All Blacks crush Ireland
Twenty five minutes of genius from fly-half Aaron Cruden ensured a New Zealand whitewash over a spent Ireland as the world champions ran up a record 60-0 victory at Waikato Stadium.
A brace of tries from Sonny Bill Williams and Sam Cane broke the back of Ireland's challenge with the match effectively over as New Zealand led 29-0 at half-time.
By the final whistle in Hamilton the All Blacks had run in nine tries in a scintillating show that well and truly ended Ireland's 11-month season on a low with what was their worst ever defeat to New Zealand.
The All Blacks tested the Irish left to right as referee Roman Poite overlooked a forward pass by Williams before Cruden's delightful flick pass set up Cane for his first international try and Cruden stepped up to add the extras despite the best efforts of Keith Earls to distract.
The Chiefs stand-off combined with his Super Rugby team-mate Williams again after only 12 minutes with a superb flick pass and the centre bounced off Fergus McFadden and raced free to touch down with Cruden once again adding the extras.
Cruden then fed Williams, who stepped inside Paddy Wallace and bounced through Dan Tuohy to dive over for his second touchdown. Israel Dagg kicked the conversion.
Cruden raced free and tossed up a pass that Ben Smith took at full gallop and touched down in the right corner. Dagg missed the conversion as Cruden left the pitch for treatment and Beauden Barrett, on for the injured Cruden, marked his debut with a penalty that made it 29-0 at half-time.
Four minutes into the second half Liam Messam burst through two tackles and fed the supporting Aaron Smith. The scrum-half's offload bounced off Cane's chest but the flanker gathered the looping ball and dived over under the posts. Barrett chipped the conversion over.
Left winger Hosea Gear then scored the All Blacks sixth try. He outpaced McFadden and delivered a crunching forearm into Earls' face before dragging the trailing McFadden over the tryline with him and five minutes later Cane fed a charging Messam who dived over.
Williams the took a pass on the halfway line and sized up his options before releasing Dagg down the right with a perfectly judged grubber kick. Replacement Adam Thomson raced clear for a try after great work from Luke Romano and Barrett and Barrett's successful kick made it 60-0 and left the tourists deflated at the whistle.
