Rugby’s world order was restored on Friday evening. The All Blacks annihilated Italy. It is the way it should be. It is the way it has always been.
When the All Blacks right winger John Kirwan dazzled the world in 1987 with an 80-metre solo try against Italy at Eden Park, it was what everyone expected. The All Blacks won 76-0, and there was no surprise in the result, but there was plenty of awe in Kirwan’s iconic run for the line — one which started within his 22.
What was very different 36 years later, at yet another World Cup, was the belief by so many that Italy could beat the All Blacks.
This is the most fragile All Blacks I have reported on at World Cups, since my first World Cup in 1995, but that would never translate into Italy beating the All Blacks.
Many keyboard warriors felt otherwise. Perhaps it was fantasy, but it was always going to be fiction because the non-fiction was that Italy was always going to be drilled.
I didn’t have the All Blacks winning 96-17. I had them beating the bookies’ 28-point handicap and winning by 30-plus. I was being kind to Italy.
It was New Zealand at their Harlem Globetrotter best and it showcased every attacking quality and skill set that makes New Zealand such a special team to watch when playing a Neville Nobody.
If you do the maths, given the Boks shut Scotland down 18-3, it should — and will be — a 40-plus win for the Boks
Purely, based on the 80 minutes, it was rugby bliss. It was the game being played as the marketing giants wanted it. Plenty of tries, genius up against the village idiot, and genius triumphing.
It was Super Rugby on steroids.
But it was not World Cup play-off preparation.
The All Blacks, awful in their opening World Cup defeat against hosts France, needed a statement performance. They provided this with a near 100-point attack return.
What did it mean in the context of the likely quarterfinal play-off against Ireland? Absolutely nothing.
The All Blacks would have been filthy to concede a try to Italy in the 81st minute, despite leading 96-10.
Italy aren’t even ranked in the top 10 of the game. Ireland are the world’s No 1 team and over the last two years have been the world’s most consistent team.
Ireland won’t be spooked by the All Blacks’ dismantling of Italy, and I would like to think the All Blacks coaches won’t be deluded about conquering a tank with five reverse gears.
Read nothing into the All Blacks win, other than that they will play in the quarterfinals.
In 2019, the All Blacks obliterated Ireland in the quarterfinals. A week later, England destroyed the All Blacks.
Earlier in the week, so many people asked me if the All Blacks could beat Italy.
“What? Had the world gone mad?”
They weren’t asking if Italy could beat the All Blacks. Equally, too many were questioning the Springboks’ ability to score a bonus-point win against Tonga.
Why?
Tonga — made up of club players and a handful of former All Blacks who should be playing in the Bermuda 10s — have lost to Ireland 59-16 and Scotland 45-17.
How could this even be a question?
If you do the maths, given the Boks shut Scotland down 18-3, it should — and will be — a 40-plus win for the Boks.
The result of the Boks’ final pool game against Tonga is not a discussion.
The only interests are Handre Pollard, Deon Fourie and Canan Moodie. Does Pollard last 60 minutes and kick at 80%? Does Fourie, a loose-forward starting at hooker, find his lineout jumpers, and does Moodie do enough to start the quarterfinal in the No 13 jersey?
On all three counts, I believe the answer will be yes, just like it was when asked if the All Blacks could beat Italy.
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