Blacks within reach of rugby heaven
16 Oct 2011
RYAN VREDE watched the All Blacks take a step closer to ending their World Cup misery with a 20-6 victory over Australia at Eden Park.
Surely now. Surely the suffering will end. Surely the team that has so often betrayed the faithfulness of their long-suffering fans, nay, disciples, will claim the one prize they most covet.
France lie in wait in the final. On the evidence of their woeful performance in victory over Wales last night they will not live with this flawed but formidable team and its superlative players – Israel Dagg chief among those.
On current form Dagg is without peer in the game, possessing every technical gift on offer, and, more pertinently, the temperament for the biggest occasions. All those qualities were on show as he crafted their only try, beating three would-be tacklers then defying the laws of physics to offload a pass to Ma’a Nonu while plummeting into touch. Breathtaking is a word too liberally used to describe mediocre feats. It is inadequate for that inspired action.
Dagg was the headline act in a play with a range of compelling sub-plots, none more so than the vendetta against a son of New Zealand’s soil, Quade Cooper. It took 32 minutes for the flyhalf to do something right (a drop-goal), the preceding period being spent chastising himself for errors or peeling himself off the canvas from statement hits.
While Cooper’s star waned, his counterpart Aaron Cruden’s shone brightly. In the context of his Test career – its genesis seeing coach Graham Henry hailing him as the natural successor to Daniel Carter, and its nadir coming when he was unceremoniously dumped shortly thereafter, before being recently recalled – his was a mature effort, particularly in light of the magnitude of the occasion and the quality of the opposition.
But in a game shaped by the principle of cause and effect, Cruden’s ability to rock rested heavily on the shift put in by his roadies in shirts one through eight. Immovable at the gainline on defence and irresistible on attack, the Blacks’ heavies were mighty. Their spirit was encapsulated in the superb performance of Richie McCaw, who excelled despite his foot being held together by hope and some items found in a mechanic’s toolbox. ‘I know he will try to be modest and give credit to the tight five [for laying the platform], but he was just outstanding,’ coach Graham Henry said of McCaw.
Australia boast a player of Dagg’s calibre in openside flank David Pocock, who appears to possess the supernatural gift of omnipresence. But he was rendered a non-factor at the breakdown thanks to the efficiency of the Blacks’ strike runners and cleaners.
It would be remiss not to acknowledge the Wallabies’ unkillable spirit in the face of incessant pressure. It was the outstanding feature of their game against the Springboks last week, and they exhibited that again tonight. To restrict the Blacks to one try is a notable achievement given the hosts’ surfeit of territory and possession. However, they lacked a clinical edge in the 22m, which was decisive to their fortunes.
That they were in touch at half-time – trailing 14-6 – bore testament to their resolve as much as it did the Blacks’ frequent impatience on attack. But they did little more than survive, when reopening the psychological wounds the Blacks sport from previous failures in this tournament required considerably more.
Just after the restart Piri Weepu kicked his third penalty to go with a Cruden drop goal, extending the lead to 11 points. There was a observable change in focus from the Blacks thereafter, with panache giving way to pragmatism on attack and granitic defence being the bedrock of their resistance.
Australia succumbed, albeit not meekly, to a team who have no equal in the game. France are vastly inferior opponents. For the Blacks, ending their suffering will be more a test of exorcising their own demons than it will be about vanquishing Lievremont’s mad mob.
By Ryan Vrede, at Eden Park
Follow Ryan’s World Cup coverage on Twitter
1,170 Comments
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16 Oct 2011, 12:17 pm
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-542: yeah but its the French
16 Oct 2011, 12:17 pm
@mvk(mvk)-548:
Right on.
ABs still have a game to go.If we think the hardest part is done,think again.
France have looked average all tournament, it only takes one of those French games that will change it.
16 Oct 2011, 12:18 pm
Outta here. Enjoy the cricket later today…
16 Oct 2011, 12:18 pm
Dont underestimate Les Bleus.
They will make more of a game of it than the Wallabies did.
