New Zealand recovered from their opening-day defeat by France to put on a rugby clinic in Toulouse, crossing the whitewash a grand total of 11 times as they dispatched Namibia 71-3. Six first-half tries laid the platform, and five more followed in the second as the All Blacks got their 2023 Rugby World Cup campaign firmly back on track.
Starting scrum-half Cam Roigard staked his claim for the number nine jersey with two well-executed tries inside the opening 10 minutes, being in the right place at the right time to collect respective offloads from Leicester Fainga'anuku and Ardie Savea to scamper over the line. Tiaan Swanepoel kicked a long-range penalty to score what would end up being Namibia's only points, before the one-way traffic towards the Welwitschias' try-line resumed.
Roigard's halves partner Damian McKenzie was enjoying himself too, diving under the posts for the first of his two tries before Fainga'anuku muscled his way over with the All Blacks' fourth. Anton Lienert-Brown and McKenzie both finished off opportunistic moves in the shadows of half-time, as the six-try All Blacks entered the break 38-3 up.
Watch: Cam Roigard's opening score set the tone for New Zealand (UK)
It took little under nine minutes to break the second-half deadlock, with replacement prop Ethan de Groot bundling over in the corner following a set-piece. The points soon began to flow like the first half's rain, with Dalton Papalii and David Havili both waltzing over untouched to widen the gap further.
The game continued to open up for New Zealand as more substitutes were introduced, and Richie Mo'unga came off the bench to produce a perfect kick wide for Caleb Clarke to finish. De Groot was then sin-binned for a high tackle, meaning the All Blacks would end the game a man down, and that yellow card's upgrade to red could cause problems in the coming days for the Kiwi's front-row stocks.
Even with 14 though, the All Blacks weren't finished, as Rieko Ioane came off the bench to scythe through tired Namibia defence and score his side's 11th try. The full-time whistle soon followed, and sealed a 71-3 victory for New Zealand; exactly what this side needed after two punishing defeats by South Africa and France in recent weeks.
Fantastic fringe players give Foster welcome headache
Few would have thought Cam Roigard or Damian McKenzie would be anywhere near New Zealand's first-choice XV, indeed neither featured against France in the opener, but their performances tonight have certainly shown their worth to this All Blacks side. Roigard had already crossed twice before some fans had even taken their seats, while McKenzie's constant threat both with ball-in-hand and off the boot was far too much for Namibia to handle. The pair combined in the build-up of several All Black tries, while McKenzie finished the game with a personal points haul of 26.
Nervy Namibia swept aside in Toulouse
The Welwitschias did have a few chances on the All Blacks' line late in the second half, but they couldn't make any of them count. It's little wonder Namibia couldn't give much in attack - they defended heroically but in vain for the vast majority of the game and had very few opportunities to show what they could do in possession. Le Roux Malan's leg injury is another concern for Allister Coetzee, but he certainly doesn't have to worry about his side's commitment - the entire 23 tackled for 80 minutes as if their lives depended on it.
MORE: Who are the favourites to win the 2023 Rugby World Cup?
The Sporting News followed the match live, providing live updates and commentary below.
New Zealand vs. Namibia full-time score
| 1H | 2H | FT | |
| New Zealand | 38 | 33 | 71 |
| Namibia | 3 | 0 | 3 |
Tries: Roigard (2), McKenzie (2), Fainga'anuku, Lienert-Brown, De Groot, Papalii, Havili, Clarke, Ioane
Conversions: McKenzie (8)
Penalties: Swanepoel
New Zealand vs. Namibia full commentary, highlights
FT: That's all from us, thank you for being along for the ride! The All Blacks are firmly back amongst the winner's circle, and go into their next game against Italy with renewed confidence. Namibia's task doesn't get much easier though, they've got the small matter of facing hosts and favourites France next up - we'll see you then!
Watch: Rieko Ioane darts over for New Zealand's 11th and final try in Toulouse (UK)
FT: It's all over, and what a way to put two heart-breaking defeats behind you! The All Blacks took a little longer to hit their stride in the second period, but as soon as they did, Namibia could do nothing to stop them. De Groot re-opened the scoring with his first touch, and from there it was open season, with Papalii and Havili strolling under the posts before Clarke scored off a grubber kick from Mo'unga. More was to come for New Zealand, as replacement Rieko Ioane tore into the back-field to round off the scoring with a long-range effort, dotting down the 11th try of the match in the process. Despite a late yellow-turned-red card for De Groot, Ian Foster's side were in charge from the very first minute, and it's a performance they'll hope can be the catalyst for a drive towards Rugby World Cup glory.
