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The history book was shredded with the same ease as the Samoan defence as the All Blacks inflicted a 101-14 Test rugby slaughter last night.
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Predictions the hastily-arranged match would be little more than a training session for New Zealand proved spot on as they raised a century after crossing for their 15th try in the final act of the game.
Seven tries in the first half and eight in the second carried them to their equal fourth highest Test score, easily surpassing the highest score in four previous meetings with Samoa, a 71-13 win at Albany in 1999.
In perfect conditions the New Zealanders spread the ball at will, with the chief beneficiary being Samoan-born fullback Mils Muliaina with a hat-trick of tries.
He was replaced at halftime along with five-eighth Daniel Carter, who had landed six of seven conversion attempts.
Carter’s replacement Stephen Donald kicked seven from eight, including the late angled shot that raised three figures for the fifth time for the All Blacks in Tests.
Coach Graham Henry was clearly wary of injuries to his key men ahead of the Tri-Nations decider against Australia in Brisbane next week, working his entire reserve bench early in the second half.
All Blacks winger Anthony Tuitavake left the game with a head knock shortly before halftime, replaced by Rudi Wulf.
The match was to prepare the All Blacks for Brisbane although little can be gleaned from this display which was sparkling for long periods but also error-ridden.
Samoa’s prospects were hardly helped when halfback Notise Tauafoao was shown a yellow card just before halftime for a professional foul.
The match itself made history, being the first time the All Blacks had played in New Plymouth.
After three enthusiastic days’ buildup, a crowd of 22,518 didn’t appear to mind the one-sided nature of the contest, with Mexican waves and blaring music the order of the day.
Debate over whether the match should have been awarded Test status intensified in the first 16 minutes as the All Blacks scored four tries.
Two went to Muliaina and one each to centre Conrad Smith and openside flanker Adam Thomson, the latter’s first in Test rugby after starting ahead of the injured Richie McCaw.
They failed to cross again for the next 20 minutes, the messiest period of the Test in which Samoa manufactured the first of two tries, to ducking five-eighth Uale Mai.
However, three tries flowed in the five minutes before the break.
It was one-way traffic in the second spell as the visitors – featuring 10 players in their starting 15 who are based in the Samoan domestic competition – clearly tired.
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