Good morning everybody. After all the talk, the glossy supplements, the warm-up matches and the moaning about Kiwis staging rugby matches at breakfast time in the UK, it's kick-off time for Rugby World Cup 2011 and the tournament's opening match features the hosts New Zealand against Tonga at Eden Park in Auckland.
Anyone looking for the skinny on the tournament could do worse than peruse our Rugby World Cup special report, which features such myriad delights as our Rugby World Cup preview podcast hosted by Eddie Butler, our stats centre and interactive guide to the tournament, not to mention all the news and comment from the Guardian's crack team of rugby writers in New Zealand.
The opening ceremony: Sadly, I didn't get to see this because I don't think ITV broadcast it, but can confirm that ITV presenter Steve Rider described it as "vibrant". Meanwhile in my email in-box, Craig Gamble asks "are you as confused by everyone down here by the opening ceremony."
New Zealand: Dagg, Kahui, Nonu, S. Williams, Toeava, Carter, Cowan, Woodcock, Hore, O. Franks, Thorn, A. Williams, Kaino, McCaw, Vito.
Replacements: Flynn, B. Franks, Boric, Whitelock, Weepu, Slade, Jane.
Tonga: Lilo, Iongi, Hufanga, Ma'ilei, Piutau, Morath, Moa, Tonga'uiha, Lutui, Filise, Hehea, Tuineau, Kalamafoni, Maka, Ma'afu.
Replacements: Taukafa, Taumalolo, Pulu, Timani, Vahafolau, Fisilau, Fatafehi.
Referee: George Clancy (IRFU)
Well, that didn't take long: At just 9.05am, ITV broadcast their first package about New Zealand being Rugby World Cup chokers. It features a lot of angry Kiwi men swearing into the camera, shouting things like "[BLEEP!]ing disgrace". I don't think we've read what knock-out rugby is," says Grant Fox, a winner of the first World Cup with the All Blacks in 1987.
Today's officials: Irish referee George Clancy will be assisted by touch-judges Craig Joubert from South Africa and Stuart Terheege from England. The TV match official is Giul'o De Santis from Italy.
9.15am: "As safe a pair of hands as Steve Rider is, I already have the same impending feel of doom about this Rugby World Cup coverage on ITV in terms of production and lifeless commentary," writes Daniel Chirwa. "Not promising at all. At least it gets Adrian Chiles mug off early morning TV."
"ITV are crap, what happened to the opening ceremony coverage (not that I am that keen) and is it going to be non-stop updates from the England camp for the entire tournament?" asks Hoppolocos. "Could England be any more relaxed? Pity that Scotland, Wales and Ireland aren't there so we could updates from their camps ... oh hang on."
Crikey! It could be a long tournament. At the moment on ITV, Lawrence Dallaglio and Sean Fitzpatrick are talking tactics Gary Neville-on-Sky Sports-style with the help of a big screen they're clearly not expecting to work very well. Their technology doesn't betray them and despite the best attempts of Steve Rider to talk up the chances of Tonga, both former World Cup winners agree that New Zealand will win this game easily by playing better rugby than Tonga.
Not long now: The teams emerge from the tunnel in a packed Eden Park, New Zealand led by Richie McCaw and Tonga led by Finau Maka, who was an injury doubt for this game but has been passed fit to play. They line up for their national anthems, which were recorded by the New Zealand National Symphony Orchestra and are being played over the Tannoy. New Zealand's players are dressed in their customary All Black strip, while Tonga's wear All Red.
9.28am: Tonga move slowly to the centre of the field to perform their version of the Haka, to which New Zealand duly respond. There was a bit of a palaver over who would go first and whether each team would respect the other's, but it's all passed off rather peacefully.
1 min: Tonga kick off, playing towards the Eastern End of Eden Park. Kurt Morath takes the first kick of the tournament, Ali Williams the first catch,
2 min: Tonga have possession on the halfway line but despite repeated attempts, can't make any progress. There have been some big hits early on and the latest, from Sonny Bill Williams, wins the turnover ball for New Zealand. Dan Carter swings his boot and sets up a line-out just inside the Tongan 22.
3 min: Just three minutes gone and Tonga are already under immense pressure, with New Zealand passing the ball over and back inside their 22 trying to find an opening. Sonny Bill Williams, Jerome Kaino and Ma'a Nonu go particularly close to breaching their defences, but are only stopped by last-ditch tackles before Tonga concede a penalty under the posts.
4 min: New Zealand 3-0 Tonga (Carter penalty) New Zealand's fly-half slots the balls between the posts.
7 min: Considering the pressure they were under, Tonga were lucky to get away with conceding just the three points there. New Zealand went perilously close to scoring in the right corner, after centre Sonny Bill Williams had flung a long pass out to the wing, where right-winger Richard Kahui passed it back inside, only for a brave Tongan to prevent what looked a certain try with a tackle that was smashing in every sense of the word.
