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NZ 102 Tonga 0
NZ - McKenzie, Bridge, Tuipulotu, R Ioane, Jacobson, Mo'unga, Weber 3, Jordan 5 & Papalii 2 tries; Mo'unga 7 conversions; B Barrett 4 conversions
Second half
40th minute - Whitelock has now captained the All Blacks to seven wins from his seven games in charge.
From a midfield scrum, Tonga try to mount an attack and earn a penalty after the siren. They tap, but go nowhere.
Try to Bridge
Jordan drives Manu back and All Blacks turn the ball over. After several phases, the ball goes left and Rieko Ioane fires a long pass to his winger - that's the ton.
Barrett converts, NZ 102-0
39th minute - Jordie Barrett chips ahead, but Jordan can't quite gather to score his sixth.
37th minute - Try to Patrick Tuipulotu
Akira Ioane rocks the ball free from the Tongans and Christie finds his Blues captain, who brushes aside a couple of tackles and gallops 30m to the line. Barrett converts from in front, NZ 95-0
36th minute - Tonga win a lineout and try to mount another attack. They loose the ball and Christie hacks downfield.
35th minute - Tonga earn a scrum penalty on halfway and kick for touch again.
34th minute - Tonga tap again, but Blackadder dominates the breakdown and earns a clearing penalty. The All Blacks break out of their 22 and Jordan kicks ahead, but the pursuers knock on.
33rd minute - Tonga have a penalty, and set for a tap and run. The ball goes loose, but All Blacks are penalised.
32nd minute - Tonga inching closer to the line, but Manu is driven back in a tackle. there's no way through the All Blacks defence.
31st minute - Tonga have another penalty in All Blacks territory and kick to touch. They're slow learners.
They actually win this one, but Christie comes up with a big tackle.
28th minute - Try to Jordan
From a scrum in their own territory, Jacobson breaks off the back and bounces off a tackler. Christie is with him and the ball moves right, with McKenzie laying on the final pass for Jordan's fifth.
Barrett misses the conversion, NZ 88-0
27th minute - Tonga try to mount something from the scrum, but they're held up in the maul and All Blacks have a turnover. Credit Beauden Barrett.
26th minute - O'Keeffe is playing advantage for an All Blacks knock-on and comes back for the scrum inside the 22.
25th minute - Tonga kick for an attacking lineout, but they haven't won many tonight. They throw long, but Beauden Barrett can't gather.
24th minute - Christie bustles the Tongan forwards at the scrum, but Tonga retains the ball. Whitelock steals the ball, Aumua rumbles forward, but the All Blacks are penalised.
23rd minute - All Blacks try to mount an attack from the kickoff, but Tonga win a penalty in midfield.
Tuipulotu replaces Scott Barrett and Jordie Barrett comes on for Tupaea, who has been a revelation.
21st minute - Try to Rieko Ioane
Tonga lose another lineout and Bridge bursts out of his 22. Barrett chips ahead, Tupaea gathers and sends Ioane away to score.
Barrett converts, NZ 83-0
20th minute - Tonga win a scrum penalty in midfield and kick for touch.
19th minute - Nasi Manu comes on for Tonga, but slots into centre, not his specialist loose forward position. Tonga only have two replacement backs.
18th minute - Tonga inside All Blacks half, but the ball goes loose.
15th minute - Try to Jordan
Another spectacular build-up sees Jacobson feature three times, including the final pass to Jordan for his fourth try. Barrett converts, NZ 76-0
14th minute - Beauden Barrett replaces Mo'unga and Finlay Christie replaces Weber, who was injured in the build-up to that try.
13th minute - Tonga run left from a midfield scrum on halfway, but the All Blacks forwards shove their counterparts back over the half, Barrett comes away with the ball and Akira Ioane sends Mo'unga away for a try, which he converts, NZ 69-0.
12th minute - All Blacks cutting Tonga to ribbons with inside ball, but Rieko Ioane eventually knocks on. Ethan Blackadder replaces Papalii for his debut.
Ninth minute - Try to Weber
Akira Ioane rumbles upfield and Lomax dents the line in centrefield. When the ball comes left, Bridge makes ground and finds Weber running support - again - for his hat-trick.
