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Hello and welcome to ESPN's live coverage of the Pool C clash between New Zealand and Georgia!
Follow our man on the ground, Rob Bartlett (@RobBartlettESPN), who is at the Millennium to provide us with first hand insight. You can read his preview of the game HERE.
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| 1 |
0 - 5 |
Georgia kick us off!
A scrappy opening 30 seconds. Georgia kick the ball out left along the half way. First NZ lineout of the night.
TRY!
What a try that was. New Zealand win the lineout and Naholo shows what he's all about straight away. Receives the offload from the initial lineout and drives through the Georgian line on his own with ease. Great start from the All Blacks.
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| 2 |
0 - 7 |
Carter - conversion
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| 3 |
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New Zealand have had all possession so far in the opening few minutes and have started with real urgency - they aren't messing about. People said they needed to pick it up a gear and so far it looks like they have.
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| 4 |
5 - 7 |
TRY FOR GEORGIA!
Wow! Well that was out of nowhere from Georgia. Sloppy for New Zealand and Georgia were quickest to react in the breakdown. Georgia's Begadze retrives from the deck before the offloading pass lands back on the floor. Beka Tsiklauri kicks the loose ball forward, lucky couple of bounces, manages to run onto it and springs unchallenged to the New Zealand try line.
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| 5 |
7 - 7 |
Malaguradze - conversion
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| 7 |
7 - 12 |
NEW ZEALAND TRY!
All Blacks work the ball right to left along the line finding Savea who drives towards the line, showing tremendous strength in pushing away the Georgian fullback in the process. Good try from the New Zealand No.11.
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| 8 |
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Dan Carter's first miss of the competition so far as he fails to convert the try.
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| 10 |
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Scrappy period of play sees Georgia win a penalty along the half way after New Zealand fail to release on the deck.
It's been all attack for the All Blacks so far and Georgia have only just managed to get out their 22 to gain the penalty via long up field kick.
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| 11 |
10 - 12 |
He's going for it. Penalty from the half way and... makes it! Great kick! More points on the board for the Lelos.
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| 12 |
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New Zealand continuing to use the ball well when they do have it, some more pin point passing as they work it down their line from right to left. Very nice on the eye.
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| 13 |
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Georgia's lineout along the left flank is scrappy and it eventually makes it way back in hands of the men in black before Georgia are penalised for not releasing. Penalty, kicked deep into Georgian territory.
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| 14 |
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| 15 |
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First scrum of the evening along the Georgian 22! Begadze feeds.
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| 16 |
10 - 17 |
New Zealand scrum now, in the same place...
ANOTHER SAVEA TRY!
Georgia guilty of going to hard in the scrum and wheel their back row away. The All Blacks retrieve the ball and do what they've done well all game by working it well down the left, right to left. Pulling away now.
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| 17 |
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Carter misses the kick again...
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| 18 |
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Georgia concede another penalty on half way after not rolling away. Carter kicks down field into the corner and we have an All Blacks lineout.
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| 20 |
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Scrum just outside the Georgian 22 with Smith to feed.
Easily collected by Smith but Georgia bundle the men in black to the ground.
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| 21 |
10 - 22 |
ANOTHER NZ TRY! BONUS POINT.
Brilliant wide play from New Zealand. Everyone involved. They collectively work the ball from right to left, and then back right again, making ground every time someone else retrieves the ball before McCaw conducts the final offload to Dan Coles on his who grounds beyond the white line.
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| 22 |
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| 23 |
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Georgian penalised from having feet off the ground in the ruck. Carter kicks out and New Zealand lineout deep in the Georgian 22 again.
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| 24 |
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| 25 |
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New Zealand manage to make yardage to their left from their lineout, but not any further movement forward towards another try.
Scrum given just under the Georgian sticks. The Lelos need to be careful here as this is dangerous territory again and are at risk of further damage.
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| 27 |
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Scrum avails to nothing but is reset after it collapses.
Georgia emerge victorious this time round as New Zealand are penalised for not driving straight. Georgian scrum very, very powerful. Let off for the men in red as they can look to get out their 22 and have a much needed breather.
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| 28 |
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| 29 |
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Brief pause as Faumuina tightens his studs...
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| 30 |
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And we restart play with another New Zealand scrum just along the half way.
...it collapses and we go again...
New Zealand come out with the ball and work it down the line well but caught out there. Carter's audacious long ball left floats in to touch. Georgia lineout just along the half way.
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| 32 |
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New Zealand lineout once again deep in side the Georgia 22 but the men in red emerge victorious from the subsequent rolling maul but the ball carrier is deemed in touch. We go again...