9 min: Tonga get the ball out of their own half again, but lose it on the turnover. Jimmy Cowan puts it into the scrum and takes it out again and from five yards inside their own half, New Zealand set off towards the Tongan try-line.
New Zealand 8-0 Tonga (Dagg, try 10) Oh dear. After taking the ball from Cowan Dan Carter sets off and brings Richard Kahui, Sonny Bill Williams and Ma'a Nonu into play. With a three-man overlap, New Zealand carve open the Tongan defence and full-back Israel Dagg scores in the left corner. Dan Carter misses the conversion.
14 min: Tonga make some hard yards to the New Zealand 22, but lose possession in the scrum.
17 min: Kurt Morath misses a penalty for Tonga from 50 metres out.
New Zealand 13-0 Tonga (Kahui, try 19) A fine try from Zealand, who tear the Tongan defence to ribbons again. Playing a series of wide passes from left to right across the field from inside their own half, New Zealand work the ball to Sonny Bill Williams on the left touchline. He promptly plays a blind reverse pass inside to Isaiah Toeva, who offloads to Kahui. The winger cuts inside what little cover remains and scores New Zealand's second try.
New Zealand 15-0 Tonga Dan Carter adds the bonus points.
23 min: Brad Thorn has the ball for New Zealand as a maul rolls towards the Tonga line. New Zealand send the ball out their back-line again and get it over the line in the hands of Sonny Bill Williams in the right corner, but referee George Clancy disallows the try for obstructive crossing. Dan Carter appears to have been the guilty party.
27 min: New Zealand have a line-out on their own 22 after some good play by Tonga, who are improving, but keep losing the ball in contact spots.
New Zealand 20-0 Tonga (Dagg, try 22) New Zealand win turnover ball inside their own half and playing from right to left across the field of play, rip Tonga's backs asunder again. Running in a straight line, the All Blacks backs play the ball out to the left touchline with a series of long, flat passes, where Toeva gets the offload from Sonny Bill Williams. He plays it back inside and several missed Tongan tackles later, New Zealand full-back Dagg crosses for his second try in the corner, as assorted Tongan players look at each other helplessly.
New Zealand 22-0 Tonga: Dan Carter slots over from the touchline for the extra two points.
New Zealand 27-0 Tonga (Kahui 33) Another splendid try from the All Blacks, whose backs throw a series of long passes across the pitch from left to right, just for a bit of variety. A superb hand-off and lay-off by Dagg allows winger Richard Kahui in past Tonga full-back Vungakoto Lilo, down in the right corner.
New Zealand 29-0 Tonga: Dan Carter etc and so on.
37 min: As Sonny Bill Williams tries to goose-step his way down the left touchline to set up another New Zealand try, he's driven into touch by a fine tackle from Sione Kalamafoni.
New Zealand 29-3 Tonga On the stroke of half-time, Kurt Morath kicks a penalty for Tonga after an infringement of some description by New Zealand scrum-half Jimmy Cowan. If nothing else, it'll take the bare look off their side of the score-board.
Half-time
Gary Naylor's first email of the tournament: "The first thing I saw on arriving at The Oval for the cricket was Dan Carter slotting a kick: but so what?" he harrumphs. "Everyone knows that the ABs cruise until the pressure comes, as George Gregan, in my favourite sledge in any sport pointed out a couple of cups back when Australia beat New Zealand. On the final whistle, up went Gregan's fingers on his right hand as he shouted 'Four more years, boys. Four more years!' I can't wait for this year's Gregan to repeat that one."
Second half After a great restart from Dan Carter, New Zealand regain possession straight away and win a penalty about 30 yards under the Tonga posts. Carter puts the ball into touch for a New Zealand line-out on the five-yard line.
41 min: New Zealand go close again, playing the ball from right to left before Sonny Bill Williams is stopped a yard from the line by a fine tackle from Tonga centre Andre Ma'ilei.
45 min: "I am fortunate to live in the fair city of Auckland, having been dragged up in the less than fair city of Peterborough," writes Robbie Price. "I live less than a kilometre from Eden park, and was fortunate to hear the public transport announcement at 6.30pm, an hour before the opening ceremony stating 'all trains from the city centre had stopped, but buses were on the way'. It's never that reassuring to be confronted by a blackboard when expecting a train I find. Less so minutes before a World Cup opening barn dance. Still, it's only an hours walk. Up hill."
46 min: Relentless New Zealand pressure is alleviated when scrum-half Jimmy Cowan makes a mess of a pass to Israel Dagg, who knocks on. New Zealand make a substitution, with Ben Franks replacing Tony Woodcock in the front row, where he joins his brother Owen Franks.