Mo'unga converts, NZ 62-0
Seventh minute - All Blacks sub off their entire front row, with Lomax, Aumua and debutant Bower coming on.
Try to Jordan
They boss the scrum and the ball goes right, where McKenzie draws the last defender to gift his winger a hat-trick. Mo'unga hooks another sideline conversion, NZ 55-0
Sixth minute - All Blacks have a scrum feed on the 22, but their attack is frustrated by the Tonga defenders.
Fifth minute - Coles tidies up and untidy Mo'unga pass, scrambles to his feet and kicks ahead, the ball just beats everyone dead, but Coles is the closes All Black. Incredible.
Fourth minute - Another long kick from McKenzie puts the All Blacks in prime position and they steal yet another lineout.
Second minute - Try to Jacobson
From first receiver, McKenzie angles a 50m kick that dribbles into touch a few metres out from the goal-line.
Somehow Coles wins the lineout against the throw, he rumbles towards the posts and Jacobson is first receiver from the breakdown to score. Mo'unga converts and the All Blacks have a half tone, NZ 50-0
First minute - No change to the line-ups, as Tonga kick off. All Blacks earn a penalty for a high tackle and Mo'unga clears into Tongan half.
Jacobson wins the lineout, but Saumaki steals the ball.
The first 20 minutes did not augur well for Tonga, as they faced a quick 38-0 deficit, but they rallied over the next 20 minutes, conceding just one more try before halftime.
Maybe they have slowed the game down to their speed and dragged the All Blacks back closer to their level. Coach Ian Foster won't be that happy about the fall-off.
First half
40th minute - Tupaea busts over halfway and the ball goes left, where Coles spills a pass with 2-3 men outside him to end the movement.
The siren goes and Tonga feed a scrum, but the All Blacks earn a free kick. They tap, Papalii and Tupaea combine in midfield.
Tu'inukuafe rumbles towards the line, but Tonga earn a penalty, when the prop doesn't release - for a second time - and they find touch to end the half.
37th minute - Try to Papalii
Still out left, Rieko Ioane scoops the ball off the deck to Tupaea, who flicks on to Bridge and Papalii scoots down the touchline for a try double. Mo'unga hooks his sideline conversion left, NZ 43-0
36th minute - All Blacks spread the ball left, where Tu'inukuafe busts the defensive line.
35th minute - Weber feeds to a midfield scrum in All Blacks territory and they boss the Tongans.
34th minute - Kafatolu knocks on for Tonga, so their efforts come to nothing.
33rd minute - Tonga barely win an attacking lineout and try to mount an attack on the 22.
32nd minute - NZ haven't scored for 10 minutes now, so Tonga contesting better. They earn a penalty, when Jacobson enters a breakdown off his feet.
31st minute - Big All Blacks scrum wins a penalty, so Tonga can't capitalise on that opportunity.
29th minute - Tonga need to win this close-range lineout and do so. The forwards swarm around, but the All Blacks steal the ball - Bridge knocks on, so Tonga now have a close-range scrum in front of the posts.
28th minute - Tonga feed to the scrum, bit All Blacks push, but Tonga retain possession. They earn a penalty in midfield and kick for the corner.
27th minute - Tonga have the ball and build phases in All Blacks territory, but Papalii manages to knock the ball on, while stealing possession.
26th minute - Another Tongan lineout in All Blacks territory and they manage to retain the ball, despite a messy throw.
25th minute - All Blacks penalised, when Tu'inukuafe holds onto the ball in a tackle.
24th minute - All Blacks scrum feed on halfway and they earn a penalty. Play continues and Bridge kicks into the in-goal, but Tonga force for a dropout.
22nd minute - Tonga have a lineout on the All Blacks 10, but Jacobson steals the throw. Across field, Tonga have another lineout, but can't throw straight.
20th minute - Try to Jordan
All Blacks send the ball left, Akira Ioane sends Tupaea on a run, before he kicks ahead. Tonga put the ball out, All Blacks take a quick lineout, and McKenzie and Mo'unga send Jordan under the posts.
Mo'unga converts, NZ 38-0
19th minute - Tonga have the ball in hand on halfway and building phases, before they kick.
18th minute - From the kickoff, Weber kicks high and All Blacks chase hard to regain possession.
