Under the radar, or undetectable? Perhaps the latter is more appropriate given New Zealand’s stealth-bomber colours and the haka’s flying V formation. The main thing is that the All Blacks have qualified for the quarter-finals and no one will fancy playing them. The crushing pre-tournament defeat by the Springboks and an opening-night loss against France have been consigned to history, and Ian Foster’s side will meet Ireland, South Africa or Scotland in the last eight.
Eleven tries were scored against a Uruguay team who fought skilfully and kept their opponents out for the first quarter. Once New Zealand’s passes began to stick, though, a rout was the inevitable result. The wing Leicester Fainga’anuku scored a second-half hat-trick but Esteban Meneses’s side exit the tournament with their reputations enhanced.
