New Zealand All Blacks 2nd-five Ma'a Nonu celebrates scoring against Tonga during the Pool C match between New Zealand and Tonga. Photo / Brett Phibbs.
Despite a frustrating first half the All Blacks managed a win against Tonga with a decent margin at the end - but fans on Twitter were kept on the edges of their seats at first.
While we've been told "don't panic" by Richie McCaw and Steve Hansen, the All Blacks' patchy performance had some fans on edge this morning.
A try from Ben Smith - aka "Ben From Accounts" - put New Zealand in the lead, which got hopes up for a little while at least.
"Ben Smith looks like the guy in accounts. Nobody really knows what he does but he's always ominous in his presence," one fan tweeted.
But it became clear that the All Blacks just weren't playing at their best, as Waisake Naholo dropped a pass and skipper Kieran Read was sinbinned.
However, one fan tweeted that "Even with the amount of errors happening, this is probably the best pool match the ABs have played so far".
"This is such a frustrating match even though New Zealand are winning," wrote one fan, echoing the sentiments of many others.
"Are the ABs holding everything back or are they really not that good in this comp," asked Julian Smith.
"Allow me to counterbalance the current conversation with a small point: Tonga are playing well," added Scotty Stevenson - with others also recognising the skill the Pacific showed.
Viewers were quick to notice the atrocious conditions of the pitch, which was riddled with holes and muddy patches as halftime approached.
St James' Park is also the home of the Newcastle football team - who unfortunately have to play there tomorrow afternoon.
However, to the delight of Kiwi fans, the All Blacks picked up the pace in the second half and managed a decent lead.
"So these All Blacks give us heart palpitations for 50 mins and then suddenly decide to start playing rugby," a fan tweeted.
Thankfully, Nehe Milner-Skudder - or "Mulder Scully" - was on hand to give New Zealand "something to believe in" - in the form of a couple of great tries.
And Sonny Bill Williams helped as well, with particular attention paid to his great hair and minuscule shorts - leading some to ask that age-old question: "Undies, or shorts?"
And of course, everyone was cheering for Ma'a Nonu as he scored the last try of the game, in his milestone 100th test match.
And it's a good note to end a somewhat nerve wracking game on, as the All Blacks begin their preparation for the quarter-finals.
- nzherald.co.nz
The French government and FFR were blamed for failures of hosting the 2023 event.