80 mins: Namibia win a late penalty and look for that elusive five pointer, but despite a good carry into the 22 by Rossouw, the ball comes free and Havili clears to bring the game to a close!
79 minds: It's red! The off-field bunker have upgraded De Groot's yellow card to a red one, which is hardly surprising given the shoulder charge-esque nature of the challenge, and that could rule the prop out of more than just this game too.
78 mins: TRY - New Zealand 71-3 Namibia! The All Blacks punish Namibia to score number 11! The ball is thrown left once more and Fainga'anuku offloads inside to Rieko Ioane. The replacement centre beats Loubser all ends up with a fantastic left-footed step to race over the line late on! McKenzie converts, and you'd fancy the All Blacks to launch one last attack before full-time.
76 mins: With prop De Groot off, the 14-man All Blacks take off an outside back to complete the scrum, but Stevens drops the ball cold with the line begging and New Zealand clear their lines! That may be Namibia's only chance gone!
74 mins: A loose ball breaks for Namibia in the New Zealand 22, and Loubser grubbers towards the in-goal. Swanepoel and new hooker Louis van der Westhuizen chase hard, but neither can ground the ball as play re-sets for a five-metre scrum!
72 mins: Yellow card! A big, big shot from De Groot is under review by the TMO, and upon closer inspection, it's a clear shoulder to the head of Adriaan Booysen. The New Zealand prop is lucky that it's not a red card, but his 10-minute sin-binning means the game is over for him regardless.
68 mins: TRY - New Zealand 62-3 Namibia! Clinical from the All Blacks! They rush up the other end of the field and Mo'unga, on for Beauden Barrett, chips wide to the right wing. Clarke chases and gets the bounce, crashing over the line despite Loubser's tackle! McKenzie adds the two, and that's try number 10 for the dominant All Blacks.
66 mins: A knock-on gives Namibia another chance of scoring as they enter the 22. A quick tap penalty is taken by JC Greyling, but New Zealand's replacement flanker Tupou Vaa'i gets over the ball to win the turnover penalty!
65 mins: So close for the Welwitschias! Namibia pile almost every player they have into a driving maul, which Deysel breaks through the middle of. He's yards from the line, but spills the ball as he goes to ground it and it's thumped clear by Havili!
63 mins: Namibia win a penalty and build pressure on New Zealand's line, and the All Blacks are caught offside in stopping a Swanepoel pass to Rossouw, gifting the Welwitschias another penalty and their best chance so far to cross the try-line!
61 mins: The two number 13's come together in a monster collision, with Lienert-Brown dropping the ball cold as Deysel wins possession back for his side!
58 mins: TRY - New Zealand 57-3 Namibia! They're enjoying themselves now! Another maul heads towards the try-line, before Savea peels off the back. He finds Roigard, who double-pumps before putting Havili into a hole and over for the All Blacks' ninth try of the evening! Two more points off the tee for McKenzie, who brings his own points tally to 28.
55 mins: TRY - New Zealand 50-3 Namibia! There's the half-century! The ball is flung wide at speed by the All Blacks and the sheer speed of Barrett and Fainga'anuku takes them deep into the 22. The ball comes back to the right, where Papalii hits a great line off a flat pass to dot down underneath the sticks! A routine conversion for McKenzie, and the All Blacks hit 50 in Toulouse.
52 mins: Forward come the All Blacks again after Loubser spills a clearance into touch. The ball comes right and Clarke grubbers head, but Namibia latch onto the loose ball and win a penalty on the floor.
49 mins: TRY - New Zealand 43-3 Namibia! The first points of the second half go New Zealand's way! From a line-out, the All Black maul powers forward before bring play back to the right. Savea offloads and Ethan de Groot, only just on at loosehead for Tu'ungafasi, crashes over to score in the corner with his first touch! McKenzie's conversion is wayward though, keeping the gap at 40 points for the time being.
47 mins: Clarke is the recipient of another kick in-behind the defence, this time from Havili, and has a clear run to the line. He loses his footing on the wet grass though, allowing Deysel to rush across and push the winger over the sideline.
