What was billed as an exhibition quickly turned into a clinic.
New Zealand’s mighty All Blacks turned their US rugby rivals blue with a bruising defense, and then green with envy as they went on the offensive, spreading the field and sending a parade of ball carriers through the gaps and over the try line on Saturday on the way to 74-6 win.
“I don’t see it being decades,” US coach Mike Tolkin said when asked how long it might take the Golden Eagles to be on an even footing with the defending World Cup champions.
Photo: AFP
“Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but I see the athletes there and the guys who have been professionals and the way they’ve performed,” he added. “So hopefully, it will be a lot less [time] than that.”
The match was played in front of a sold-out Solder Field crowd of 61,500 and a national TV audience, both impressive accomplishments for a rebuilding the US program. However, the action on the field was a different story.
The All Blacks used a handful of regulars in their starting lineup, and still managed a score just three minutes in on a try up the left sideline by Nathan Harris. The Golden Eagles countered with their best sustained ball possession of the match, repeatedly testing the center of the All-Blacks’ defense before settling for a penalty goal from Adam Siddall to close to 5-3. That was the last moment the match was competitive.
“We got punished,” US captain Todd Clever said.
Few people in either camp predicted a close match during the week-long buildup the New Zealanders were 50-plus-point favorites in some betting lines, although the Golden Eagles were able to field their best side after USA Rugby chief executive Nigel Melville was able to get four overseas-based US players released for the match. It made no difference.
New Zealand quickly and methodically spread the field with crisp ball movement and easily exploited one matchup after another.
“They’re a big, physical team, and they did put us under a little bit of pressure when they had the ball,” New Zealand’s Kieran Read said. “Once we got into the game, though, and looked after the ball a bit better, it worked for us and the guys were able to showcase their skills.”
It was 43-6 by halftime and any chance of a momentum shift was quickly extinguished when the All Blacks put together another try less than a minute after intermission.
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