47 min: Tonga hooker Aleki Lutui goes off to be replaced by Ephraim Taukafa. I won't lie - it's going to be difficult keeping track of all the substitutions in this second half, but I'll do my best to keep you informed ...
49 min: With Tonga about 10 yards inside their own half, out-half Morath steps in to play scrum-half behind a ruck and plays a long pass deep to Andre Ma'ilei. Tonga's first decent looking attack of note breaks down when Sonny Bill Williams turns it over and sets off on the counter for New Zealand.
51 min: Brilliant defence by the Tongans who soak up wave after wave of attack and succeed in keeping out both Toeva and Nonu with some magnificent tackling and smothering in a marvellously entertaining passage of play in which New Zealand crossed from side to side of the field, displaying some immaculate ball handling skills and, in the case of Williams, a marvellous grubber kick inside to Toeva, who was subsequently flattened by a wonderful tackle.
52 min: Tonga remain under incredible pressure and have made a couple more changes in personnel, but have yet to concede in the second half. On the New Zealand side, there's also a change as Sonny Bill Williams is forced to replace a ripped shirt to a cacophony of wolf-whistles from the crowd. He is seriously ripped.
54 min: Isaih Toeva gets over in the corner for New Zealand despite last ditch tackles from Vungakoto Lilo and Sukanaivalu Huffanga. His foot was touching chalk before he grounded the ball, however, so TV match official Giul'o De Santis tells referee George Clancy it's no try.
56 min: Tonga's skipper and wing-forward Finau Maka was a doubt before this game with an achilles injury and has now been forced off. He's replaced by Samiu Vahafolau.
New Zealand 34-3 Tonga (Kaino try 58) The pass wide from replacement Piri Weepu, the marvellous chip-and-chase from Richard Kahui, who catches his own kick and passes inside from the right touchline and New Zealand wing-forward Jerome Kaino streaks over the Tonga line. Dan Carter misses the conversion.
62 min: "What the hell is a wing forward?" writes Jonathan Norman. It's a flanker ... a No6 or No7. Or have I just made that up?
64 min: It's Patronise Tonga time as they set up camp under the New Zealand posts.
65 min: In the wake of sustained pressure, Tonga win a scrum five yards from the New Zealand line, then a penalty. They got themselves into this position, after a loose pass from - I think - prop Andrew Hore to Dan Carter allowed Alisona Taumalolo to flatten the New Zealand out-half, pick the ball and gallop goalwards.
68 min: Tonga remain camped in the shadow of the New Zealand posts, five yards out. It's scrum-time again and, not for the first time, the front rows collapse. Tonga have been looking for a penalty try and referee George Clancy is growing increasingly impatient at having to constantly re-set the scrum. "I'm warning you! Wait for engage!" he says. "No, I'm warning you ... wait for engage."
70 min: New Zealand don't wait for the engage and Clancy orders the scrum to be re-set again. Finally we get some action - Tonga are one yard from the line.
New Zealand 34-8 Tonga (Taumalolo 73) On the 10th phase, Tonga finally get the ball over the line, with Alisona Taumalolo burrowing his way over to the delight of his team-mates. It's referred to the TV match official Giul'o De Santis, who sees no reason to disallow it.
New Zealand 34-10 Tonga With a swing of his boot, Kurt Morath converts the try and puts Tonga into double-figures. Their players and supporters are genuinely delighted with that try and it's small wonder. They're ranked 17th in the world and are playing the team ranked No1 - most people were expecting them to ship a 50 or 60-point gubbing.
74 min: The ITV commentary team are suggesting that New Zealand scrum-half Jimmy Cowan has been so poor in this game that he's probably played himself out of contention for a berth in the New Zealand starting line-up, where Piri Weepu has already shown more guile in the eight minutes he's been on the field than his predecessor did in the previous hour.
New Zealand 39-10 Tonga (Ma'a Nonu 74) Another Sonny Bill Williams offload goes to Piri Weepu, who times his pass to Ma'a Nonu perfectly. Weepu takes the return pass inside, waits for Nonu to pass him on the overlap again and gives the ball out to the burly centre, who scores under the posts.
New Zealand 41-10 Tonga Colin Slade splits the posts with his conversion to add another two points for the All Blacks.
80 min: "Is Jonathan Norman a long time rugby fan?" asks Neil Taylor. "Welcome to rugby old boy. Flanker is rather nouveau for my tastes and have they ever been called a No6 or a No7? Wing forward it is, thank you."
Full time: George Clancy blows the final whistle and the brings an end to the first match of this year's Rugby World Cup. New Zealand have beaten Tonga by 41 points to 10 (six tries to one) and emerged from the game without any injuries, which should keep the demanding Kiwi public off their backs for the time being.
Pictures: You can see a gallery of the best images from tonight's Rugby World Cup opener by clicking on this link.