46 mins: Clarke makes massive yardage into the Welwitschias' half to get the All Black on the front foot, but Tu'ungafasi's pass off a Havili offload sails over the top of Papalii and into touch.
44 mins: Namibia win a penalty in the New Zealand 22 and look to play a set move off the short line-out, but Van Jaarsveld gets his throw all wrong and the All Blacks turn it over.
41 mins: Swanepoel resumes proceedings in Toulouse with a long kick down-field, and New Zealand won't be planning on spending much time in their own 22 from the kick-off.
HT: We're back for the second half with New Zealand on top, but can Namibia find a way through this black wall of defence to perhaps cross for a five-pointer of their own?
HT: The All Blacks lead by a massive 35 points at the break, scoring six tries and conceding just one penalty goal at the other end. Scrum-half Cam Roigard had crossed for two tries inside the first eight minutes of his maiden test start, and McKenzie soon darted over for New Zealand's third. Fainga'anuku's power brought try number four, Lienert-Brown's skill did likewise for five, and McKenzie finished off a Roigard break to add the sixth right on half-time.
40 mins: Half-time - New Zealand 38-3 Namibia.
39 mins: TRY - New Zealand 38-3 Namibia! A superb sixth for New Zealand! Roigard darts from a scrum on halfway and races into the back-field. He's got McKenzie on his shoulder and offloads to his half-back partner, who slides over for his second try and adds the conversion to open up a 35-point gap at the break!
Watch: Sensational skill from the All Blacks centre to dot down his side's fifth try (UK)
36 mins: TRY - New Zealand 31-3 Namibia! An amazing individual try! The ball is thrown from left to right and comes to Lienert-Brown on the far touchline. He kicks ahead and gives chase, grubbering again before Loubser can get there, and the centre races onto the loose ball to ground it for the All Blacks' fifth try! McKenzie adds the two, and what a show New Zealand are putting on in Toulouse.
34 mins: The bounce of the ball denies us the try of the tournament so far! Winning a line-out on their own 22-metre line, the All Blacks look left and throw the ball through several pairs of hands. McKenzie and Havili's offloads put Barrett into space, but his kick over the top bounces dead just before Roigard can ground it!
31 mins: New Zealand elect to scrum just five metres from Namibia's tryline, but the Welwitschias pack stand their ground and win a much-needed free-kick.
28 mins: Off the back of a New Zealand scrum, Roigard kicks wide towards Clarke, but he's reeled in by the defence before he can race into the open space. McKenzie's long kick in behind the defence from the following play is grounded in-goal by Loubser, gifting the All Blacks possession from the goal-line drop-out.
25 mins: TRY - New Zealand 24-3 Namibia! Now Fainga'anuku has his try! Taking a flat ball from the back of a line-out, the hulking winger barges his way through plenty of tackles and bundles his way over for five more All Black points! McKenzie's conversion strikes the upright, as the rain buckets down in Toulouse.
22 mins: New Zealand ship the ball wide once more looking for the bonus-point, but Lienert-Brown's offload over the top to Fainga'anuku goes forward and play is called back for another scrum!
20 mins: TRY - New Zealand 19-3 Namibia! There is number three! Fancy flicks apiece from Tu'ungafasi and Barrett opens up space for Jacobson down the left, but Mouton races back to cut the flanker down short of the line. Namibia are stretched though, and McKenzie takes advantage of this to scythe through the disjointed line and dive under the posts! The Chiefs fly-half converts his own five-pointer, and there's clear daylight between the sides now.
18 mins: Namibia centre Le Roux Malan has picked up a nasty, nasty leg injury in the process of making a tackle, bringing the game to an immediate halt as he's safely taken from the field with applause from all sides of the stadium. That'll most likely be his tournament over, which is such sad news for this tight-knit group.
17 mins: The All Blacks are denied a third! From the latest penalty, Retallick brings the ball down at the line-out and the maul is soon rolling towards the line. Taukei'aho has the ball at the back and grounds it over the line, but the TMO steps in after spotting obstruction from Whitelock and Tu'ungafasi, ruling out the try and awarding Namibia a penalty instead!
15 mins: A long, wide pass bounces kindly for Clarke, but he's denied a try after being held up by four Namibian defenders. It comes back left in the hands of McKenzie, but desperate Welwitschias defence forces the ball loose and play comes back for a penalty!
