All Blacks maintain winning run with victory over Fiji

The All Blacks, who sealed a hard-fought 2-0 series win against England last week on home soil, included six debutants.

Centre Billy Proctor started in California while scrum-half Noah Hotham and forwards Wallace Sititi, Sam Darry, Pasilio Tosi and George Bell all made their debuts off the bench.

The All Blacks led 26-5 at half-time but Fiji still managed to restrict their opponents to the lowest score of their eight Test encounters.

"Fiji certainly showed up tonight in the physical areas," said winning skipper Scott Barrett. "It wasn't fully polished, we have pretty high standards in this team.

"They were able to get their hands on the ball to turn it over at times but we created enough opportunities to turn into points."

Winger Caleb Clarke and scrum-half Cortez Ratima, on his first Test start, scored converted tries inside the opening 15 minutes before Fiji struck back through Vilimoni Botitu.

Proctor scored following a half-break from McKenzie before Ardie Savea grabbed a try from a New Zealand quick tap just ahead of the interval.

New Zealand's Fiji-born winger Sevu Reece opened the second-half scoring before front-rowers Ethan de Groot and Bell went over for the last two tries, with fly-half Damian McKenzie landing six of his seven conversion attempts.

Both teams lost their scrum-halves to injury in the first half - Fiji's Frank Lomani to an apparent shoulder blow, and Ratima to a head knock.

It could add to a mounting scrum-half injury problem for the All Blacks, with leading candidate Cam Roigard out for the season and veteran TJ Perenara sidelined by a knee knock sustained against England.

Their next Test is against Argentina in Wellington on 10 August in the opening round of the Rugby Championship.

Meanwhile, Australia made it three wins out of three under new coach Joe Schmidt as they beat Georgia 40-29 in Sydney.

The Wallabies crossed three times in the opening 20 minutes to lead 26-10 at the break and although Georgia rallied in the second half, the home side triumphed in only the third meeting between the pair - and the first outside a World Cup.

Tries from Hunter Paisami and Isaac Kailea and two apiece from Rob Valetini and Fraser McReight secured the victory.

New Zealand: B. Barrett, Reece, Proctor, Liernert-Brown, Clarke, McKenzie, Ratima, Williams, Aumua, Newell, S. Barrett, Vaa'i, Jacobson, Blackadder, Savea.

Replacements: Bell, de Groot, Tosi, Darry, Sititi, Hotham, J. Barrett, Narawa.

Fiji: Botitu, Wainiqolo, Nayacalevu Vuidravuwalu, Tabuavou, Radradra, Armstrong-Ravula, Lomani, Mawi, Ikanivere, Doge, Nasilasila, Mayanavanua, L. Tagitagivalu, L. Tagitagivalu, Salawa, Mata.

Replacements: Togiatama, Hetet, Tawake, Tuisue, Canakaivata, Kuruvoli, Muntz, Maqala.

Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU)

-bbc