They have been written off and vilified, even by their own press.
They are a Paradox.
They play for Pride more than the WC itself.
You have been warned.
16 Oct 2011, 12:19 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-551:
Believe you me it will be easy. The Welsh would have been a much more difficult proposition. A pity the ref saw red…
Cheers and enjoy the moment.
16 Oct 2011, 12:19 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-546:
Dawn i dont know about you but to have jokes about beating women seems a bit low.
Its like me calling every South African a racist, Fern needs to be put in the corner once in a while for being stupid.
16 Oct 2011, 12:19 pm
Man of the match was Corey Jane.
An O for awesome game.
Australia brave in defeat, in a game worthy of a final.
16 Oct 2011, 12:20 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-554: if any team know about how the French can lift for a game, look no further than the ABs
16 Oct 2011, 12:20 pm
if the kiwis win on sunday they will need to win the next one in 2015 as well otherwise they will be accused of only winning at home.if not,it might be the start of another 24 year cycle.
16 Oct 2011, 12:21 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-554:
HG, we have been warned from not getting out of the pool play to losing Carter we might as well leave etc. We are not going to take the French lightly at all.
16 Oct 2011, 12:21 pm
@frunobulax(frunobulax)-547: Indeed, I’d say I’d hope they can get an extra one for DC, as he was a big part of them getting here …
But first next week, with the French being as messy as they are, jeez it would be the worst example for rugby if they won, especially given yesterday
16 Oct 2011, 12:21 pm
@mvk(mvk)-533: They choked on the their biggest day…..and they have handed out that tag quite liberally and now they can wear it around their necks for the next four years……so yeah they’re the chokers.
16 Oct 2011, 12:22 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-556: @cane(cane)-557: @poppa69(poppa69)-558:
Allow me to be the first to congratulate you on winning Bill, for the second time.
16 Oct 2011, 12:22 pm
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-555: yep, Wales did well but couldnt win it most when it mattered, as they proved against SA.. no celebration here, jobs not finished
16 Oct 2011, 12:23 pm
Call me a sore loser but watching Joubert’s display compare to that prick Bryce makes me sick. How good was Pocock today? Last week he was a “superstar” because of old Brycie today he was a limp **** because Joubert did his job.
Anyways congrats AB’s you are going to murder those Frogs and I will put BIG money on that. McCaw… a bloody machine.
16 Oct 2011, 12:24 pm
on the basis of form over the last few years _ ok if not longer – the ABs deserve the RWC. it’s just a pity it was won at an illegitamte competition. I have lost faith in officiating, we have lowered ourselves to cricket standards. looking back at ‘ the game’ there is no way it was poor reffering. the outcome was predetermined and for all of you who say say grapes…up your farking kilt. you don’t ref a soccer game and not allow corners. well done ABs I hope you win it. shot
16 Oct 2011, 12:24 pm
Keo was on a National Television program tonight (60 Minutes).
Telling us Chokers that Australia were going to kick our arsses.
8)
16 Oct 2011, 12:25 pm
@Richie_7(Richie_7)-404: Its not the point what happened last week, If the same type of game that was played today is played by the Boks it would be called boring, go figure…
16 Oct 2011, 12:25 pm
Well done NZ. You deserve this.
That’s 2 all amoungst us Southern hemisphere teams…..
16 Oct 2011, 12:25 pm
@RL(RL)-563:
Well did you say a second time??
Thank you anyway but still its far from over
16 Oct 2011, 12:25 pm
Hurri fern should be completely ignored with extreme prejudice
16 Oct 2011, 12:25 pm
Anyway, good game. Well done ABs. Adios
16 Oct 2011, 12:26 pm
@mvk(mvk)-559:
16 Oct 2011, 12:26 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-537: well in all honesty who is the most deserving team to take it next week? The French have looked like amateurs the entire tournament. if they take it next week it will really make a mockery of the World Cup in my opinion.
16 Oct 2011, 12:26 pm
Bryce. Player of the tournament.
