Spencer runs show as All Blacks lead

New Zealand 35 Tonga 0 HT

Brilliant fly-half Carlos Spencer ran the show as the All Blacks demonstrated their pace and power with a five-try performance in a one-sided first-half at the Suncorp Stadium.

New Zealand’s superior fitness was already starting to tell, with holes opening up everywhere in the Tongan defence.

In the 21st minute wing Caleb Ralph crashed through one of them out wide before feeding Corey Flynn with a perfectly timed pass and with knees pumping the hooker steamed over in the corner.

MacDonald landed another impressive conversion from out wide and Tonga replaced loose-head prop Kisi Pulu with Tonga Lea’aetoa in an attempt to gain some control in the scrum.

In truth, however, it was already one-way traffic with New Zealand wrapping up a bonus point with their fourth try, this time from Ralph who received a pass in space after another rolling maul had punched the hole for the All Blacks.

MacDonald again added the two points from wide and the red shirts of Tonga were already looking in disarray.

It seemed every time the All Blacks attacked they might score and when Spencer was first to win the race for a kick-through they added their fifth converted touchdown – again slotted home from out wide by the increasingly impressive MacDonald.