New Zealand vs Namibia - Match Review

The All Blacks scored nine tries to one to beat Namibia 58-14 but ironically, it is the rugby minnow nation’s

players and coaches who left the field with the bigger smiles. Holding the world’s number one team to a

points spread of fewer than 50 points and achieving the great victory of scoring a try against the champions,

was as much as the Namibians could have hoped for, and they succeeded in doing that.

For the All Blacks it was merely a box to be ticked on the way to the play-offs, but for the under-resourced,

tiny rugby nation, playing against the All Blacks at a World Cup was the highlight of their sporting lives,

and they offered every modicum of heart and energy, and some skill too, in turning what may have been a

runaway thrashing into a tough contest.

The Namibians will tell their grandchildren about the day they played the All Blacks at the Olympic Stadium

with a crowd of 51,820 watching them – none more so than centre Johan Deysel, whose try was a personal

triumph from a wonderful team set-up.

The All Blacks will not have been happy with the manner in which the Namibians were allowed to slow

down the game, in the second half especially, to ponderous, pedestrian pace. Could Steve Hansen, sitting in

the coaches’ box, have looked more bored at the tedium?

With 70% possession and 73% territory, and 564 running metres to 57, the All Blacks should have been

more dominant, despite the Namibians strategy of slowing the tempo of the game down, but there were

many positives for the All Blacks:

1 Nehe Milner-Skudder looked sharp, skilful and elusive after his disappointing first outing.

2 Sonny Bill Williams is headed back to his devastating best.

3 Beauden Barrett (despite having to switching positions with Colin Slade for a while) showed again that

he has the skills and judgment to be Dan Carter’s back-up at 10.

4 Victor Vito is having a full go at earning Jerome Kaino’s Test spot.

5 Codie Taylor did enough to show he is a serious challenger to Keven Mealamu for reserve hooker

selection.

6 Ben Smith is absolute class.

7 Julian Savea is not close to his best form yet, but there was an upward curve in his performance and he

made more impact than in his tentative recent Tests.

8 No injuries, other than Colin Slade’s hamstring strain.

9 Every player fit to play has had game-time in the first two games. Waisake Naholo is expected to play

against Georgia, putting strong pressure on Savea and Milner-Skudder to perform.

10 Sam Cane confirmed that he is the natural successor to Richie McCaw as openside flank next year and

next in line to Kieran Read as captain a few years after that.