13 mins: Namibia's scrum holds firm on this occasion, and it's tossed out wide to Mouton, who steps inside Jacobson's tackle before being shunted into touch by the All Blacks' scramble defence.
11 mins: PENALTY - New Zealand 12-3 Namibia. The underdogs have their first points! Whitelock is pinged for hands in the ruck, and after nothing comes of the advantage, Swanepoel steps up from 45 metres to slot over a three-pointer for the Welwitschias.
8 mins: TRY - New Zealand 12-0 Namibia! The Welwitschias' scrum is obliterated by the All Blacks, who put on one hell of a shove and Stevens' feed spills out on New Zealand's side. Savea breaks off the base with ball in hand and offloads to Roigard, who dives over for a second try in eight minutes! McKenzie pulls the conversion wide, with the All Blacks already in firm control of this one.
7 mins: A let-off for Namibia! A loose ball allows the All Blacks to break out of their own 22 at pace. Barrett charges down the right flank and kicks ahead for McKenzie, who slides over to dot the ball down! The TMO is called in to assist, but replays show the fly-half grounded the ball short and it'll instead be Namibia's feed at the scrum!
5 mins: Strong carries from Uanivi and Conradie take Namibia into the New Zealand 22 for the first time, and hefty support at the breakdown wins the Welwitshcias a penalty in scoring position!
3 mins: TRY - New Zealand 7-0 Namibia! The All Blacks are over already! They start on an immediate front foot despite bruising defence from Namibia, and Barrett chips wide to Fainga'anuku. He flicks the ball out to Havili before scooting from the following ruck, and Roigard is there to collect the winger's inside offload and race over the line! McKenzie adds the two, and that's exact the start Ian Foster will have been hoping for.
Kick-Off: Aaron Smith leads them, and the All Blacks lay down the challenge as Kapa o Mango thunders around this packed-out arena. And It's New Zealand who'll get us underway, as Beauden Barrett sends the kick-off deep into Namibia's half!
5 mins from kick-off: The anthems are underway in Toulouse, both being be sung with pride and passion, before New Zealand head to the halfway line for one more pre-match ritual...
10 mins from kick-off: There's a sea of black shirts in the crowd as the teams prepare to trudge out onto the pitch, and here they come, walking either side of the Webb Ellis Cup trophy itself!
15 mins from kick-off: Less than a quarter of an hour to go, and the Stadium Municipal in the French rugby heartland of Toulouse is all set for what should be a free-scoring affair with plenty of points notched at either end. The Stade Ernest Wallon a few miles down the road usually hosts the city's rugby matches, but the football stadium is packed to the rafters as we await the arrival of both teams onto the pitch.
30 mins from kick-off: There are no late changes to either side's matchday 23 as time ticks down to the first whistle, as Ardie Savea, captain at short notice following a warm-up injury to Sam Cane last week, prepares to lead out the men in black with only one goal in mind - victory. Namibia skipper Johan Deysel scored his side's only try against the All Blacks in 2015; can history repeat itself here?
45 mins from kick-off: One New Zealander is the only surviving member of both the 2011 and 2015 World Cup triumphs, and starts tonight for a record-equalling 148th cap. Sam Whitelock draws level with the legendary Richie McCaw as the All Black's highest appearance maker, playing at lock alongside his ever-present partner in crime, Brodie Retallick.
60 mins from kick-off: A first pool stage defeat at any Rugby World Cup sees the All Blacks enter this game in unique circumstances, especially for a side featuring several of the players who've won two of the past three tournaments. New Zealand were also beaten by South Africa in their final warm-up game, but they'll be confident they can return to the winners' circle against the Springboks' African neighbours.
75 mins from kick-off: The All Blacks and Welwitschias have faced off at the past two tournaments, with New Zealand posting two big victories, and Namibia know they'll need to be on top form to prevent the three-time champions from really hitting their straps in Toulouse.
90 mins from kick-off: Hello and welcome to live coverage of the latest match at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Three-time champions New Zealand suffered a first-ever pool stage defeat to hosts France in their opener, and will look to get back to winning ways against Namibia.
