New Zealand became the sixth team to break the 100 point barrier in a World Cup game by outclassing plucky Portugal in a Pool C mismatch in Lyon today.

The All Blacks, the tournament favourites, ran in 16 tries in all, with Joe Rokocoko, Aaron Mauger and Conrad Smith all grabbing doubles.

It was the fourth highest total scored by a team in the competition, but Portugal will be heartened by the fact they at least troubled the scorers in a backs-to-the-wall effort at the Stade Gerland.

Rui Cordeiro barged over for a second-half try, while Goncalo Malheiro booted a drop-goal and Duarte Pinto added a conversion and a penalty.

Indeed, the Portuguese would have been happy with their opening 25 minutes, during which they conceded just two tries - to the electric Rokocoko - and grabbed three points with Malheiro's drop-goal.

But then the floodgates opened, with the All Blacks scoring six tries in a 15 minute spell before the interval.

Isaia Toeava scored the third try and Ali Williams the fourth, both scores coming down the left channel with the Portuguese defence found wanting.

Jerry Collins rampaged through the middle before setting up Mauger for the next, and the captain himself applied the finish after good work from Toeava to make it 40-3.

Chris Masoe and Andrew Hore grabbed close range scores in the last six minutes of the half to bring up the half century, and by that time it was beginning to look humiliating for the Portuguese.

Nick Evans converted six of the eight first half tries and went on to administer further punishment with another eight conversions and a try to finish with 33 points.

Like they had been in patches in the first half, the All Blacks were sloppy at the start of the second period, and Cordeiro harvested by bundling over for a close range try following phase after phase of forward drives. Pinto added the
conversion but it was backs-to-the wall stuff from there.

Brendon Leonard, Evans, replacement Andrew Ellis and Mauger - adding his second - strode over for unchallenged tries in a 16 minute spell around the hour mark, but Portuguese spirit never wavered.

Leon MacDonald, Smith (twice) and Carl Hayman administered the last rites to the bring up the century for New Zealand.

The only dampener for All Blacks coach Graham Henry would have been the hamstring injury suffered by Mils Muliaina in the sixth minute.

He limped off, to be replaced by MacDonald, and strapping was immediately applied to his left leg.

Result of the rugby World Cup pool C match at Stade de Gerland here today:

New Zealand 108 (Joe Rokocoko 2, Aaron Mauger 2, Conrad Smith 2, Isaia Toeava, Ali Williams, Jerry Collins, Chris Masoe, Andrew Hore, Brendon Leonard, Nick Evans, Andrew Ellis, Leon MacDonald, Carl Hayman tries; Evans 14 con) Portugal 13 (Rui Cordeiro try; Duarte Cardoso Pinto pen, con, Goncalo Malheiro dropped goal). Halftime: 52-3.

New Zealand: Mils Muliaina, Isaia Toeava, Conrad Smith, Aaron Mauger, Joe Rokocoko, Nick Evans, Brendon Leonard, Sione Lauaki, Chris Masoe, Jerry Collins (captain), Ali Williams, Chris Jack, Greg Somerville, Andrew Hore, Neemia Tialata.

Reserves: Anton Oliver, Tony Woodcock, Carl Hayman, Rodney So'oialo, Keven Mealamu, Andy Ellis, Leon MacDonald

Portugal:Pedro Leal, Antonio Aguilar, Miguel Portela, Diogo Mateus, Pedro Carvalho, Goncalo Malheiro, Luis Pissarra, Vasco Uva (captain), Diogo Coutinho, Paulo Murinello, Goncalo Uva, Marcello d'Orey, Ruben Spachuck, Joao Correia, Andre Silva.

Reserves: Rui Cordeiro, Joaquim Ferreira, David Penalva, Tiago Girao, Joao Uva, Jose Pinto, Duarte Cardoso Pinto

Conrad Smith has been squeezed back into the All Blacks team to face Portugal on Saturday but their threadbare locking stocks at the rugby World Cup will be exposed for a second week.

As coach Graham Henry promised, most of the players who did not start in the 76-14 win over Italy here last Saturday have won selection in a virtual second-choice team to face tournament minnows Portugal in Lyon.

They will be captained by flanker Jerry Collins and there are 11 changes as well as a positional switch, with Mils Muliaina shifting from centre to fullback.

Smith will wear the No 13 jersey, or at least hopes to if he can get through this week without another injury flare up.

He was due to start against Italy before being ruled out by a strain to the hamstring muscle that has ruined his 2007 test season, reducing him to just one seven-minute reserve bench appearance.

Smith completed a full training session yesterday at what appeared to be 75 percent intensity.

