The Stats Don't Lie: Kahui, McCaw lead the way against Tonga

Kahui had a sublime game on the right wing for the All Blacks. Photo / Getty Images

nzherald.co.nz's Tracey Nelson breaks down the numbers from the All Blacks' Friday night Rugby World Cup opener against Tonga.

- First points of the 2011 Rugby World Cup went to Dan Carter with a penalty goal in the fourth minute of the game.

- Israel Dagg scored the first try of the tournament, crossing the line in the 12th minute of play. He scored his second try of the game in the 29th minute.

- Richard Kahui also grabbed a brace, with tries in the 20th and 33rd minutes of the match.

- Top tackler for the All Blacks was Richie McCaw with 16 tackles and five assists, followed by Owen Franks with 12 tackles and one assist.

- Jerome Kaino was the top ball carrier with 10 carries for a total of 90 metres gained. McCaw was second best with nine carries for 50 metres gained.

- McCaw again had the highest workrate being in the first three to the breakdown with 30 ruck arrivals. Next best were Andrew Hore (21) and Brad Thorn (18) .

- The All Blacks made seven linebreaks, with Ma'a Nonu, Richard Kahui and Isaia Toeava making two each.

THE GOOD

- The All Blacks only missed seven tackles, while making a total of 105 plus 26 assists.

- Ali Williams and Brad Thorn both stole ball off the Tongan lineout.

- Kahui had a sublime game on the right wing with two linebreaks, two offloads, a kick and re-gather to set up Jerome Kaino's try, plus a total of 127 running metres to go with his two tries.

- Sonny Bill Williams answered some of his critics with four offloads in the tackle, two of which set up tries.

- The All Blacks won four tackle turnovers in this game, with Hore winning two of them. McCaw and Dan Carter made the other two turnovers.

THE BAD

- Despite being ahead 29-0 after 32 minutes, it took the All Blacks another 26 minutes to score their next points.

- The All Blacks made nine handling errors, with eight being knock-ons.

- The All Blacks conceded 13 penalties to Tonga's six, including three scrum penalties in the second half.

- Tonga had the All Blacks camped in their own 22 for nine minutes at the three quarter mark in the game, and eventually triumphed following a 10 phase passage with a try in the 71st minute to reserve prop Alisona Taumololo. During this time the All Blacks conceded two scrum penalties and a scrum free kick.

- Toeava bombed two tries, the first by cutting back infield and the second by carrying the ball in the wrong hand and getting pushed into touch as he dived for the line.

FOR THE RECORD

- The All Blacks fielded their oldest ever World Cup side against Tonga, with the starting fifteen averaging 28 years and 189 days.

- Thorn, at 36 years old, is the oldest All Black to play at a World Cup.

- McCaw played his 99th test match for the All Blacks.

- Carter kicked three conversions and a penalty to take his test points tally to 1228, 10 ahead of England's Jonny Wilkinson.