Winning start for All Blacks despite lapse in concentration

THE 2011 Rugby World Cup is under way and the New Zealand population stirred by a hefty opening win for the men in black, but the rest of the nations with eyes on the Webb Ellis Trophy are far from shaken.

The All Blacks launched the tournament in Auckland’s historic Eden Park yesterday with the kind of fiery opening half and stunning tries that people the length of the land had hoped for, but then the concentration slipped to leave lingering the questions over whether the favourites have the ruthlessness to end 24 years of wait for a second World Cup success.

The aggression of the Haka and Sipi Tau, the Tongan war dance, before kick-off in front of Eden Park’s capacity 60,000 audience had switched the spotlight from a captivating Olympic Games-like opening ceremony, made uniquely entertaining by the Maori influence, to rugby. But the Tongans, in their fiery red strips failed to match that spirit in the face of a whirlwind opening spell by New Zealand, their organisation and South Seas ferocity wilting under pressure and the hosts ripping through their defence to seal victory inside the first half-hour.

The Kiwis took their foot off the pedal in the third quarter, Tonga got their act together and dominated possession and territory in the second half, but could muster just ten points against a resolute All Blacks defence. Their solitary try finally came ten minutes from time, only for Richie McCaw’s men to finish on a high with a last score as the final whistle approached and attention spans across New Zealand had switched off.

There was talk beforehand of how New Zealand could put 70 points past Tonga and after they had raced into a 29-0 lead by the 32nd minute – Richard Kahui the star of the show with sublime creativity and finishing skills to set up full-back Israel Dagg for the opener, scoring tries two and four, and Dagg grabbing the third – that target seemed to be on the cards.

The Blacks could even afford to squander chances, Sonny Bill Williams showing both sides of his character with terrific line-breaking and trademark sublime off-loading, but also the wasteful selfishness that is a part of the centre’s make-up and which cost points. Even when the former Rugby League star did get over the line in the 23rd minute, the ‘try’ was disallowed because of blocking by his teammates.

Tonga stand-off Kurt Morath got his side on the scoreboard with a penalty at the end of the first half, but there was little sign of the change that was to come after half-time. After Williams was twice more repelled when tries seemed certain, the Ikale Tahi (Sea Eagles) began to rediscover their faith.

Their Northampton tighthead prop Soane Tonga’uiha, raised in Auckland, was beginning to exert some dominance in the scrum in his home city and, with replacement Alisona Taumalolo injecting fresh dynamism about the pitch, suddenly the balance of possession shifted firmly into Tongan hands.

New Zealand may have been comfortably ahead and never in danger of losing the game – their set-piece, Dan Carter’s control and the backs’ finishing ensuring that – but the second period will be feasted on by their remaining Pool A opponents France, Canada and Japan, and particularly the French, who will like what they saw in the All Blacks’ inability to turn the screw in the tight and loose.

Tonga could not hold on to ball long enough through the black wall of defence to make it count and Isaia Toeava had a try ruled out by the TMO when it looked good, before Jerome Kaino, the athletic flanker, delighted his home fans with a fine finish just before the hour-mark.

Their rustiness shaken off and tackling tightened, Tonga accelerated to the final whistle and were well worth their try, scored unsurprisingly by the buzzbomb of a front row, Taumalolo, after what seemed like an eternity of Tongan charges at the All Blacks line, but slick handling, great angles and fine support play from Ma’a Nonu allowed the Hurricanes centre to wrap up the first match with a sixth try.

The 31-point margin of victory might have been smaller than some New Zealanders had predicted, but they still went home happy. Coach Isitolo Maka and his Tongans, who probably have more compatriots living in New Zealand than among their islands’ 104,000 population – the same as the Scottish Borders, for perspective – were left to rue their stage-fright of the first half.

The focus of Rugby World Cup 2011 now shifts away from the hosts and to the many other colourful teams that make up the seventh tournament, starting with Scotland and Romania in Invercargill this afternoon and continuing with Fiji and Namibia in Rotorua, France and Japan in North Shore and the game many Scots will be eager to witness, the clash of Argentina and England in Dunedin’s new fully-enclosed stadium tonight (9.30am BST). Australia, Italy, Ireland, USA and cup holders South Africa and Wales enter the World Cup den tomorrow.

The heat is off the All Blacks until they face Japan next Friday, their first target achieved, and it is now the turn of the visitors to New Zealand to grasp their golden World Cup moments and take centre stage. It is now that the World Cup truly comes alive.