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All Blacks centre Conrad Smith - Source: Photosport
The All Blacks have crushed the Springboks 32-12 in the opening Tri Nations Test of the 2010 season at Eden Park tonight.
A first half blitz from the All Blacks, which saw two tries to Conrad Smith and Ma'a Nonu respectively, set the foundation for the resounding bonus-point victory.
After a shaky start, the All Blacks were hungry tonight. Three defeats to the Springboks in the 2009 calendar year had clearly hurt their pride.
It certainly didn't help the South Africans' chances when their enforcer Bakkies Botha was put in the bin for 10 minutes but tonight, the All Blacks were simply on another planet.
They defended with gusto, counter-attacked with flair and even the much talked about lineout held its own in a nearly perfect first-half display.
Indeed at times a blanket could have been thrown over them as they formed an impenetrable black wave and there is little doubt that they answered their critics in what was a potential preview of a 2011 World Cup semi-final.
However from the moment Mils Muliaina fluffed a Morne Steyn bomb in the opening minutes it looked like it was going to be a long, hard night for the home side.
The All Blacks may have been undefeated at Eden Park for 16 long years but the World Champion Springboks were on the front foot from the outset and went desperately close to scoring the opening try.
Centre turned winger, Jean de Villiers, was bundled out in the corner by Jimmy Cowan and Joe Rokocoko before Steyn opened the scoring with a comfortable penalty.
The fireworks had erupted before that though. It was Botha who charged down a kick before chasing down All Black halfback Jimmy Cowan and head butting him from behind.
Botha, world rugby's greatest villain, has had a somewhat
chequered past. In fact, his list of misdemeanours reads longer
than any New Zealand MP and his place for the rest of the Tri
Nations now looks in jeopardy.
His night got worse when he was yellow carded in the 13th minute
for killing the ball when the All Blacks pushed hard for the
opening try. A penalty kick from Daniel Carter was some
consolation.
This was the turning point. The All Blacks were a new beast, reinvigorated even, as they took advantage of their extra man.
Muliaina made stunning amends for his opening blunder by slicing through the Springboks' defence and galloping forty metres up field. The custodian then linked up with the ever-present Richie McCaw who fed Smith for a spectacular opening try.
By the time Botha had re-entered the contest, Carter had extended the lead to 13-3 and Nonu crashed over in the corner just before halftime.
The 25,000 strong Eden Park crowd gave the All Blacks a well deserved standing ovation at they left the field.
The Springboks would have been shell-shocked at halftime. They had not played badly by any means however their one dimensional attack - think kick-chase and one-off runners - and the All Blacks' extra enthusiasm for the occasion was telling.
Steyn however closed the gap after the break with two penalties as the Test hit a lull - a Mexican Wave around the half-filled stadium in the 50th minute was testament to that fact.
But the throwing of rubbish was saved for another day when the All Blacks' launched another offensive to where the majority of the crowd was sitting (in the corner of the north and west stand for your information) and it was Kieran Read who powered over in the corner for his second Test try.
That effectively ended the contest and the Test meandered to an unspectacular finish as the customary influx of substitutions took the juice out of the lemon.
But the All Blacks pushed hard in the final five minutes for a bonus point try and it was Tony Woodcock who delivered just before the final whistle.
New Zealand 32 (Conrad Smith 1 try, Maa Nonu 1 try,
Kieran Read try, Tony Woodcock try; Daniel Carter 2 penalties, 3
conversion)
South Africa 12 (Morne Styen 4 pen)
Halftime: 20-3 New Zealand0
