The All Blacks have beaten Tonga 47-9 in Newcastle, sealed by a try from Ma'a Nonu on his 100th Test appearance, to secure top spot in Pool C of the Rugby World Cup.
Ma'a Nonu scores in his 100th Test RWC2015. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Leading 14-3 at the break after two converted tries, the All Blacks ran riot in the second half to add five more as they relentlessly wore down their opponents.
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Prop Tony Woodcock suffered a hamstring injury during the game and is expected to be out of the quarter-final, and while management are yet to confirm the extent of the injury, he could miss the rest of the tournament.
The 34-year-old may have played his last game, having announced early this year he would retire after the World Cup.
As in previous wins over Namibia and Georgia, the New Zealanders veered at times between carelessness and brilliance, especially in the first half, and were forced into retreat for long spells.
"They put us under a lot of pressure," captain Kieran Read said. "Our work up front needs to probably improve. We'll regroup, but we're glad to be where we are."
New Zealand will play the loser of Monday morning's France vs Ireland game in a quarter-final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium next weekend.
Fullback Ben Smith opened the scoring for the All Blacks, finishing off a well-worked move down the right wing with a quickfire exchange of passes between the outside backs.
Kurt Morath replied with a penalty, and New Zealand spurned a great chance of a try when Waisake Naholo fumbled a straightforward pass when the All Blacks had an overlap of three men on one. TV pictures showed coach Steve Hansen rocking back in his chair with frustration.
Ma'a Nonu carried off the field after his 100th Test RWC2015 Photo: PHOTOSPORT
But New Zealand kept the initiative and Woodcock forced his way over for a second try.
A scrappy first half was punctuated by a long series of scrums, breaking up not only the flow of the game but also the surface of the pitch at Newcastle United's St James' Park, causing anxious groundsmen to scurry on for improvised repairs.
The decisive passage of play came either side of the interval, when Read was sin-binned for bringing down the maul and Tonga inched ever closer to the All Black line.
After several scrum collapses, they appeared to get the ball across in the final play of the first half but the TMO ruled they had failed to ground it.
With the All Blacks restored to 15 men soon after the restart, the tide turned.
Winger Nehe Milner-Skudder stretched their lead with two tries, running through to dive and touch down his second after a deft grubber kick from replacement wing Beauden Barrett.
Sonny Bill Williams grabbed try number five and things went from bad to worse for Tonga when Paula Ngauamo was yellow-carded for upending Dan Carter in the tackle. Soon afterwards flanker Sam Cane piled through for number six.
Ma'a Nonu presented with his silver cap after playing his 100th Test RWC2015 Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Nonu fittingly added the seventh, set up by Milner-Skudder to score in the left corner after an attacking move that spanned the width of the field.
Having been pipped for third place in the pool by Georgia, Tonga miss out on an automatic place in the 2019 World Cup in Japan and will have to go through the process of qualification.
After the game Nonu was presented with his special silver cap after playing his 100th Test.
Tonga now face the hard grind of having to qualify for the next Rugby World Cup after losing their automatic slot.
The result means the Pacific Islanders have won just one of their four matches in Pool C, a disappointment for a team that recorded the biggest shock of the 2011 World Cup by beating France 19-14.
The 17-10 defeat by Georgia in their opening game was especially painful, setting up the East Europeans to take third place in the group, and with it the automatic qualifying slot for the Japan World Cup in 2019.
- RNZ/Reuters
