WATCH: All Blacks win but Georgia expose chinks in armour

New Zealand 43 Georgia 10: New Zealand moved into the World Cup quarter-finals by predictably beating Georgia in bonus-point fashion – but it was a performance laced with errors.

And they appeared to suffer an injury scare when skipper Richie McCaw made a 60th-minute exit after being on the receiving end of a crunching tackle and immediately had ice appplied to two separate areas on his leg, summing up New Zealand’s night.

The world champion All Blacks’ 43-10 Millennium Stadium triumph tightened their grip on Pool C and secured a last-eight spot, yet coach Steve Hansen will have been left totally unimpressed.

New Zealand scored four first-half tries, wing Julian Savea crossing twice and his fellow wing Waisake Naholo – back in action 10 weeks after breaking his leg - also touching down, while hooker Dane Coles went over wide out.

But they were restricted to only three second-half scores, with number eight Kieran Read adding a 48th-minute try and Savea completing his hat-trick before substitute Malakai Fekitoa crossed.

But the biggest cheers among a 69,000 crowd were reserved for Georgia, whose captain and flanker Mamuka Gorgodze was man of the match.

Full-back Beka Tsiklauri claimed an early breakaway try while fly-half Lasha Malaguradze outshone Dan Carter.

It took New Zealand just 73 seconds to open up Georgia’s defence, as slick midfield passing resulted in Naholo powering through to touch down unopposed, Carter’s conversion making it 7-0.

Georgia, though, responded just three minutes later by scoring the quickest try in their World Cup history when Tsiklauri reacted rapidly to a bouncing ball in open play, made the most of his good fortune and finished off in style.

Malaguradze’s conversion pegging back New Zealand, but the All Blacks were back in front three minutes later when Savea bundled over Tsiklauri for a trademark try.

Malaguradze kicked a penalty from just inside New Zealand’s half to cut the deficit, but the All Blacks went in to overdrive as Savea scored again before a brilliant handling move ended with McCaw delivering a scoring pass to Coles. T

he world champions had a try-scoring bonus point inside 23 minutes.

New Zealand added a fifth try — 30 minutes after their bonus score — when Read went over, Carter converting.

New Zealand:

Tries: Naholo, Savea 3, Coles, Read, Fekitoa. Cons: Carter 4.

N ZEALAND:

B. Smith, Naholo, C. Smith, Williams, Savea, Carter, A. Smith, Crockett, Coles, Faumuina, Retallick, Whitelock, Kaino, McCaw, Read, Perenara.

Replacements:

Fekitoa for Naholo (53), Vito for Williams (57), Perenara for A. Smith (71), Woodcock for Crockett (61), Mealamu for Coles (71), O. Franks for Faumuina (61), Cane for McCaw (61), Kerr-Barlow for Perenara (76).

Georgia:

Tries: Tsiklauri. Cons: Malaguradze. Pens: Malaguradze.

GEORGIA:

Tsiklauri, Aptsiauri, Kacharava, Mchedlidze, Todua, Malaguradze, Begadze, Asieshvili, Mamukashvilli, Chilachava, Chkhaidze, Datunashvili, Sutiashvili, Gorgodze, Lomidze.

Replacements:

Giorgadze for Mchedlidze (76), Maisuradze for Todua (66), Lobzhanidze for Begadze (45), Nariashvili for Asieshvili (51), Sharikadze for Mamukashvilli (66), Peikrishvili for Chilachava (51), Mikautadze for Gorgodze (48), Kolelishvili for Lomidze (68).

Ref:

Pascal Gauzere (France).