New Zealand v Uruguay LIVE: Rugby World Cup 2023 result and reaction as All Blacks secure quarter-final spot
New Zealand 73-0 Uruguay: The All Blacks are through to a World Cup quarter-final after thrashing Los Teros
New Zealand sealed their place in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals with a 73-0 bonus-point victory in their final pool game against Uruguay.
A hat-trick from Leicester Fainga’anuku led the way for the All Blacks, who overcame a sticky start to display their attacking firepower again to produce another sizeable scoreline.
Their final place in the pool will depend on France’s final Pool A fixture against Italy in Lyon tomorrow.
The hosts will top the group with a win of any kind, while the Azzurri could also force their way into the last eight with an upset win.
For Uruguay, though, this is the end of the road, though Los Teros again gave a good account of themselves in their first ever meeting with the All Blacks to cap an encouraging tournament in which the South Americans have pushed for more opportunities against the world’s top rugby nations.
Relive the match below, get all the Rugby World Cup odds here and the latest tips and free bets on the World Cup here.
New Zealand 45-0 Uruguay, 55 minutes
More All Blacks changes, with Ethan Blackadder on for a World Cup debut in the back row in Shannon Frizell’s place, and Finlay Christie stepping in for Cam Roigard at scrum half. Caleb Clarke is out there, too.
TRY! NEW ZEALAND 45-0 Uruguay (Damian McKenzie try, 54 minutes)
Damian McKenzie has a second!
It all started from a dominant scrum inside their own half and once New Zealand made that ground up the left, it was simply a matter of time. Fletcher Newell very nearly bish, bash, boshed to a second try in quick succession, but McKenzie makes no mistake once a sliver of space appears in front of him.
Richie Mo’unga converts.
New Zealand 38-0 Uruguay, 52 minutes
Damage limitation time for Uruguay now, you fear, with the All Blacks starting to run riot. Tamaiti Williams combines with Fainga’anuku on the latest merry manoeuvre down the left.
TRY! NEW ZEALAND 38-0 Uruguay (Leicester Fainga’anuku try, 49 minutes)
Try number six!
Will Jordan really is some player. Down the right the All Blacks initially go, Damian McKenzie and Anton Lienert-Brown combining to set up the wing. He’s hauled down but pops up again as a distributor two phases later, unfurling a delectable miss pass over three teammates to grant Leicester Fainga’anuku the simplest of scores. Fainga’anuku, like Jordan a product of Tasman, throws up the Mako fin in celebration.
New Zealand 31-0 Uruguay, 47 minutes
Newell is reunited with his bench front row chums before the restart - Tamaiti Williams and Samisoni Taukei’aho replace Ofa Tu’ungafasi and Codie Taylor.
They will have immediate involvement, too, as the restart flies out on the full.
TRY! NEW ZEALAND 31-0 Uruguay (Fletcher Newell try, 46 minutes)
And over goes Fletcher Newell!
It’s not quite Cam Roigard-esque but that’s pretty funky footwork from a man of the replacement tighthead’s size, stepping past Mateo Sanguinetti and Manuel Leindekar in short order to score his first international try.
New Zealand 26-0 Uruguay, 45 minutes
Nothing doing at maul time with Uruguay defensively stern, so it is off to their backs. Will Jordan steps in at first receiver and deftly puts Leicester Fainga’anuku on to a soft shoulder.
New Zealand 26-0 Uruguay, 44 minutes
A couple of lazy tacklers grant New Zealand another penalty. Off to the corner for some muscular musings.
New Zealand 26-0 Uruguay, 42 minutes
Barrett pirouettes in a tackle and appears to be almost garrotted to the floor, but Wayne Barnes is happy the tackle is legal and Luke Jacobson knocks on, with Lucas Bianchi ensuring the ball is Uruguay’s by snaring it off the deck. Uruguay clear, but not far.
New Zealand 26-0 Uruguay, 41 minutes
Penalty advantage for New Zealand, and one they will require as Jordie Barrett spills his supper soon after Richie Mo’unga had plated it for him with a lovely cross-kick.
Barrett takes the ball from his fly half and punts the penalty down into Uruguay’s 22.
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