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
Pages: « 1 2 [3] 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 … 24 » Show All
16 Oct 2011, 09:20 am
@I am a stormer(I am a stormer)-94:
hallelujah
Hang on, hope we havnt got a South African TMO, they take the law into their own hands.
16 Oct 2011, 09:21 am
All Blacks by 11 or more
16 Oct 2011, 09:22 am
@RL(RL)-100:
16 Oct 2011, 09:22 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-101:
Well, someone has to.
16 Oct 2011, 09:24 am
got to run, half hour to get home in time for kickoff…
16 Oct 2011, 09:24 am
@TahRoo(TahRoo)-52: Continue to dish out lessons…your maths is typical ozzie addition…….youve won two out of the last 13………….duh!!!!
AB’s by 20+
16 Oct 2011, 09:26 am
I’ve been thinking about that red card and wondering, because of the impact a red can have, whether they could have an automatic yellow and use the 10 minutes for a judicial ref to watch replays before deciding whether it deserved to be converted to a red.
16 Oct 2011, 09:26 am
@David(David)-99: for sure…..no use having 6 or 7 great loosies that are being turboed all bloody day…
a wp curse it seems…..
Kitshoff will come through…..but we not a factor unless we sort out our scrumming….
Lions will have us for breakfast next weekend if we go back like we did yesterday.
okay….coffee….rusks and a small rugby game
cheers
16 Oct 2011, 09:26 am
grant… sure… a couple of quality props will be great…
but the biggest problem for me is at lock…
when we got shunted by the crusaders in the s15 semi… everybody did the obvious and blamed the props… what everyone neglects is that both andries beaker and elstadt… had injuries that required season ending surgery after the comp… which may not see them ready for this coming s15…
bekker was carrying three serious injuries… shoulder, ankle and (i think) hip…
so neither could push effectively in the scrums… no prop in the world can hold up an opposition pack if the locks are not shoving…
most of last season our scrum held it’s own… and only suffered once bekker began carrying his injuries…
yesterday we had fondse who’s been very underwhelming and lobberts a loosie retread… due to steenkamp being pulled last minute…
while we all acknowledge our flyhalf options are severely affected by injury… we need to do the same with our locks…
but no doubt… a few good props will be great…
but we need to look at thing sin perspective…
16 Oct 2011, 09:27 am
@RL(RL)-100: dont get me started…
16 Oct 2011, 09:27 am
coincidentally… our line out also went to pieces late in the season…
16 Oct 2011, 09:29 am
Just heard the Deans pre match interview…I’m more convincing at 3am in the morning, p issed, telling the last chance sheila shes beautiful
16 Oct 2011, 09:29 am
Do the Waltzing Matildas have it in them for another huge effort, and another one after that, should they win this one? I have grave doubts.
The effort in their last win was an energy sapping, and worse still, a mentally demanding and draining one which few teams could have effected wrt the very heavy season they have endured – strike one.
In less than 90 days the Aussies’ REDs contingent peaked for the S15. The whole Aussie squad peaked for the victorious TNs and again for the first KO effort just last w-end against the ‘Boks. Can thhey therefore be expected to prak a 4th and possibly a 5th time in such a short period and in one season? The science says you can only PEAK a few (not 4 or 5) times a season and would thus suggest NO – strike two.
This YOUNG Aussie outfit thus lacking the required RWC experience so important for victory, plus their murderous press who seem to have it in for Deans putting much unwanted pressure on the young team also have to count against a likely win – strike three.
I could go on and on, but even with more negative factors I cannot eradicate the fact that the ABs have never beaten the Wallabies yet at a RWC where they have played each other.
There are then, as revealed, reasons for and against for all opponemts but in the final analysis only time unfolds for us the final result of the eventual winner.
This game, any other time, would be a mouth-watering affair but in a RWC it is bound to be tight and tough and uncompromising and possibly boring because it is a win and you are still in KO situation.
Despite my preferring the type of game the Waltzing Matildas(and ABs) play I firmly believe the spirit of the fighting people of Christchurch will prevail and the New Zealand ABs will stand tall at the end and carry their nation to VICTORY.
I am a KO five for five
But are you still alive?
As I do the funky jive!
Does 5/5 become six for six and later seven for seven? Only the ABs carry that hope for me now.
16 Oct 2011, 09:29 am
Great crowd shot just on of South African supporters wearing Springbok jerseys but with All Black/New Zealand painted faces.
16 Oct 2011, 09:29 am
@ David 107: great idea!
Man, I am soooooo nervous!
16 Oct 2011, 09:30 am
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-97:
yeah bud… was also at the game…
and brok got injured early on… compounding the problem
16 Oct 2011, 09:30 am
@ufo(ufo)-109: yes….need another quality lock as well….for sure…..
Alberts would be an effective 4 …..so bring him on….
It starts with a effective set piece…..and unless wp / stormers get this sorted we will continue to be the bloody bridesmaid….
I like the look of Pat Cilliers….
16 Oct 2011, 09:31 am
@ET.(ET.)-113: I bet you haven’t been this nervous about a semi since you watched brokeback mountain?