16 Oct 2011, 12:26 pm
ET and Heavens Game
I wonder how many South Africans have read this article by John Robie in the sports section of the Joburg based Saturday Star newspaper. I am going tomwatch the Samoa/Springbok match again. I wonder what the Samoan player that was in trouble for speaking out against the referee wwillsay or feel? Would be nice if this article was available in Samoa/New Zealand.
Mus t apologize in advance the article is long but VERY interesting.
“I have looked at the game again and have changed my mind. This is painful as it is an admission of being initially wrong and maybe even a bit pig-headed.
Sorry. It is also an apology to those who called foul right from the start.
The bottom line is that a top rugby world cup referee deliberately and collously set out to influence the result of a vital game to ensure that one of the sides – the one he favoured- was victorious.
This is monstrouds and equally as serious is the strong evidence that at least one assistant referee , or linesman, was involved in the conspiracy.
Clearly the strategy was to referee as normal at the start of the game and only start illegally interfering as the crowd and television audience settled down and if it was necessary.
At the start of the game his side went ahead and that was fair enough. Indeed, you got the feeling that it was just going to be one of those days when one team turns up and the other does not. That often happens in sport and quite why, nobody knows.
However, after going behind early, suddenly the boys started to hit their atraps. They started to string the phases together and it was clear from the statistics that pressure was mounting.
In rugby it is not much possession as position that counts as top sides invariably turn territorial advantage and pressure into points either via tries or inevitable penalties.
In this game, it was clear that the man in the middle subtly and repeatedly denied the side its fair chance to score. He did by selectively applying the laws and indeed the interpretation of them.
As the losing captain complained, as is his right, you could see in the referee’s face that he was biased. He seemed to enjoy taunting the helpless leader while quietly tolerating the efforts of the other skipper – his skipper.
It was clear as a day.
The trouble is that , as an experienced referee, he knew that rugb y retains enough of the old amateur ethos to go out of his way to protect the official in the middle even calling him the sole judge of the fact.
How can he be allowed to get away with it when the spectators , well known for their encyclopaedic knowledge and appreciation of the laws and sporting support of all the teams – not just their own – could clearly see he was cheating.
To be fair to all, there is only one course of action open to the International Rugby Board. The world cup should be interrupted and the game replayed.
You see,Nigel Owens clearly cheated Samoa against the Springboks in order for Wales to qualify out of the group.
Thankfully, al lSouth Africans could see this and agree unanimously that to sacrifice the illegal victory is in the interest of the great game of rugby.
What a load of rubbish.
We beat Samoa , albeit with difficulty, and they are just bad losers.Sour grapes is a terrible thing, isn’t it? Especially when it applies to others.
We lost to Australia because we sat still for four years and din’t develop a game that could chase a match from a losing position.
At least we went down fighting courageously, but losing Brussow gave Australia amajor boost as the referee, in keeping with others in the quaterfinals,clearly had decided to favour advantageas much as possible over pedantic and finicky interpretation.
Isn’t that what we calle d for for years?
Congratulations to Australia for a gutsy and ugly victory.
Shame on South Africans who cannot put objectivityahead of the narrow, one eyed, tribal victim mentality.”
16 Oct 2011, 12:26 pm
Well played All Blacks…
Totally dominated the game from whistle to whistle…
Enjoy the win all the AB supporters: Cane, Hurricane, Poppa, NZinChina, Nils, Rosoneri, Mpundulu, Captain Fantail and all the rest of you…
on the Threshold of a Dream…
i sincerely hope it comes true for you…!!
Cheers
16 Oct 2011, 12:26 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-569:
Not yet Stormerboy.
not yet.
16 Oct 2011, 12:27 pm
@cane(cane)-567: he picked them on purpose, his curse struck then bad.
16 Oct 2011, 12:28 pm
@cane(cane)-567:
Keos prediction record is as lousy as it’s loud.
16 Oct 2011, 12:28 pm
@ufo(ufo)-577:
Thank you for your good wishes UFO.