16th minute - Try to Weber
Tonga's kick doesn't find touch, so All Blacks have a chance to build something again.
Weber breaks from a midfield breakdown and Ta'avao rumbles a few metres, before finding his halfback running support to score. Mo'unga converts, NZ 31-0
14th minute - Tonga have a defensive scrum five metres out, but are braced for a massive All Blacks push. They hold and break from the scrum, but Ioane is pinged for a high tackle, so Tonga can clear.
13th minute - Coles and Jacobson find Akira Ioane, who makes metres down the left, but the All Blacks knock on five metres out.
12th minute - Tonga win the lineout, but lose the ball. All Blacks build from their own half again.
11th minute - From the kickoff, McKenzie kicks for touch and finds it near halfway.
Ninth minute - Try to Jordan
All Blacks have ball in hand inside their own half, but Jordan cuts through the defence, Tupaea carries further, Coles lunges for the line and finds Jordan running support to score.
Mo'unga pushes his conversion across the face of the uprights, NZ 24-0
Seventh minute - Try to Weber
From the kickoff and deep in their own half, the All Blacks send the ball left, where the Ioane brothers send Bridge up the sideline and he finds Weber running inside support. Mo'unga converts, NZ 19-0
Fifth minute - Try to Papalii
All Blacks steal a lineout in their own territory and fantastic interchange between Whitelock and Jacobsen sends Papalii through a gap to score. Mo'unga scores, NZ 12-0
Fourth minute - Tonga kick off and Bridge kicks ahead. Faiva angles a kick towards the 22 and Jordan's momentum carries him into touch.
Second minute - Try to McKenzie
All Blacks send the ball left, Ioane offloads in a tackle, McKenzie puts Bridge towards the corner and is there to score, when his winger is tackled short. Mo'unga's sideline conversion is just outside the left upright, NZ 5-0
First minute - Ben O'Keeffe to referee this encounter. Conditions cold, but still.
Mo'unga kicks off for the All Blacks and Tonga clears high, back to Mo'unga. Tupaea gets his first touch as an All Black.
7:02pm - Tonga perform their pre-game challenge - you can hear a pin drop.
Now the All Blacks haka, led by Dane Coles, with Sam Whitelock at the front. It's Kamate and Tonga are walking forward to halfway to receive the challenge.
6:58pm - Pretty good crowd turned out at Mt Smart, estimated at 15,000. Many of the Tongan fans might be saving their coin for next week's clash against Manu Samoa, while All Blacks supporters will have a chance to see some closer contests in the weeks to come.
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Kia ora, good evening and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the All Blacks v Tonga test match at Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium.
This encounter marks the start of New Zealand international campaign for 2021 and realistically Tonga shouldn't provide much opposition beyond the initial 10 minutes, before the adrenalin runs out for the Pacific Islanders.
Coach Ian Foster has named a line-up that combines hardened veterans like forwards Sam Whitelock and Dane Coles with debutants like midfielder Quinn Tupaea, while three more newbies will come off the bench.
Richie Mo'unga will get first use of the No.10 jersey, with Beauden Barrett virtually ruling himself out of a dual-playmaker role at fullback.
Dalton Papalii will fill in for injured captain Sam Cane at openside flanker, while Tupaea and Rieko Ioane form an inexperienced midfield combination, with incumbents Jack Goodhue and Anton Lienert-Brown both sidelined.
With many of their frontline players in Europe, Tonga have named 13 debutants and reached out to club players around New Zealand, sparking some concern about their readiness to face a full-blooded international team.
