All Blacks rule the world again
"It's all yours, New Zealand." Danie Craven said that at Eden Park in Auckland in 1956 when the All Blacks beat the Springboks in a series. If it was true then it was far truer now when New Zealand have conquered the world.
This World Cup Final was a match of superlatives. The best team in the world beat the second best team in the world in the best Rugby World Cup final ever as the climax to the best Rugby World Cup ever. And in the process of the All Blacks of New Zealand became the first team to win the World Cup three times, the first team to win successive World Cups and the first New Zealand team to win a World Cup Final away from home. And they deserved every bit of their success.
They had great wins in the seven matches of their World Cup, most notably the way they swept France aside in a 62-13 quarterfinal victory, a record defeat for France. They were better value than their two-point win over South Africa suggests and now there is this big victory in the final.
They may just really be what people are saying – the best rugby team of all time, surely the very best since the World Cup started in 1987.
They scored first and last against a skilled and brave Australian team who with 16 minutes to go had improved from 21-3 behind to 21-17. They fought valiantly but the All Blacks had better guns and more ammunition. They were tackled better and were better in the post-tackle scrap, they were better in the line-outs and even in the scrums, they had more possession and territory and they scored three tries to two.
One of those tries was scored right at the end with a break-out, for the Australians did not give up the fight – as they never would.
Early in the second half the All Blacks had built their lead to 21-3, and then they experienced a dip, as teams so often do but in their case exacerbated by the sin-binning of Ben Smith for a tip-tackle – the first time a player has been sent from the field in a World Cup Final – and then the Wallabies came back to 21-17 by the time Smith returned. But then the All Blacks settled down to winning on this sunny day at Twickenham.
There were ceremonies – John Eales brought the Webb Ellis Cup onto the ground where Australia had won in 1991, Red Arrows flew past with a vapour trail of red, white and blue, their were celebrities present – Prince Harry of England, the prime minister of New Zealand John Key and Kylie Minogue of Australia. The teams sang their anthems, Australia with greater vigour but then theirs is unilingual, and the All Blacks did their arrow-shaped haka, led by Keven Mealamu, and then Bernard Foley kicked off on the splendidly appointed field with not an errant blade of grass.
From the start the All Blacks were up fast and hitting hard on defence. The All Blacks were the first to attack as Ma'a Nonu broke but Tevita Kuridrani brought him down. Aaron Smith grubbered towards the goal-line but Drew Mitchell saved. Nehe Milner-Skudder had a dart down the right, and then David Pocock was penalised at a tackle and Dan Carter goaled, as he did for most of the match, bisecting the crossbar from an awkward angle. 3-0 after 7 minutes.
In this early part of the game New Zealand were kicking, Australia were running and at the first Australian scrum Owen Franks was penalised and Foley goaled. 3-all after 13 minutes.
Not long after this the Wallabies lost Kane Douglas to a knee injury and later in the half they had another blow when Drew Mitchell went for a concussion test and was not allowed to return. Kurtley Beale took Giteau's place.
Sekope Kepu, who had been penalised for a late tackle on Carter, was penalised for high tackle and again Carter goaled. 6-3 after 26 minutes.
New Zealand got the ball when Moore overthrew a line-out and Milner-Skudder had a run down the right. Will Genia was penalised for offside and Carter goaled from, near touch. 9-3 after 35 minutes. Then came a great try.
Australia who had kicked off to leaping Sam Whitelock kicked off deeper behind him and the All Blacks started running. Ben Smith got them going, and Richie McCaw, Dane Coles and Conrad Smith carried it on till near the Wallaby line Smith straightened up, gave to McCaw who gave to Milner-Skudder on an overlap and the wing scored in the right corner, whence Carter converted, and the All Blacks went to enjoy half-time with a 16-3 lead.
At the start of the second half Sonny Bill Williams came on as a substitute for Conrad Smith who had in fact had an excellent game.
Early on the half there was some desultory play between half-way and the Australian 10-metre line when Nonu picked up the ball, shuddered and suddenly burst free. With a generous swerve he easily beat a groping Kurtley Beale and scored an excellent individual try. 21-3 after 42 minutes.
