Rugby World Cup 2015: Winners and Losers from New Zealand vs. Georgia

New Zealand weathered some heavy Georgian hitting and their own sloppiness at times to secure their third bonus-point win in Pool C of the Rugby World Cup 2015, recording a 43-10 victory.

The Lelos shocked the All Blacks when they levelled the scores at 7-7 early in the piece, but a further three tries gave Steve Hansen’s men a cushion and the bonus point by half-time.

But it was far from slick rugby from the men in black, with plenty of attacks fizzling out with a series of handling errors rarely seen from the World Champions.

Read on to discover the winners and losers from under the Millennium Stadium, Wales, roof.

New Zealand wing Waisake Naholo was picked in the squad despite suffering a hairline leg fracture during the Rugby Championship.

And the Highlanders star repaid the faith Steve Hansen showed in his powers of recovery less than two minutes into his first start at this World Cup with a dazzling try.

The Fijian-born wide man came haring in off his wing to spear straight through the heart of the Georgian defence and outstrip every man in red on the field for a brilliant score.

It was the perfect way to make a case to his coach that he should be chosen in front of rival Nehe Milner-Skudder for the starting No. 14 shirt.

We have seen it before from the All Blacks.

They breeze through their group with no big nations to extend them very much and then run smack into a battle-hardened big gun–usually France­–and come unstuck.

It happened in 1999 and 2007, and the French booted them out on both occasions.

This year they have never looked troubled, but they have never looked like world-beaters, either.

With 80 minutes against Tonga to come, there is not much time left before they have to face either Ireland or those troublesome French in the quarter-final, and it looks like there is plenty of ring rust to knock off.

All Blacks wing Julian Savea bagged a hat-trick to take his tally to 35 in 38 Tests, a phenomenal strike rate.

The big No. 11 had two before half-time and completed his treble in the last 10 minutes with a simple finish that put him on par with the great John Kirwan.

The Hurricanes man is still only 25 and has time on his side to take that total considerably higher.

It was not a night for the ages for New Zealand skipper Richie McCaw or fly-half Dan Carter.

Carter missed some simple kicks at goal, and his radar was also off when looking for territory downfield.

Allied to that, he was smashed around the place by the big Georgian tacklers and suffered a spot of whiplash when he got in the way of Lelos skipper Mamuka Gorgodze.

McCaw was also in the wars, frequently needing treatment and eventually limping off to avoid any further wear and tear.

Both men will call it quits at international level after this tournament, but many more nights like this may bring that date forward.

Ice baths all round for the All Blacks' elder statesmen.

Georgia’s players did not stop throwing their bodies in the way of black shirts all night.

There have been no cricket scores in this World Cup, and it is down to the smaller nations' vast improvement in defence.

Mamuka Gorgodze’s men lacked the firepower with ball in hand, but when it came to making the big hits, they showed the ability to mix it with the big boys.

There were some shuddering tackles put in by players in red shirts in Cardiff Friday night, and along with a murderous scrum, they ensured this contest never felt as one-sided as it should have been.