MORE: Fantastic France defeat New Zealand in perfect start to home World Cup
New Zealand vs. Namibia confirmed line-ups
It's all change at the back for New Zealand, with only fullback Beauden Barrett and centre Anton Lienert-Brown keeping their places from the opening day defeat. Two-try winger Mark Telea is replaced by Leicester Fainga'anuku down the left edge, who the new half-back pairing of Cam Roigard and Damian McKenzie will be looking to find at every opportunity.
Up front, the long-time lock partnership of Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock packs down for a record-extending 66th test start together. It's a milestone match for the latter, as Whitelock makes his 148th appearance in the black jersey, drawing him level with former captain Richie McCaw as New Zealand's record cap holder. Speaking of captains, Ardie Savea will again lead the All Blacks in Toulouse, as Sam Cane continues his recovery from the injury that ruled him out of the game against France.
New Zealand starting XV: Beauden Barrett, Caleb Clarke, Anton Lienert-Brown, David Havili, Leicester Fainga'anuku, Damian McKenzie, Cam Roigard; Ofa Tu'ungafasi, Samisoni Taukei'aho, Nepo Laulala, Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Luke Jacobson, Dalton Papalii, Ardie Savea.
New Zealand replacements: Dane Coles, Ethan de Groot, Fletcher Newell, Scott Barrett, Tupou Vaa'i, Aaron Smith, Richie Mo'unga, Rieko Ioane.
Now Namibia's captain and one of the most experienced players in the Welwitshcias' squad, Johan Deysel barged his way over to score his side's only try at London's Olympic Stadium against the All Blacks, who of course went on to win their second successive tournament. He'll line up at outside centre for Namibia, looking to provide ammunition for wideman Gerswin Mouton, who scored the only try in their opener against Italy.
In the pack, Namibia's dynamic back-row will look to frustrate New Zealand at the breakdown whenever possible. Wian Conradie starts at blindside after a knock in the Italy match, former Wallaby Richard Hardwick brings Tier 1 international experience at the base of the scrum, and openside Prince Gaoseb was one of the Welwitschias' standouts in their 71-9 loss four years ago.
Namibia starting XV: Clive Loubser, Gerswin Mouton, Johan Deysel, Le Roux Malan, Divan Roussouw, Tiaan Swanepoel, Damian Stevens; Jason Benade, Torsten van Jaarsveld, Aranos Coetzee, Johan Retief, Tjiuee Uanivi, Wian Conradie, Prince Gaoseb, Richard Hardwick.
Namibia replacements: Louis van der Westhuizen, Des Sethie, Haitembu Shifuka, PJ van Lill, Adriaan Booysen, Max Katjijeko, Jacques Theron, JC Greyling.
MORE: What's the story behind the Rugby World Cup trophy?
New Zealand vs. Namibia TV channel, live stream
TV networks worldwide will be showing all 48 matches at the tournament live, including many on free-to-air television.
On social platforms alone, video content from the Rugby World Cup and organisers World Rugby drew more than 2.1 billion views in 2019 – almost six times the previous figure.
| TV channel | Streaming | |
|---|---|---|
| USA | — | Peacock |
| Canada | TSN |
TSN+ |
| UK | ITV | ITV X |
| Australia | Stan Sport | Stan Sport |
| New Zealand | Sky GO | Sky GO |
| India | — | Fan Code |
| Hong Kong | BeIN Sports | BeIN Sports |
| Malaysia | BeIN Sports | BeIN Sports |
| Singapore | BeIN Sports | BeIN Sports |
The tournament also has its own app, delivering highlights, news and more across the seven weeks of action in France.
MORE: All Blacks name experience-stacked squad for 2023 Rugby World Cup
New Zealand vs Namibia betting odds, prediction
After the last two World Cups yielded 58-14 and 71-9 wins in 2015 and 2019 respectively, it's hard to look past anything other than a dominant All Blacks victory here.
Crossing the whitewash as Deysel did in 2015 would likely be considered a success for Namibia, as would keeping the scoreline respectable and limiting New Zealand to less than 50 points.
The Welwitschias' search for a maiden World Cup victory almost certainly won't come in this game, but a strong performance from Allister Coetzee's men could help prepare them to break that decades-long duck against Uruguay later this month.
| Result | Australia (Unibet) | UK (BetOnSports) |
| New Zealand win | 1.001 | 1/1000 |
| Draw | 101.00 | 100/1 |
| Namibia win | 67.00 | 40/1 |