New Zealand not giving Georgia any rest bite here.
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| 33 |
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Better from New Zealand as they eventually gain a penalty with Smith takes quickly. A try was on the cards courtesy of Naholo again but a couple of last ditch Georgian tackles keeps a winger a safe enough distance from their white line. They do, however, concede a penalty and the All Blacks kick out again for a lineout.
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| 35 |
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Handling error against New Zealand from the lineout and Georgia manage to escape the 22. But, inevitably, it's not long before the All Blacks have ball possession again and are once again progressing towards the Georgian try line.
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| 36 |
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Huge, huge hit from Malaguradze on ball carrier Ben Smith! What a tackle that was.
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| 37 |
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Georgia eventually manage to make the scrum pay as they advance into the New Zealand's 22 for a change.
But, we wait to see if they can make anything of it...
Nope, not really. The ref awards another scrum in favour of New Zealand, who emerge victorious before breaking with real pace. A great offload from Carter to A Smith down the left flank, who chips downwards to chase but unfortunately it falls out of play. Georgia lineout.
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| 38 |
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Another handling error - Sonny Bill Williams this time from A Smith. The 10th so far... Not a great pass from Smith in Williams' defence. Once again, though, New Zealand are progressing well towards Georgian territory. The men in red are doing well not to let a cricket score come in here...
Georgian scrum!
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| 39 |
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What a real mess that scrum was... Neither side managed to take the ball and Georgia made a meal of it.
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| 40 |
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Neither side managed to take the ball and Georgia made a real mess of it. However, it's half time and New Zealand are firmly in the driving seat. Georgia aren't out, though.
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| 40+1 |
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HALF TIME ANALYSIS
Here is what ESPN's Rob Bartlett had to say...
"This World Cup has already captivated rugby fans across the globe - Friday night in south Wales was no different. New Zealand and Georgia had never previously faced each other but the opening 10 minutes in Cardiff were as frantic and exhilarating as we've seen. Waisake Naholo, making his World Cup debut just three months after breaking his leg against Argentina, went over inside a minute before the crowd erupted when Beka Tsiklauri broke free and celebrated crossing the line. That produced the loudest cheer of the first half and provoked an onslaught of tries from the All Blacks - Dan Carter's kicking, though, left a lot to be desired. And when Davit Kacharava shook the stadium to its very core with a thundering tackle on Carter, the Lelos centre could not help but smile as he looked up at the big screen replay. A wonderful first 40 minutes at, arguably, the World Cup's loudest venue."
You can follow more of Rob's first hand insights straight from Cardiff via following him on Twitter, @RobBartlettESPN, or by clicking HERE.
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| 40 |
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Carter kicks us off...
Georgia lineout down their left flank, but that fluff it and it's back into New Zealand hands. They're in possession just shy of the Georgian 22.
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| 41 |
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They work the ball well down their left and Sonny Bill Williams takes it upon himself and carries 5-10 metres before being hacked down.
They switch the pattern of play, however, and work it back right this time. It finds Naholo who touches for the try but is deemed out of touch. Georgian lineout then...
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| 42 |
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They make the most of it and kick upfield out for a All Black lineout, but this time - thankfully for them - it's not in the Georgian 22.
...however, play is brought back and Georgia have the penalty. They kick upfield for the lineout, again, but miss the pitch edge and it lands in All Blacks hands. We go again as New Zealand push forward.
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| 43 |
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| 45 |
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Georgian scrum, collapses, but is reset and New Zealand make it pay, gaining the penalty themselves.
They opt to work it down the line and Georgia start flying the tackles in.
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| 47 |
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Georgia have the scrum and their brute forces batters the All Blacks out the way.
The referee eventually awards the penalty though and Georgia kick out for the lineout just shy of the NZ 22.
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| 48 |
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Lineout results in the rolling maul but it collapsed, New Zealand now have the scrum.
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| 50 |
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Bit of back and forth from both sides, as Georgia kick twice down field which is returned by New Zealand in similar fashion.
However, New Zealand have the lineout as Tsiklauri kicks out.
Very nearly a fifth for the All Blacks but Naholo is barged off into touched down the right flank by Georgian fullback Tsiklauri. Georgia have the lineout now, and will be looking to get out of their 22 where they are setting up right now as we await the throw...
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| 51 |
10 - 27 |
Very nearly a fifth for the All Blacks but Naholo is barged off into touched down the right flank by Georgian fullback Tsiklauri. Georgia have the lineout now, and will be looking to get out of their 22 where they are setting up right now as we await the throw...