16 Oct 2011, 12:30 pm
@cane(cane)-567: what a joke – the man and his whole blog is a joke
If it wasnt for us he wouldnt have a business. The lameness of the articles on here is really beyond all comprehension. You could give a ****** with dementia a pen and he could write a Keo article.
16 Oct 2011, 12:30 pm
@Peter Mkata(Peter Mkata)-576: stop whinging, they lost cause of clown coaches and has-been players, end of.
16 Oct 2011, 12:30 pm
m o n k e y is a banned word? Oh please. How very pc.
16 Oct 2011, 12:32 pm
If Craig was ref last week we would have played against the ABs
But he was not. Bryce was and was determined to eliminate the Boks; because of that NZ will congratulate themselves next week and enjoy and bask in the victory
They have brought the game into disrepute and made it a mockery
It would be justice if France – really with a 20% chance to win – can pull it off
I just cannot congratulate thieves; today’s outcome was fair because the ref was fair – we cannot forget that
We cannot forget that
You have to love the radiance on a thief’s face when he knows he’s pull off something special
16 Oct 2011, 12:32 pm
@RL(RL)-579: @David(David)-580:
I think Keo will be enjoying this WC.
He is getting published in a National Sunday paper and now gets himself on TV.
The Ego will be getting a good boost.
8)
16 Oct 2011, 12:32 pm
@ufo(ufo)-577:
Thanks UFO, always a true Gentlemen
16 Oct 2011, 12:33 pm
@mudrockshark(mudrockshark)-575:
Sharkievarkie 583 applies to you too … you Plod arse kisser.
This is a thread to show appreciation to our kiwi enemies who will secure Bill from Frog hands … next week.
16 Oct 2011, 12:33 pm
very gracious of you guys, but no kiwi wants to put the cart before the horse… fox are now showing a replay, bewdiful
16 Oct 2011, 12:33 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-571:
HI Dawn
Good advice, will try that sometime
16 Oct 2011, 12:34 pm
15 Le Detonateur vs Dagg… ABs
14. Clerc vs Kahui…Fra
13. Rougerie vs Smith…ABs
12. Mermoz vs Nonu… Evens
11. Palisson vs Jane… ABs
10. Padda vs Skateboarder…Evens
9. Yack vs Warthog… Evens
8. Harry vs Read… Fra
7. Dusautoir vs McCaw…Evens on account of Club foot
6. Bonnaire vs Kaino… ABs
5. Nallet vs Whitelock…Fra
4. Pape vs Thorne… ABs
3. Mas vs Woodcock… Evens
2. Servat vs Kevvy… Fra
1 Franks vs Poux… Evens
Ref: ABs
Choke factor: Fra x 2
Crowd: ABs
7 vs 6, the ABs squeak home
16 Oct 2011, 12:34 pm
@RL(RL)-583:
What? Whinging about what?
16 Oct 2011, 12:34 pm
Pocock got his just deserts today and helped his team to defeat.
Unfortunately for them the ref had a clue. Pity the Kiwi refs don’t.
16 Oct 2011, 12:34 pm
@cane(cane)-578: If there’s any justice in the world you guys will take it.
And all the nonsense aside, you have been the best side in the comp this time around, and so deserve the victory.
16 Oct 2011, 12:34 pm
There you have it. The best World Cup victory money can buy. The final contested by two of the most bland and ordinary sides in the competition. Todays game was woefully poor.
16 Oct 2011, 12:35 pm
@cane(cane)-586:
16 Oct 2011, 12:35 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-594: New Zealand have offered nothing in this competition. It’s been very dire stuff.
16 Oct 2011, 12:35 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-558: hope they take it next week for you mum mate. They did you proud tonight. Praise the lord the convicts didnt win. They were outplayed like they were last week.
16 Oct 2011, 12:35 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-591:
lol
Club foot
16 Oct 2011, 12:35 pm
@Sheriff(Sheriff)-585:
Are you originally from the former Rhodesia?
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