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, 15:19 pm
I also still believe that even if we win the world cup. Something has to be done about the format. How did England get to last rwc final and how do the France get there this time?
16 Oct 2011, 15:19 pm
@Porra the Fat and Clever Speedster(Porra)-843:
keep whining mate its very entertaining
16 Oct 2011, 15:31 pm
@NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-852:
just
pointing out
the obvious
don’t hate
me
16 Oct 2011, 15:35 pm
This World Cup – and more particularly SA’s early exit – has been a blessing in disguise:
If France win it – it will expose the RWC as a bit of a flukey-fluke-farce, hardly the kind of tournament to play 2nd string teams in the 3N for, or excuse poor annual results as “building for the RWC.” France have already been beaten by NZ (they played a 2nd string team in that pool game – enough of a disgrace to the tournament) and lost to lowly Tonga.
If NZ win – then *poof* up in smoke goes the ONLY trump card SA has had over NZ since 1995. For far too long South African fans have been willing to sweep annual poor results under the carpet of “judge me at the RWC.”
The RWC is not the big kahuna prize we think it is.
We should always aim to win it. But never at the expense of any other game or tournament.
Boks must play to win EVERY game. Thankfully, this RWC will hopefully go a long way to getting things back on track.
[First thing to do - the new coach must only be given a 2 year contract with performance targets and a renewable performance clause]
16 Oct 2011, 15:41 pm
I just spoke to my mate Bakkies. He’s still in shock from his withdrawal from RWC due tohis injury. But he tells me he’s in awe of the Blacks demolishing the Wannabes. Those up and unders the Boks were planning upon the Blacks (if they got to play em, would have all been defused my the brilliance of Cory Jane. The Boks plans of kick and wait for the opposition to make mistakes ie. turnover ball, would not have got us the RWC! Bakkies hasn’t given up hope of 4 more years!
16 Oct 2011, 15:47 pm
Where is that “Vindicated” poster?
He/she is keeping pretty quiet, unlike last weekend…
16 Oct 2011, 15:55 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-856: where is bryce_in_oz? when the irish klapped them he disappeared for 2 weeks.
16 Oct 2011, 15:59 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-857: I think bryce_in_oz is really Bryce Lawrence… He has been boning up on his laws to get his “favourite” team into the finals but, thankfully, the AB’s rectified that travesty!
16 Oct 2011, 16:00 pm
What’s sad is that the Aussies were woeful and the All Blacks ordinary…yet people think both teams played well.
Think about it…both teams were so shite on attack that the Kiwis had to employ boring up and unders (read Currie Cup) to penetrate the Aussie line.
The fooking Aussies fluked their way into a semi they clearly did not deserve and were underprepared for. The Boks sunk themselves with their crappy gameplan against a pretty below par team and would have thumped this All Black team without doubt.
This RWC will go down as the most controversial in living memory. What a sham. The final will be a battle of the less than ordinary.
16 Oct 2011, 16:03 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-805:
Lol!!!!!!!! That’s brycing priceless.
16 Oct 2011, 16:07 pm
@stormer in a teacup(stormer in a teacup)-767:
Bryce off Mother Theresa.
16 Oct 2011, 16:14 pm
For those who are old enough to remember the old Jik advert :
Bryce lets the tackler hold
Bryce lets the hands in rucks
Look, no 3 points in sight
When you use Bryce!
16 Oct 2011, 16:26 pm
Some SA bloggers are rude.
Embraboer!
16 Oct 2011, 16:37 pm
Johan Botha looks like a sight screen.
16 Oct 2011, 16:38 pm
Coppertone or what?
16 Oct 2011, 16:45 pm
I know weve covered these topics extensively but again on watching the rapeplay
the Ozzie try was clearly a SA penalty with Pocock coming in from the side and hoofing the ball loose. I mean there are so many incidents in the game its clearly an injustice. Wales lost more or less fair and square. Warburton got a 3 week ban so i´d say in retrospect that red card was more or less abiding by the laws. But we got raped. The missed high tackles, the missed off the ball incidents, the free range allowed to Pocock, the dodgy try, the marginal forward pass (contentious but could have easily been let go by another ref). Its just too much in one game to not be able to say the ref robbed us. We played so well and I believe we would have given the All Blacks a huge run for their money today had we played them instead of the imposters. There was a 14 point margin today between the winning and losing teams when the game was reffed correctly. I reckon had our game been reffed correctly you can -7 for that contentious try add at least one penalty for SA of 3 points and maybe even -3 for that lame lineout penalty. I reckon we could easily have won that game by 12 points if the game had been reffed correctly indicating just how much we would have had a more even contest today. SA nZ packs pretty even with us maybe having a slight ascendancy. NZ backs better than SA backs but with Morne´s kicking that would have been a pretty level contest too. How many kicks did the All Blacks miss today? Jeez hate rehashing the issue but watching those twerps play today just got the blood boiling again.
