The All Blacks made a rampant start to their World Cup campaign, beating Italy by 76-14 in Marseille in a match which was effectively over after less than 20 minutes of the first half.

Two tries from Richie McCaw, converted by Dan Carter, gave New Zealand a welcome cushion within nine minutes of the kick-off, and three more tries in quick succession made the score 38-0 after 19 minutes, putting the game beyond doubt with less than a quarter played. While Italy showed some fight and spirit in the remaining three-quarters of the match, it made little difference to the game as a contest.

After France’s shock loss to Argentina in the opening match of the tournament - a game controlled by the underdogs for much of the first-half - the All Black coaches surely emphasised the importance of a fast start, and the players did not disappoint. Italy’s forwards are less capable than the Pumas pack at slowing the ball and tightening the match, but given the opportunity, they may have been obstinate enough to give New Zealand a similar scare as last night’s in Paris. But the All Blacks were having none of it, and after little more than a minute of midfield tussling, Ali Williams made a break from a lineout in the Italian half, offloading the ball to McCaw, who crossed the line uncontested for the first try.

Italy were initially reluctant to be adventurous in possession, kicking the ball to New Zealand’s back three, who prodded and probed the defence. They worked their way into the Italian half again, and from the base of a ruck, Byron Kelleher made a decisive break, feeding McCaw who went over for his second of the match. Carter’s conversion made it 14-0 in the blink of an eye, and Italian fans could be seen to wince, knowing the game was almost certainly over.

They had no doubt after the following 10 minutes, with tries from Doug Howlett, Sitiveni Sivivatu and Mils Muiliaina coming from open play in typical style. The All Black support play and offloading was impeccable, as they demonstrated the 15-man rugby that they have perfected in the past two years.

While the rest of the game was all but meaningless, save for any bonus points issues, it was no less entertaining as a result. The All Blacks threw the ball everywhere, sometimes with gay abandon, but more regularly with precision and to devastating effect. The Italians attempted to save face, but until the All Blacks had racked up 50 points, they did not look able to relax.

New Zealand are perhaps the only team in the world capable of running riot to this extent over an accomplished team. Any time they had the ball in space, they punished the Italians. The lessons for future opponents are not new ones, for New Zealand have been doing this in between World Cups and in pool matches for the past 15 years.

After their Six Nations performance, Italian fans could feel justified in their disappointment. However, the biggest cheer of the match was reserved for Marko Stanojevic whose try from the Italian half, to score their only first-half points, will no doubt be played back to other teams as evidence of New Zealand weakness to the interception, reducing the deficit to a measly 36 points.

In the second half, the All Blacks were relatively couch-bound for the first 10 minutes. The Italians looked determined to save face, and they were aided by a yellow-card issued to Carl Hayman for deliberately slowing the ball while Italy had attacking chances in the New Zealand half. It was a temporary respite.

Scotland’s players and coaches will note that the Italian pack showed what they are made of in fits and starts, with some powerful drives and surges from around the breakdown, but there was simply too little pace and imagination outside to trouble the New Zealanders in any meaningful way.

New Zealand concentrated on their set pieces and getting the basics right in the second half, which they did with consumate ease save for a few lapses. The scrum looked marginally less solid than the lineout, but it was in open play that the All Blacks looked to capitalise. Each time the ball emerged from a set-piece or breakdown, it was the New Zealanders who looked dangerous. In possession, the Italian back line had little time or space even to organise a safe kick, with the black-shirted centres and forwards bearing down on them.

Chris Jack opened the All Black account in the second-half with a try coming from a lineout. Kelleher made the initial break, feeding Rodney So’oialo. Williams, took the ball on, feeding second-row partner Jack who evaded one tackle with a dummy and went 10 metres for the touchdown.

Doug Howlett added another on 57 minutes. Carter offloaded to him and all he needed to do was beat three men and hand-off Kain Robertson to go over. Of course he obliged, to complete the most dynamic of tries. Howlett scored again three minutes later for his hat-trick, thanks largely to Muiliana who could have scored himself.

Jerry Collins added five more points following a series of crisp passes, each man straightening the line before delivering the perfect ball. So simple, so effective, and enough to destroy the last remnants of Italian resistance. Collins made it two in a minute as another loose ball move saw Jack break free of tackles on the ten-metre line. The ball made its way to Doug Howlett, who’s grubber kick fell perfectly for Collins to run on to for the try. Luke McAllister converted, his kicks looking an awful lot more secure than Carter’s earlier attempts.

A riotous five minutes was completed when Merco Bergamasco went over little more than 30 seconds after the kick-off, picking up the ball after a breakaway by Stanojevic, and Italy got the final points on the board with eight minutes to play.

A breathless final period of the game went with no further score, but Italy were denied a third try by the video referee after replacement Ezio Galon seemed to have scored.

The Azzurri will certainly take heart from a rousing second-half showing, but nothing can take away from the razor-sharp execution, sweet handling, pace and style of the New Zealand performance.

