Ngani Laumape celebrates his try with teammates. Photo / Getty Images
Ngani Laumape celebrates his try with teammates. Photo / Getty Images
There were many reasons for the All Blacks' final quarter dominance at Eden Park which tore France to shreds, including an unlucky yellow card for the visitors and an increasingly dominant home pack, but by far the most spectacular was the work of replacements Ngani Laumape and Damian McKenzie.
Apartfrom halfback Aaron Smith, Laumape and McKenzie were the two shortest players on the pitch but they are used to punching above their weight and in the case of pocket battleship Laumape in particular, his punch carries a lot of weight.
The midfielder, on for the final 20 minutes in place of Ryan Crotty, scored a remarkable try when backing up McKenzie, the final act of which had the Hurricanes player running over the top of France fullback Maxime Medard.
"When I was in that moment, I saw TJ [Perenara] and he always tells me to back myself and pull the trigger… it was time for me to do what I do best," said Laumape, who admitted the safer play was probably an inside pass to his unmarked teammate.
The 25-year-old had to do extra fitness after the game due to his relative lack of minutes and so hadn't seen the replay of his try when he spoke to the media afterwards, but he is likely to be satisfied when he does.
Damian McKenzie scores a try. Photo / Getty Images
His one-way collision with Medard was a metaphor for how the All Blacks finished the test in which they were trailing 11-8 at halftime. The tightest defence in the Six Nations had been blown apart and the All Blacks scored seven tries in the final 27 minutes.
"The boys who started the game did all the hard work," Laumape said.
McKenzie, who replaced fullback Jordie Barrett after 60 minutes, was just as spectacular and also stressed the importance of adding thrust and impact to the match after his arrival.
"I came on in the 60 minute mark so it was up to me to bring some energy to the game," McKenzie said. "I managed to – a few things came my way."
It was McKenzie's break which set up Laumape's try and an earlier one from 50m resulted in a try for the Chiefs first-five who enjoyed the extra freedom and space at the back.
"I'm happy to go wherever I'm needed," he said. "Tonight it was 15 and it was good to get back there with a bit more time."
The All Blacks are changing the game with their use of the reserves bench and expectation that it adds something meaningful to the contest.
Coach Steve Hansen had stressed to the Herald before this first test of the year that he and his assistants had to get that replacement strategy spot on due to the lack of recent game time for five of his starting eight forwards.
But not even he could have imagined the impact they would have; starting with debutant Karl Tu'inufuake, the loosehead prop who helped his side win a crucial scrum penalty in his first act of the game, and finishing with Laumape and McKenzie, two relatively small players who had a very large say.
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