New Zealand produced a promising performance as the host nation adjust to life without Daniel Carter, whipping Canada by 79-15 in Hamilton this afternoon to storm into the quarterfinals without dropping a point in pool play. Zac Guilford scored four in an eye-catching return to the team as the All Blacks’ high-paced approach to the game was too much for the plucky Canucks throughout the match. Colin Slade played reasonably well in the vacant pivot role, running with confidence and growing in stature as the match grew old, although his accuracy in front of goal left a lot to be desired. A dominant performance at the scrum and breakdown will no doubt please the Kiwi coaches; the return of Richie McCaw to a form outfit up front will have stronger teams than Canada shaking in their boots.
Canada surprisingly took an early lead through the boot of Ander Monro due to poor work at the breakdown from the home nation; however the Canucks were on the back foot for much of the game thereafter. Zac Guilford staked his claim for a starting wing role with an impressive display of pace and positioning, opening the scoring with a typically clinical finish on his way to a first half hat-trick. Guilford proved he could also provide as he drew two defenders as Israel Dagg wrapped around his room-mate to finish the best try of the half as the All Blacks tore away from the Canadians; further tries to Victor Vito and Mils Muliaina – the 34th in his 99th test – rocketed the hosts to a 37-3 lead before Canadian wing Conor Trainor finished a quick set piece move to claim five points back for an otherwise shell-shocked outfit.
A shocking pass by Jimmy Cowan did nothing for his continued selection in the hotly contested scrumhalf role as the stocky Southlander gifted Trainor a second barely a minute into the second half. Jerome Kaino had no such issues, capping off a barnstorming performance with a second-half brace as Canada failed to front up to the physicality of the Samoan-born flanker. The celebrated Sonny Bill Williams also scored once more and looked dangerous as ever in the company of Conrad Smith as the two combined with deadly precision throughout the game. The All Blacks briefly lost momentum upon the hour as a raft of changes, including the mildly successful trial of Piri Weepu at fly-half, robbed the game of its fluency before Guilford scored the best try of the match; the Hawkes Bay-born flyer collected a deft Weepu chip from just outside his own 22 before evading a raft of defenders and outpacing three covering Canadians on the way to his fourth of the evening. Canada had no answer to the superiority of the All Blacks late in the game as Vito crossed on the whistle to push the final score out to 79-15.