Their rivals may indeed hope that the All Blacks enjoy similarly easy romps in their remaining pool matches, when most of the other ‘big’ teams have physical and mental tests ahead of them in the next few weeks, as stiff preparation for the knockout stages.

They will note that one area of discomfort for New Zealand will be the state of Carter’s place kicking. Even when successful, he looked out-of-sorts at least. At worst, he looked terrible, but this is scant consolation when they have adequate back-up, and may not even need the conversion points to progress, if they maintain this kind of form through the tournament. Of course, with the All Blacks, that remains a big ‘if’.

A FIRE training centre in Holland, which is set out like a small town, could provide the blueprint for a new facility in the Lothians.

Members of the Lothian and Borders Fire Rescue Board are to visit the Haagen Fire Training facility in Dordrecht to see what it has to offer.

Plans are being drawn up for a centre at Newbridge and the man in charge of training the area’s firefighters said the Haagen facility sounded like an ideal model.

David Cooper, head of training and development at Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade, will travel to Holland later this year along with other board members.

The Dutch centre provides a series of gas-fired simulation areas in a variety of buildings and locations set out like a small town. Firefighters can train in different types of houses, industrial buildings and even ships.

There is a mock-up of a chemical plant to help train crews to deal with hazardous fires, and even a collapsed building to help trainees learn about more advanced search and rescue techniques.

“We are in the process of putting together plans for the site at Newbridge, and while we are doing that, we have to look at everything that is available,” said Mr Cooper..

“Dordrecht, in Holland, is known as one of the best fire training facilities anywhere in Europe and it is built along the same lines we had planned for Newbridge, with a variety of simulation areas on one site, so crews come in from all over the area to practice.

“The Haagen site is built over six acres of land, and that is roughly the size of the plot we have at Newbridge, so it should be a very worthwhile exercise visiting the site, seeing how it is set out and watching the training facilities in action.”

The proposed multi-million-pound Newbridge base would provide a training facility where the fire service could recreate all kinds of disaster scenarios, from major car crashes to rescues from collapsed buildings.

It is being planned to replace the existing McDonald Road training base, which is being closed as part of a review of the city’s fire stations.

Among the new training areas already being considered are a stretch of road where accidents can be simulated and disaster sites recreated

Councillor Mike Bridgman, the convener of the Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Board, will also be travelling to Holland.

“The plans are at a very early stage, so this really is more of a fact-finding mission than anything else,” he said.

“The reason we want to go is that this is recognised as one of the best training facilities and we want to provide our firefighters with the best training facilities available.”

The Newbridge training centre was due to open in 2010, but was dealt a blow when it emerged there would be no funding available from the Scottish Executive. Building could be delayed as alternative funding is sought.

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A JUDGE has branded a serial thief who terrorised a 90-year-old woman in her own home a “menace to society”.

Grandmother Phyllis Heath was left traumatised after Peter Boath forced his way into her Edinburgh home earlier this year.

Mrs Heath today said she wanted to put the incident behind her and “leave it in the past”.

The elderly woman, who needs to walk with a frame, had to move out of her flat in Dalry temporarily following the burglary and is now looking to move into sheltered accommodation.

Lord Menzies jailed Boath for five-and-a-half years at the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday.

Mrs Heath was watching television in the living room of her ground floor flat when Boath, 30, forced his way in around 5pm on March 6 this year.

Boath - who had only been released from prison on licence days before - began pulling out drawers and made off with jewellery and a watch.

Mrs Heath tried to ring her granddaughter but was too shaken to dial the number, so rang 999 instead.

Unemployed Boath, who has been convicted of housebreaking every year since 1992, was caught after police found his fingerprint on Mrs Heath’s letterbox at her home.

Advocate depute Alastair Brown said Mrs Heath had been “extremely alarmed” during the incident.

He said she had moved out of her house after the theft and had gone to live with her daughter but later returned to the flat.

“She no longer feels safe and has applied for a place in sheltered housing,” Mr Brown added.

Boath had originally been accused of robbing Mrs Heath in her home with his face masked, brandishing a metal nail file at her, demanding money from her, pushing her on to a bed and putting a nightdress over her mouth.

Those parts were deleted and he admitted the reduced charge of breaking into the flat and stealing jewellery and a watch.

Boath had also previously admitted breaking into four other Edinburgh homes between March 3 and March 8 and stealing a number of items, including a laptop computer, 300 euros in cash, jewellery and bottles of whisky.

Judge Lord Menzies said he was reducing the housebreaking sentence from six years to four years because Boath admitted the crimes.

However, Boath, whose address was given as Saughton Prison, was also ordered to serve 500 days for breaking his licence before he begins the four-year stretch. The judge said: “It is clear from the terms of the five charges to which you have pled guilty and your history of previous offending that you are a menace to society. You have an appalling record of analogous offences.”

He added: “I consider that the court has a duty to impose a significant custodial sentence to protect society from your activities.”

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