Chris Rattue: Suncorp outshines Tongan slaughter

COMMENT

Great venue, shame about the match.

Harsh maybe? But Suncorp Stadium is such a stunning football place that the All Blacks' demolition of Tonga was always going to struggle to match the location.

Tongan coach Jim Love believed his side could cause the "biggest upset in rugby history," yet they never got close - unlike the spectators who sit on top of the action.

Suncorp's stands begin just metres from the touchline, and rise steeply, creating the perfect football cauldron. It is a place for epic contests, not walkovers.

The stadium generated a powerful atmosphere as the two sides squared off in the war dances - it was as good as this pre-match ritual gets.

Yet in military terms this was always going to be like America storming into some little country such as ... well, you know the drill.

The last time I witnessed New Zealand and Tonga clash on a foreign football field was at the league World Cup at Warrington in 1995. It was an absolute thriller, with the underdogs almost causing one of the biggest upsets in history. It was a game that rose, without any warning, above its impoverished setting.

The situation was in reverse last night, although a procession of All Black tries was greeted by a crescendo of noise as they put another notch on the belt.

Tonga are in a different league. Their halfback, Sililo Martens, has a haircut that looks like a tyre mark, and his side were simply run over.

Chief among the All Black truckers was Brad Thorn, whose name lies on a plaque somewhere outside Suncorp, signifying his status as a Queensland league rep.

It's little wonder that John Mitchell was ready to move mountains to get the mountain he wanted. Thorn might not be a lineout ace, but his presence is immense. He manhandles opponents to get his side on a roll and is doing all he can to demand a place in the run-on side later on. He is no longer a novice, but a leader.

I interviewed Thorn during his league days at an Auckland hotel, and he gave the sunlight coming through the door a decent run for its money. He is a mighty slab of a man.

When it gets tough in the trenches against maybe England or South Africa - and it will - we should be glad that he swapped the hit-ups of league for the lift-ups of union.

Ali Williams, returning from injury, was not so noticeable around the field. He is a quirky character who likes to try a few funny lines at media conferences, so has won the nickname Comical Ali.

Thorn is the straight guy. Straight up the middle, straight replies to questions.

When it comes to fronting the Poms, it will be tempting to put him straight in the starters.

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