All Blacks: 1-Karl Tu'inukuafe, 2-Dane Coles, 3-Angus Ta'avao, 4-Scott Barrett, 5-Sam Whitelock, 6-Akira Ioane, 7-Dalton Papalii, 8-Luke Jacobson, 9-Brad Weber, 10-Richie Mo'unga, 11-George Bridge, 12-Quinn Tupaea, 13-Rieko Ioane, 14-Will Jordan, 15-Damian McKenzie
Reserves: 16-Asafo Aumua, 17-George Bower, 18-Tyrel Lomax, 19-Patrick Tuipulotu, 20-Ethan Blackadder, 21-Finlay Christie, 22-Beauden Barrett, 23-Jordie Barrett
Tonga: 1-Duke Nginingini, 2-Sam Moli, 3-Sila Puafisi, 4-Don Lolo, 5-Zane Kapeli, 6-Mateaki Kafatolu, 7-Solomone Funaki, 8-Sione Tuipolotu, 9-Sonatane Takulua, 10-Kalione Hala, 11-Penikolo Latu, 12-Nikolai Foliaki, 13- Fine Inisi, 14-Hosea Saumaki, 15-James Faiva
Reserves: 16-Siua Maile, 17-Jethro Felemi, 18-Tau Koloamatangi, 19-Harrison Mataele, 20-Viliami Taulani, 21-Nasi Manu, 22-Leon Fukofuka, 23-Walter Fifita
TAB Odds: All Blacks $1.001, Tonga $101
Coles accepts All Blacks' 2020 was below par, ready to right wrongs
The All Blacks had a less than stellar record in 2020 and the onus is on the senior players to turn that form around.
Hooker Dane Coles is well aware of the unconvincing nature of the All Blacks' recent performances, which stands at three wins, two losses and a draw since Ian Foster took the coaching reins from Sir Steve Hansen.
Among the losses was a first-ever defeat at the hands of Argentina's Pumas on the Gold Coast, a game Coles started.
Saturday's 2021 test season-opener against Tonga provides an opportunity for the All Blacks to begin the road to redemption and for the 74-test veteran, it's about leading by example.
Several fresh faces have joined a relatively young squad, outside the likes of Coles, skipper Sam Whitelock, Beauden Barrett, Aaron Smith and Patrick Tuipulotu.
Coles felt the losses of 2020 hard, and puts the onus on himself and the other leaders to kick-start a new era of All Blacks rugby.
"I feel that responsibility, especially after last year, where we didn't go too well," Coles says.
"As a leader of this team, that's a bit personal, so it's about going out and leading the forwards, do the talking along with Sammy [Whitelock], make sure the newer guys just worry about their jobs and take on a little bit of that extra weight, if I have to.
"That's just the nature of being a senior player in this team and as a senior player, I felt a bit of responsibility with what went down last year. We let the boys down last year, only winning 50 percent of our tests.
"That's not good enough, and as a team and as leaders, we have taken a really good look at ourselves and how we can make this team better."
But the solution is to keep it simple. Coles says, as long as the leadership group does their job, the young core will be allowed to thrive.
"It's about doing everything we can to put the best performance out on Saturday.
"At the end of the day, we will be judged by our performance, so it's about walking the talk and getting this team back to the No.1 spot, where we belong.
"It's about keeping everything simple and the senior players taking the responsibilities in their areas - Richie [Mo'unga] with the attack and Sam Whitelock with the lineout - and just having some clear focus for us as a team and not overloading the new guys.
"We just want to go out and nail the simple stuff, and enjoy it and enjoy the occasion."
One of the young brigade is stand-out Blues flanker Dalton Papalii, who will play just his fifth test on Saturday night.
While by no means an experienced international, Papalii has at times led the Blues and entering his third year as an All Black, he is familiar with the culture and ethos of the black jersey.
The 23-year-old has enjoyed the two weeks in camp, watching the new blood settle into life as an All Black and rekindling memories for the former St Kentigern College skipper.
"It's been great to see the new boys come in and bring their flavour to the group," says Papalii.
"It brings me back to my first time in the ABs, and I see them walking around and they are a bit shy, and I was exactly like that too.
"It's great to see the guys get around them, and open them up and make the environment comfortable for them.
"When you first come in, this can be quite a daunting environment, but it also gets the best out of everyone."
The All Blacks are expected to run up a hefty scoreline against a Tongan side fielding 13 debutants, including several players who play club rugby around New Zealand.
Some pundits have criticised the match-up as less than ideal preparation for a 13-test All Blacks campaign, but for Coles, that notion is disrespectful and not what the All Blacks, indeed rugby, is about.
"It's the first test of the year so there has been a real excitement there for us," says Coles.
"It's a test match. As players, we don't think about the opposition as a professional player or club player or a bloke coming to the ground from work.
"They are playing for their country and we will represent ours.
"The Tongan boys will be out to go hard at us and we will be doing the same."
The two sides last met in 2019 before the Rugby World Cup, with the All Blacks winning 92-7.
