All Blacks score 11 tries in Pool A hammering of Uruguay in Lyon; Wing Will Jordan (2), scrum-half Cam Roigard, prop Fletcher Newell, wing Leicester Fainga'anuku (3), prop Tamaiti Williams, fly-half Richie Mo'unga and full-back Damian McKenzie (2) all score tries
Thursday 5 October 2023 22:26, UK
New Zealand cantered into the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals as they ran in 11 tries to demolish Uruguay 73-0 in a ruthless performance on Thursday.
Will Jordan (2), Cam Roigard, Fletcher Newell, Leicester Fainga'anuku (3) and Tamaiti Williams touched down, along with Richie Mo'unga and Damian McKenzie (2).
The result put the All Blacks top of Pool A on 15 points, two ahead of hosts France who will win the group if they beat third-placed Italy (10) on Friday.
Ian Foster's All Blacks, who lost tighthead prop Tyrel Lomax early due to injury, will face Ireland, South Africa or Scotland for a place in the last four.
New Zealand had two tries scratched off in the opening quarter but there was nothing unequal about the start of the contest as 17th-ranked Uruguay gave as good as they got.
After Uruguay winger Gaston Mieres had burned Fainga'anuku on the outside in extraordinary fashion, flanker Manuel Ardao almost gave the South Americans the lead, only to be forced into touch at the last moment by Anton Lienert-Brown.
McKenzie glided over after a five-metre scrum to finally get the All Blacks on the board in the 20th minute.
Mo'unga grabbed the second in similar fashion five minutes later and Jordan crossed after a sensational McKenzie flick infield from the touchline just after the half-hour mark.
Roigard, making his second Test start, grabbed the all-important fourth try to secure the bonus point from another five-metre scrum to give the All Blacks a 26-0 half-time lead.
New Zealand played far more direct rugby after the interval and prop Newell, an early injury replacement for Lomax, blasted through a tackler to grab the fifth try.
A looping miss-pass from Jordan sent the unmarked Fainga'anuku in for the sixth and McKenzie scored the seventh.
Uruguay, ever willing, managed to stem the flood of tries before Jordan and Fainga'anuku got their second scores and replacement prop Williams drove over the line for his first Test try.
Fainga'anuku put a gloss on the score-line two minutes from time but, to the delight of the neutrals in the crowd, the final attack came from the South Americans.
New Zealand must now wait to see the result of France vs Italy on Friday (8pm kick off BST) to see if they finish as pool winners or runners-up.
A France win will see the All Blacks go through as runners-up and likely face Ireland in the quarter-finals on Saturday October 14 in Paris (8pm kick off BST). An Italy win will see the All Blacks top the pool, and likely face South Africa in the quarter-finals on Sunday October 15 (8pm kick off BST) in Paris.
The defeat completes Uruguay's schedule, as they finish fourth in Pool A above Namibia.
