fonotia knock-on metres out from the home side’s tryline on the 30-minute mark.
Ben Smith scooped the ball up and offloaded to Aaron Smith, with the scrum-half finding Williams, who offloaded to his right after a quick juggle. The centre’s pass out of contact close to the halfway line was at Barrett’s feet and looked to be forward, but the out-half intelligently kicked ahead and then nudged the ball a second time, his pace taking him clear to finish a 90-metre try brilliantly, as he slid onto the ball and over the tryline.
The third try came four minutes later, as Aaron Smith, Julian Savea, Barrett and Lienert-Brown combined smoothly off a scrum inside the Samoa half, the All Blacks’ 13 passing back inside to the supporting Ardie Savea, who crossed untouched under the posts.
And after Retallick had knocked on Isreal Dagg’s offload with the tryline begging, the imposing Williams completed the first-half try-scoring as he ran a hard, short line off Barrett on a five-metre scrum to power over.
Barrett converted all four tries for a 28-0 All Blacks lead at the break.
The floodgates were well and truly open, and Hansen’s men notched another try two minutes into the second half, pouncing on turnover ball again as Lienert-Brown broke down the blindside and offloaded to Dagg on the right touchline for the wing to finish.
Julian Savea joined his brother on the scoresheet with 52 minutes played, benefiting from a bust by Retallick and then slick handling from Barrett and Lienert-Brown to take advantage of the overlap on the left.
Barrett missed a conversion for the first time, but he was soon able to add the extras to Codie Taylor’s try after Ben Smith had burst through the fatigued Samoa defence off Julian Savea’s quickly-taken lineout to pass inside to the hooker.
The out-half got in on the try-scoring for a second time as the final quarter approached, gliding into the left corner following slick handling from replacement TJ Perenara, Barrett himself, Williams, Lienert-Brown and Savea from a scrum attack.
With Hansen emptying his bench, the replacements made an impact as Scott Barrett broke up the left before superb handling freed Dagg on the right and he strode forward to offload to debutant Fifita to score, sub out-half Lima Sopoaga converting from the touchline.
Sopoaga broke from inside his own half off a Charlie Faumuina offload for the 10th try, hitting Perenara in support to score, with the Highlanders’ out-half converting again.
For number 11, Jordie Barrett and Julian Savea scorched down the left and then Perenara produced a sublime chip kick back inside for Ardie Savea to notch his second.
Openside Sam Cane put the cherry on a very thick layer of icing on top of the cake with the final converted try, and the Lions will know they need to improve rapidly in a week.
New Zealand scorers:
Tries: Anton Lienert-Brown, Beauden Barrett [2], Ardie Savea [2], Sonny Bill Williams, Isreal Dagg, Julian Savea, Codie Taylor, Vaea Fifita, TJ Perenara, Sam Cane
Conversions: Beauden Barrett [7 from 8], Lima Sopoaga [2 from 4]
Samoa scorers:
Penalties: Albert Nikoro [0 from 2]
NEW ZEALAND: Ben Smith (captain) (Jordie Barrett ’63); Israel Dagg, Anton Lienert-Brown, Sonny Bill Williams, Julian Savea; Beauden Barrett (Lima Sopoaga ’62), Aaron Smith (TJ Perenara ’57); Joe Moody (Wyatt Crockett ’51), Codie Taylor (Nathan Harris ’63), Owen Franks (Charlie Faumuina ’51); Brodie Retallick, Samuel Whitelock (Scott Barrett ’51); Jerome Kaino (Vaea Fifita ’57), Sam Cane, Ardie Savea.
SAMOA: Ah See Tuala; Albert Nikoro (HIA – Ken Pisi ’57), Kieron Fonotia, Alapati Leiua, Tim Nanai Williams; Tusi Pisi (D’Angelo Leuila ’63), Kahn Fotuali’i (captain) (Dwayne Polataivao ’74); Viliamu Afatia (Nephi Leatigaga ’69), Maatulimanu Leiataua (Seilala Lam ’61), Census Johnston (Paul Alo-Emile ’51); Chris Vui (Taiasina Tuifua ’61), Faatiga Lemalu; Piula Faasalele, Jack Lam (Alafoti Faosiliva ’57), Faifili Levave.
Referee: Mathieu Raynal [FFR].
Attendance: 26,129.
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