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| 52 |
10 - 29 |
TRY AT LAST!
Georgia ruin the lineout and New Zealand were awarded the penalty five metres from the Georgian line. Scrum half Smith takes quickly and it's not long before Kieran Reed bundles over barging through Georgia's No.5 and 18 for his try! Carter successfully converts.
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| 53 |
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| 55 |
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Georgia's line speed is proving useful here with the tackles are flying in just along the half way, and to be fair to the Europeans, they've been putting there bodies on the line all game.
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| 58 |
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Scrum on halfway with Georgia to feed. It collapses and Georgia win the penalty. Georgia outstanding in the scrum. Very powerful.
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| 59 |
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Georgia lineout, they deal with it effectively - once again along the half way - but it's not long befoure they fumble the ball and it's back in All Black hands. Both sides struggling to advance but Georgia causing problems. Cause for concern for Steve Hansen.
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| 60 |
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Best stat so far: Georgia have made 44 second half tackles, opposed to New Zealand's four!
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| 61 |
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McCaw limping off. Not looking good here for the NZ captain. Standing ovation for the legendary All Blacks skipper.
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| 62 |
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| 63 |
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The game has really started to fizzle out now. Georgia really showing their worth but not reaping any noteworthy rewards. All Blacks struggling to find their form in the second half.
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| 65 |
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Georgia find themselves - for the first time in a while - in the New Zealand 22 with a set piece option.
The lineout results into the rolling maul but the All Blacks get the collapsed ball turnover. Scrum awaits us - still deep in the NZ 22.
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| 66 |
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Smith feeds for New Zealand and the win a subsequent penalty. Read takes quickly but play is soon stopped again for Georgian subs.
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| 68 |
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Little bit of nice offensive play from Georgia as they try and take the game to the All Blacks rather than the other way round for a change. They made some good forward progress but still are a distance out from the white line.
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| 69 |
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| 70 |
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Georgia offside and New Zealand have the scrum after Carter's wayward kick.
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| 71 |
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New Zealand lineout which is stolen by Georgia, who kick up field to release the persistent All Blacks pressure.
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| 72 |
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Savea finds the ball down the left flank from a better passing move from the All Blacks, but Georgia's Kacharava and Aptsiauri work well and drag the winger into touch. They now have the lineout.
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| 73 |
10 - 34 |
Some better stuff from New Zealand again and Savea has his third - TRY!
Some good decoy running in midfield gives Savea acres of room down the left again to slide home. Easy, simple, great stuff from All Blacks who once again show they can shift gears when they want. Looked a bit stuck the past 20 minutes or so but that try's silenced that.
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| 74 |
10 - 36 |
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| 75 |
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Georgia starting to fall to fatigue now and New Zealand make another break for it. Some full out from the Georgian back line halts the incoming try from New Zealand just on the edge of the Europeans 22.
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| 76 |
10 - 41 |
Fekitoa - try
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| 77 |
10 - 43 |
TRY NUMBER SEVEN!
Here we go. At last. Raw pace from Fekitoa who individually splits the Georgian defence. Could've passed left to Savea for his fourth but some nice footwork finds himself is acres of space which leads to five more points. Carter converts to add the extras.
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| 79 |
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Gorgodze awarded man of the match - biggest cheer of the night for their talisman!
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| 80 |
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Georgia kick their penalty from the half way out for the lineout deep in the New Zealand 22. Last roll of the dice here, see if we can add a few extra Georgian points - they deserve it. We await the throw...
Ahh. They lose the ball and Vito hoovers up from the lineout. New Zealand kick long to relieve the incoming Georgian attack but it's FULL TIME! All done in Cardiff. Full time analysis incoming in a few moments...
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| 80+1 |
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FULL TIME ANALYSIS
Here's what Rob Bartlett - ESPN's man at the Millennium - had to say about the game:
"The second half, unfortunately, did not live up to the intensity of the first - but it did give us an indication of New Zealand's vulnerabilities. The defending champions continued to look seriously undercooked and a potential quarterfinal against Ireland or France suddenly looks intriguing. This side genuinely looks beatable; Kieran Read added a try just past the halfway point before Julian Savea completed his hat trick and Malakai Fekitoa got in on the act late on - but there was little to write home about in between. For Georgia, victory was always beyond them, but their marvellous defence continued to frustrate and annoy the All Blacks, forcing Steve Hansen's side into a flurry of silly handling errors. Their pressure chasing the ball was nothing short of immense - at times, they made rugby's mystical magicians appear ordinary. Milton Haig will certainly be the happier man tonight."
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| 80+2 |
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Match report can be read HERE.
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