The All Blacks’ predictable 71-3 rout of Namibia in Toulouse this morning has come at a cost – a debatable red card for replacement prop Ethan de Groot which could put him in doubt for his team’s quarter-final.
De Groot, on late in the second half, made an immediate impact by scoring with his first touch of the ball and a less positive one in the 72nd minute when making contact with the head of Namibia loose forward Adriaan Booysen as he attempted to make a tackle.
He was yellow carded by referee Luke Pearce, a sanction upgraded to red on review.
It is the tournament’s second red card following the one shown to England flanker Tom Curry last weekend and it will spark more debate about the consistency of the decision making by the match officials, along with speculation over the potential ban which could effectively end de Groot’s World Cup.
The worry for the All Blacks and de Groot is that he appeared to tuck his right arm on contact but potential mitigating factors will include Booysen’s slightly dipping motion and de Groot’s possible intent of targeting the ball. All Blacks head coach Ian Foster confirmed after the match that his team would contest the red card at the upcoming judicial hearing.
Curry received a two-match ban for his head clash in attempting to make a tackle in his team’s win over Argentina. Anything more than two matches for de Groot could end his tournament – should he be ruled out of the quarter-final the All Blacks will likely call up another loosehead prop, with Joe Moody probably in the mix.
The red card is another indication of the seriousness with which head contacts are viewed by World Rugby but the fact remains that various other similar incidents have already occurred at this World Cup with not sanction whatsoever and no explanation from the game’s governing body.
It is the 10th time an All Black has been red carded in a Test and it comes after Scott Barrett's against the Boks at Twickenham recently.
It will leave a bitter taste for Foster and company who had overseen a predictably dominant performance by the All Blacks which was built on a vastly improved set piece compared with their efforts in this area during their opening loss to France.
Namibia’s scrum had no answer to the challenge presented by an All Black tight five which likely had to endure a difficult review of their match in Paris, with halfback Cam Roigard having a first World Cup game to remember when scoring two tries in the opening seven minutes.
His performance may see him overtake Finlay Christie as Aaron Smith’s back-up - the threat he poses with his running game may prove irresistible to a side still finding its attacking mojo.
They scored 11 tries in total against a Tier 2 nation whose deficiencies in physicality were exposed almost from the kick-off. It allowed the All Blacks time and space they may not get for the rest of the tournament – their remaining matches are against Italy in a fortnight and Uruguay, who pushed France close in losing 27-12 yesterday morning.
Another positive was an apparent lack of injuries. Brodie Retallick had a solid hit-out in his first start since his return from his knee problem, likewise midfielder David Havili following his hamstring issue.
And yet, as the rain came down, questions will remain about the All Blacks’ execution at times, along with the penalty count – a big problem against France and one that continues to be an issue.
The All Blacks gave up 12 in Paris and 12 against Namibia, and some of them – offsides when creeping up too far on defence – were inexcusable given the Namibian’s lack of attacking punch. By contrast, Namibia gave up only seven penalties – a number the All Blacks would love to match but currently appear unable to.
First-five Damian McKenzie’s pace was noticeable as the All Blacks enjoyed a freedom noticeably lacking last weekend – they made 22 line breaks compared with Namibia’s two – but on a day when Sam Whitelock equalled Richie McCaw’s record of 148 Tests, all the headlines will be about cards rather than caps.
All Blacks 71 (Cam Roigard 2, Damian McKenzie 2, Leicester Fainga’anuku, Anton Lienert-Brown, Ethan de Groot, Dalton Papali’i, David Havili, Caleb Clarke, Rieko Ioane tries; Damian McKenzie 8 cons)
Namibia 3 (Tiaan Swanepoel pen)
Halftime: 38-3
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