Auckland (AFP)

One-sided match in Auckland: New Zealand, in reconquest after a mixed 2020 vintage, made short work of Tonga (102-0) for its first test of the year, scoring the trifle of sixteen tries !

Anxious to strike a big entry blow, the All Blacks equaled their record against Tonga, which they had already beaten by the same score in 2000 at home.

Their record, short, remains the humiliation inflicted on unfortunate Japanese, martyred 145 to 17 with 21 tries, during the 1995 World Cup.

At Mount Smart Stadium, the outcome was very quickly clear.

In less than ten minutes, Ian Foster's men had already flattened four times.

At the break, they led 43 to 0 and therefore further crushed the Sea Eagles ("Ikale Tahi", nickname of the Tongans) in the second half.

The prize for the most tries went to Will Jordan.

For his first tenure - and third selection - in the black jersey, the young Crusaders winger, 23, scored five.

The scrum half Brad Weber, aligned in the absence of Aaron Smith, spared, distinguished himself with a hat-trick.

The only downside for the Blacks: the 13 penalties conceded to the Tongans, who however failed to take advantage of them.

The Toulon scrum-half Sonatane Takulua and his partners wanted to take care of their performance and use it as a preparation before a double duel, on July 10 and 17, against the Samoas, qualifying for the 2023 World Cup. will have left feathers and their morale!

The triple world champions (1987, 2011, 2015), they announced the color in their quest for a new title in Rugby Championship this year and ultimately the planetary title in France in two years.

Last year, the "men in black" had carried out a campaign half-fig, half-grape in the prestigious championship of the southern hemisphere.

The trophy had ended in their camp but not without conceding two defeats in a row, a rarity in their history, first against Australia and then another unprecedented against Argentina.

The return of the South African world champions, winners of the 2019 edition and then packages in 2020 due to the health context, is an opportunity for the Blacks to reaffirm their leadership in the southern hemisphere.

They will host Fiji twice, on July 10 and 17, in order to gain momentum in view of the hearty menu that awaits them: the first round of the Bledisloe Cup on August 7 against the Wallabies, then the new edition of the Rugby championship, scheduled from August 14 to October 2.

© 2021 AFP