“We know that teams are going to really study us and put the microscope under everything we do”.
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“We got through that and we have to deal”. I don’t know how to fix it. It’s not what the game wants.
Namibia Rugby Union president Hage Geingob had a dream that the pride of the southern African nation would “give the All Blacks hell”.
“Sometimes in the heat of the moment, you have a wee brain explosion”, said Hansen after the Pool C match.
The flanker Sam Cane will captain New Zealand for the first time in Thursday’s World Cup clash against minnows Namibia.
Nine minutes before the halftime break, off a throw-in, lock Beauden Barrett scored the pick of the bunch when he ran almost half the field to make an impressive try, giving the All Blacks a 27-6 lead.
There have been six century scores in the game’s global showpiece, now into its eighth tournament, but Hansen suspects such totals are a thing of the past given the growing strength in depth of worldwide rugby union.
Although they fell further behind after another Puma penalty, scrumhalf Aaron’s Smith’s try restored order and from then on the All Blacks, with a full complement of players back on the pitch after two yellow cards, were finally able to impose their game on their tiring rivals.
Nobody who had got out of bed for the eagerly awaited first game would have expected to see a team with more than a thousand test caps between them behind at half time to one that had never beaten them in 21 previous attempts.
New Zealand All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen (right) takes part in a team training session at the Lensbury Hotel in Teddington, west of London, yesterday.
Milner-Skudder soon got in on the act, highlighting his wonderful footwork, but Namibia refused to roll over.
The Namibia captain Jacques Burger, whose bloodied eyes and nose made him looked like a prizefighter in his post-match press conference, also paid tribute to his team.
“The scoreboard would suggest that’s the case”, Hansen told the Rugby World’s official website.
“If we can put together some good stuff, maybe score a great try or keep them out in a tough stage of the match defensively… we could think “yeah, we’re good enough to do this”.
This Friday, Georgia, which beat Tonga 17-10 in its opening game, plays Argentina at Gloucester.
Kotze’s third penalty was followed nearly immediately by a try for Savea, who got the ball down underneath a heap of
bodies.
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Of course I’ll be supporting them, but when it comes to lifting the cup, I think that New Zealand are likely to do it once again.