So keen are the selectors to see Smith at centre that they have shifted the other option in that position, Isaia Toeava, to an unfamiliar role on the right wing.

Toeava, who had 27 minutes at centre off the bench against Italy, will be well suited to his new position, according to Joe Rokocoko, the other winger named to play Portugal.

"Isaia's pretty quick. It's the way he runs, it looks like he's not trying but you run beside him and he's actually running pretty fast," Rokocoko said.

He also described first five-eighth Nick Evans as the quickest player off the mark in the squad and the first five-eighth will have a chance to show his wares as one of six newcomers to the backline.

Evans starts outside Brendon Leonard and inside Aaron Mauger in a skilled inside back division.

While Henry has quality backline options at his disposal, he must have been shifting uncomfortably in his seat as he went about selecting his forward pack.

The injuries to lock Keith Robinson (calf) and lock/loose forward Reuben Thorne (hamstring) are beginning to bite, with Ali Williams and Chris Jack to start their second successive test as the locking combination.

That pair are likely to carry the load from the quarterfinals onwards so Henry will be desperate that they don't have to over-commit in the pool phase and end up playing seven consecutive tests at this tournament.

While Robinson was always considered no chance for this weekend, there was hope Thorne would be ready but he, too, will be assessed for another week.

An unusual four front rowers have been named on the reserve bench along with loose forward Rodney So'oialo but none stand out as locking options.

So the locking backup will again be Sione Lauaki, who starts at No 8 alongside Collins and Chris Masoe in the loose forwards.

Keven Mealamu's name is listed after So'oialo's on the bench, suggesting he is loose forward cover in what would be his 49th test.

Andrew Hore is the starting hooker, flanked by props Neemia Tialata and Greg Somerville.

It will be an emotional afternoon at Stade de Gerland for Somerville, who suffered a serious achilles tendon injury against South Africa at Pretoria in August last year and has barely played at any level since.

Collins will wear the skipper's armband for a second time after leading New Zealand to their 25-19 defeat of Argentina in Buenos Aires last year.

Portugal have lost aggressive loose forward Juan Severino Somoza to suspension for head butting and made sweeping changes to their team to face the All Blacks in Saturday's rugby World Cup pool match here.

Nine players from the starting lineup who lost 10-56 to Scotland last Sunday have lost their places including Somoza, who was today banned until October 7 for striking lock Nathan Hines with his head during that game at St Etienne.

Although the ability of most of the Portuguese players is unknown, coach Tomaz Morais, appears to have strengthened his team overall by introducing more experience.

He will start with halfback Luis Pissarra and lock Marcello d'Orey, who have both played more than 50 tests. Veteran halfback Pissarra weighs just 73kg while d'Orey is at the other end of the scale at 127kg.

Porto first five-eighth Goncalo Malheiro returns to the fray from injury. He is Portugal's highest test pointscorer with 228.

However, Los Lobos will start without their most capped player, 82-test prop Joaquim Ferreira, who is pushed to the bench by French-born loosehead Andre Silva.

The six players who will start their second game include captain and No 8 Vasco Uva and his brother Goncalo Uva, the 2m lock who is one of just three professionals in the team. He plays for French Top 14 club Montpellier.

Their cousin, flanker Joao Uva, is one of five forwards on the reserve bench.

Prop Ruben Spachuck backs up from the Scotland test, as does fullback Pedro Leal, centre Diogo Mateus and winger Pedro Carvalho, the scorer of their only try against Scotland.

This will be Portugal's 10th test of 2007, bringing in a five win-four loss record. They have beaten Morocco twice, Spain, Uruguay and the Czech Republic.

New Zealand: Mils Muliaina, Isaia Toeava, Conrad Smith, Aaron Mauger, Joe Rokocoko, Nick Evans, Brendon Leonard, Sione Lauaki, Chris Masoe, Jerry Collins (captain), Ali Williams, Chris Jack, Greg Somerville, Andrew Hore, Neemia Tialata.

Reserves: Anton Oliver, Tony Woodcock, Carl Hayman, Rodney So'oialo, Keven Mealamu, Andy Ellis, Leon MacDonald 

Portugal:Pedro Leal, Antonio Aguilar, Miguel Portela, Diogo Mateus, Pedro Carvalho, Goncalo Malheiro, Luis Pissarra, Vasco Uva (captain), Diogo Coutinho, Paulo Murinello, Goncalo Uva, Marcello d'Orey, Ruben Spachuck, Joao Correia, Andre Silva.

Reserves: Rui Cordeiro, Joaquim Ferreira, David Penalva, Tiago Girao, Joao Uva, Jose Pinto, Duarte Cardoso Pinto