16 Oct 2011, 09:32 am
okay…now really outta here
16 Oct 2011, 09:32 am
@ufo(ufo)-109:
I was thinking the same about our locks. Most people blamed our props in the 3rd B&IL game for the problems, but forget that Simon Shaw was locking their scrum for the first time and made a massive difference.
16 Oct 2011, 09:32 am
@ chch, yep, was great to see that saffa wearing black! I hope we smash the aussies, they don’t deserve to get to the final
16 Oct 2011, 09:33 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-2:
Surely after all your experience here, you do not expect many S. Africans to be reasonable and furnish any reasoning for emotional claims?
16 Oct 2011, 09:33 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-48:
He got into a big argument with Stuart Barnes about how much better the NZ tight 5 are. Quite embarrassing really.
16 Oct 2011, 09:33 am
@grant10(grant10)-117:
yeah… agree…
and as stormersboy said that puma’s loosehead is a monster…
great buy for the bulls… in their set up his careers gonna go into overdrive…
16 Oct 2011, 09:35 am
The ABs must wipe the floor with the housebreaking, thieving Aussies
16 Oct 2011, 09:36 am
Nervous excitement….
or
Nervous anxiety…
Hmmm
ABs have everything to lose.
Wobblies have nothing to lose.
16 Oct 2011, 09:37 am
Farking sneaky tricksey Aussies, they steal games and they want steal the precious!
16 Oct 2011, 09:37 am
Ian Jones is off on one again
16 Oct 2011, 09:38 am
@David(David)-120:
exactly david… it’s the obvious but maybe less informed thing to always blame the props… but locks and loose-forwards play a integral part in it too… just see the difference schalk make when he packs behind whichever prop…
but the stormers pack WAS good for most of the s15… even bulls fans were talking about our ‘light’ five being sorted out… so much so that there were calls for proudfoot to help the boks out…?? but sadly the demise of our scrum and lineout both coincided with bekker’s injuries…
16 Oct 2011, 09:38 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-126:
Anxiety,all the pressure are on the kiwis.
They will go into the game scared to make mistakes.
16 Oct 2011, 09:39 am
@corporal punishment(corporal punishment)-121: I think the saffas wearing AB colors and the faces says it all about the most respected rivalry in the world !!
16 Oct 2011, 09:40 am
anyway… time for the semi…
Go All Blacks…!!!
16 Oct 2011, 09:41 am
Hopefully the ref will have no undue impact on the result
16 Oct 2011, 09:41 am
@ufo(ufo)-129: I don’t think Bekker is a particularly good srcummaging lock. Elstadt as a “real” 7 either.
But they are the 2 best in all other aspects that we have.
Cover there would be great, and Willem will certainly bring that.
16 Oct 2011, 09:42 am
Extraball looking for kiwi friends again.
Careful pops, careful!
16 Oct 2011, 09:42 am
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-130: It means everything to the Kiwis and the ABs…
Do they Care too much…
It means nothing really to the Aussies and the Wobblies…
They care nothing…Just another game.
16 Oct 2011, 09:42 am
Will it by any chance be the General Weepu and Corporal Cruden dominated show?
Who knows history is very strange at times.
Do you realise when the WC was last played in N.Z. in 1987, that the four semi-finalist in 2011 were exactly the same as in ’87?
More stunningly, do you recall that in that ’87 semi-final of ABs against Wales that Wales on that occassion had a forward, lock H. Richards, sent off?
Do you all recall that the N. Z. ABs won that ’87 version of thhe RWC?
Omens, omens, omens. They can be found at the best of times and at a dime a dozen.
16 Oct 2011, 09:43 am
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-134:
exactly bud…
hell… would be great to get alberts…
16 Oct 2011, 09:43 am
Isn’t there a stormers thread elsewhere
16 Oct 2011, 09:45 am
Come On Saffas shout from the rooftops…
.@ET.(ET.)-137: yes and it will end the same
16 Oct 2011, 09:45 am
We should win this even without Carter. I dearly hope we do…. The boys deserve it after their results over the last 4 years
Go black!!!
16 Oct 2011, 09:45 am
Omens have no place in science.
16 Oct 2011, 09:46 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-136:
I would not say the Aussies don’t care at all.
It is just a obsession with the kiwi’s,some may say unhealthy.
If the kiwi’s lose I just hope that the womanfolk don’t get beat up too badly.
16 Oct 2011, 09:46 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-139: No Dawn, here only the real teams matter
16 Oct 2011, 09:46 am
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-143: LOL!!!
16 Oct 2011, 09:47 am
@Dawn(Dawn)-139:
Relax please.
16 Oct 2011, 09:48 am
@Richie_7(Richie_7)-145:
Woman being beaten up is not a laughing matter.
16 Oct 2011, 09:48 am
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-143: Eish, thats fighting talk
16 Oct 2011, 09:48 am
Of course richie. That’s why I’m chasing them off.
16 Oct 2011, 09:49 am
Shurrup stalker
Stop telling me to relax
Pages: « 1 2 [3] 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 … 24 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.