At this stage New Zealand had enjoyed 69% of possession but a Wallaby resurgence was at hand.
Mitchell cut through from the left and headed into midfield but Carter pulled him down. There was a wonderful piece of thrust and counterthrust. The All Blacks shoved the Wallabies clean off the ball to take a tighthead and Milner-Skudder scooted won the left. The ball went loose and Beale came racing down the touchline. The Wallabies attacked and Adam Ashley-Cooper got close to the line. Then not far from his line Ben Smith did a tip tackle on Mitchell and was sent off for 10 minutes. immediately the Wallabies kicked out. They won the line-out and drove their maul over the line where David Pocock fell to ground for the try which Foley converted, 21-10 after 53 minutes.
From now on both sides made substitutes and each team ended up with a fresh front row.
Genia, who had an excellent game, kicked a chip down the right. The ball bounced high and Foley beat Milner-Skudder to getting possession of it. He stood with the ball and passed it infield to Kuridrani who raced over for a try near the posts. 21-17 after 64 minutes.
Ben Smith returned to action and, among the substitutions, Beauden Barrett came on for Milner-Skudder and went to fullback, Ben Smith to the wing.
As he had done against the Springboks in the semifinal, Carter kicked a dropped goal – from in front but some 40 metres out and there was just no chance that it would miss as it flew straight and true from his boot. 24-17 after 69 minutes. It was an important score as it meant that the Wallabies needed a converted try just to draw level.
A few minutes later the Wallabies were penalised at a scrum just inside their half and about 20 metres in from touch. With his usual calm, Carter goaled. 27-17.
The Wallabies do not give up and they came back on the attack – through 16 phases' till they knocked on. They came back in phases but this time when Mitchell knocked on Ben Smith, deep in his own 22, grabbed the ball, darted forward and kicked downfield. Barrett chased and outstripped Pocock in a chance for the ball. He flykicked ahead and the friendly ball stood up to greet him. Barrett hugged the ball and was over for a try at the posts. 34-17 with a minutes to play.
Soon the final whistle went to much whooping by New Zealanders.
Then there were the presentation of the medals and finally the precious cup, held aloft by Richie McCaw in his 148th Test, the first captain to lead his team to victory in two World Cups.
It was after all a match of superlatives.
Man of the Match: Probably all of the All Blacks deserve it as they played with such purpose, concentration and determination but it is an award we would make to Daniel Carter, the great flyhalf who tackled, took tackles, kicked with precision and passed with judicious skill.
Moment of the Match: That wonderful try by Nehe Milner-Skudder when it seemed the All Blacks changed tactics and started running with confidence.
Villain of the Match: Nobody at all. Rugby still is a game for gentlemen.
The scorers:
For Australia:
Tries: Pocock, Kuridrani
Cons: Foley 2
Pen: Foley
For New Zealand:
Tries: Milner-Skudder, Nonu, Barrett
Cons: Carter 2
Pens: Carter 4
DG: Carter
Yellow card: Ben Smith (New Zealand, 52 – Dangerous taklce)
Teams:
Australia: 15 Israel Folau, 14 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Matt Giteau, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Will Genia, 8 David Pocock, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Scott Fardy, 5 Rob Simmons, 4 Kane Douglas, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Stephen Moore (captain), 1 Scott Sio.
Replacements: 16 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 17 James Slipper, 18 Greg Holmes, 19 Dean Mumm, 20 Ben McCalman, 21 Nick Phipps, 22 Matt Toomua, 23 Kurtley Beale.
New Zealand: 15 Ben Smith, 14 Nehe Milner-Skudder, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (captain), 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Samuel Whitelock, 4 Brodie Retallick, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Joe Moody.
Replacements: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Charlie Faumuina, 19 Victor Vito, 20 Sam Cane, 21 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 22 Beauden Barrett, 23 Sonny Bill Williams.
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Jérôme Garcès (France), Wayne Barnes (England)
TMO: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)