16 Oct 2011, 16:51 pm
Oh fark, leading edge and there goes Biff just as it looked as if he settled down.
16 Oct 2011, 17:04 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-867:
I can’t take this too seriously, looking at our lineup. It looks like Gary is using it as an opportunity to get a look at what he’s got at his disposal.
16 Oct 2011, 17:05 pm
@David(David)-868:
Seems like it- Botha at 5 specifically although he is doing quite well at moment
16 Oct 2011, 17:08 pm
Crazy “tonk” by Dave Millar- this is not provincial cricket.
16 Oct 2011, 17:10 pm
Never use the word ‘cheat’ anymore, ever
Just replace it with this handy synonym ‘ BRYCE’
So if the cashier gives you too little change, tell your mate – hey I nearly got bryced there man
Bryce has immortalised himself, the cheat
16 Oct 2011, 17:15 pm
Jissus in the rugby last week, even though we played better, the Aussies just seemed more “pumped up” for it – high fiving after a good scrum, etc.
Same thing seems to be happening in the cricket – the Aussies just seem SO much more pumped up than our sorry bunch of cricketers who always seem to be overwhelmed by the occasion.
Someone needs to light some firecrackers up ar*es.
16 Oct 2011, 17:15 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-870:
And gone is Bakkies’ ‘neefie’?
And just like that the newest national disaster (1/3) I told you about Friday stares you in the face. Unless Morkel can be a god.
How about my six for six in the rugby KOs?
16 Oct 2011, 17:18 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-872:
I think it was Thorne and the ABs who high fived, not the Aussies.
16 Oct 2011, 17:20 pm
@David(David)-868:
Who else is there really from those you regard as ‘stars ‘ outside of Abe and Steyn in this particular format?
And where is the new talent relative to the Aussie new boys?
16 Oct 2011, 17:22 pm
@ET.(ET.)-873:
Yeah, it’s probably Morne or nothing now.
If it was not for my slow start it would have been 6/6 for me as well but lets leave that before I become another whinger – we have enough of them here already.
16 Oct 2011, 17:24 pm
The red headed Theron is taking the fight to the Aussies now.
16 Oct 2011, 17:26 pm
tim noakes still banging on about referees on Masterplan NZ, plus he’s wearing an All Black jersey
16 Oct 2011, 17:28 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-876:
Very gracious of you and I was about to make a general statement soon about too many ungracious S. Africans and the way it pains me.
Why is Smith in this format and still too scratchy and out of form?
16 Oct 2011, 17:28 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-877:
And he is not known to be an all-rounder.
16 Oct 2011, 17:31 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-877:
Maybe these two boys can still do it for the team?
16 Oct 2011, 17:31 pm
@David(David)-874: nah, talking about last week. Aussies were “psyched”.
16 Oct 2011, 17:32 pm
@ET.(ET.)-880:
Parnell is also joining in now.
Things can change in a flash in this format of the game especially.
16 Oct 2011, 17:33 pm
@ET.(ET.)-881:
Seems like it.
Parnell is having a gem
16 Oct 2011, 17:34 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-884:
Both boys from the E. Cape. Good for them and that depressed area.
16 Oct 2011, 17:36 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-884:
Now why can they do it and the ‘stars’ cannot?
All about attitude and less of big-headedness.
16 Oct 2011, 17:37 pm
The crowd and those watching on tv will be ecstatic.
16 Oct 2011, 17:39 pm
This is the game as Hussey cannot stem the tide.
16 Oct 2011, 17:39 pm
@ET.(ET.)-886:
Yip, fat boy Kallis and prima donna Butcher should stay far away from the 20 overs team.
16 Oct 2011, 17:39 pm
thank fark we got a win….lekker man!
16 Oct 2011, 17:40 pm
Good gees SA, good gees.
Carry this momentum through.
16 Oct 2011, 17:40 pm
First win for Gary as coach.
16 Oct 2011, 17:42 pm
Look at the strike rate of the boy from Bloemendal, 264 and compare that to Smith the ‘star’ and the experience.
16 Oct 2011, 17:46 pm
@ET.(ET.)-875:
Do you mean Abe Morkel or AB d.v?
16 Oct 2011, 17:48 pm
only 2 tries in the 2 semi-finals when some were ‘happy’ the teams that play ‘running’ rugby were supposed to show us a festival…
16 Oct 2011, 17:49 pm
@David(David)-894:
The new capt., Abe De. V.
16 Oct 2011, 17:50 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-895: good point.
However with a France v NZ final, expect a handful of tries.
16 Oct 2011, 17:51 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-895:
Just goes to show that the up and unders or kick and chase, are the best alternative to break down the really solid defences and keep the ball in the opponents half.
16 Oct 2011, 17:52 pm
Only an utter fool can distort and thus anticipate “festival” rugby in the KO stages of a RWC none of the semi-finalists have won for a long time or never at all.
16 Oct 2011, 17:53 pm
@David(David)-898:
ABs kicked well though for territorial position.
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