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, 10:25 am
Cool Hand Cruden I dubbed him last week.
16 Oct 2011, 10:26 am
Good drop kick Cruden, some serious hits going in. Jane getting himself involved very well
16 Oct 2011, 10:26 am
This NZ team will be unbeatable with : Bismark, Matfield, Brussow, Burger, Hougaard, J Fourie & Lambie in their team ….
16 Oct 2011, 10:27 am
We know tackler. We know.
Why you so hysterical.
16 Oct 2011, 10:27 am
16 Oct 2011, 10:28 am
Its like watching the Boks the AB’s are playing that well. Drop kicks too!
16 Oct 2011, 10:28 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-234:
What does that have to do with last week apparent robbing. How do you associate it with attractive rugby?
Careful of foul language. It is uncalled for. Ufuna ukoluswa?
16 Oct 2011, 10:28 am
@Robzim(Robzim)-245:
He is that!
Helen(HindraG). That’s her/he/it!
16 Oct 2011, 10:28 am
Corey is hutt’s best looking citizen.
Hard drinking too.
16 Oct 2011, 10:28 am
Any tackle on Cooper must be the tackle of the tournament.
16 Oct 2011, 10:29 am
The last score before the half ends is going to be crucial.
16 Oct 2011, 10:30 am
NZ look like they’ll win this by 20+
16 Oct 2011, 10:30 am
Its all got to Cooper. Like it did last week against the Boks who should actually be playing here this week if not for some convenient rigging
16 Oct 2011, 10:30 am
Pococks first legal steal in 2 weeks give him MOTM
16 Oct 2011, 10:30 am
Peter Mkata – thank the minister of sport for our donkeys – Habana!!! – Hougaard (magical) could’ve played – unfortunately we have to play quotas dude
16 Oct 2011, 10:30 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-250:
I hope you have noticed that Tim Noakes has denied accusing anyone of match fixing or any claims that the Springboks’ quarterfinal match against Australia officiated by Bryce Lawrence was either ‘fixed’ or “bent” as has been reported.
Anyway, lets just watch this game.
16 Oct 2011, 10:30 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-262: counting chickens already?
16 Oct 2011, 10:31 am
Shame poor quade is genuine gevok.
16 Oct 2011, 10:31 am
Filthy islanders are attacking convict eyes.
16 Oct 2011, 10:31 am
@Peter Mkata(Peter Mkata)-257: Mhlathi wakho. You call my team Donkeys then definitely.
16 Oct 2011, 10:32 am
and there Houtpiel goes and knocks on !!!
16 Oct 2011, 10:32 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-263: Boks weren’t good enough to survive a QF
16 Oct 2011, 10:33 am
@Robzim(Robzim)-266: Yes. A first defence against any libel. Clever from Noakes. But he doesn’t deny his basis.
16 Oct 2011, 10:33 am
@RL(RL)-269:
It was Pocock’s finger that went in Kepu’s eye by accident.
16 Oct 2011, 10:33 am
@Tackler 20+ is expected when the ref uses the whistle. You’ve 5 penalties already that your Kiwi crook would never have given if the AB’s were wearing green
16 Oct 2011, 10:33 am
@Peter Mkata(Peter Mkata)-257: enjoy the rugby your team is playing and quit running down the boks…
australia are in this match not having played any running rugby last week
16 Oct 2011, 10:33 am
Ref is consistent
16 Oct 2011, 10:33 am
AB’s errors are going to give the Aussies the confidence to get back into this game.
16 Oct 2011, 10:34 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-272: Definitely not good enough against rigging, plainly.
16 Oct 2011, 10:34 am
Good kick genia
16 Oct 2011, 10:34 am
As long as tackler doesn’t start blathering in French I’m happy to let him blow his load.
Haven’t seem him this excited in years.
16 Oct 2011, 10:37 am
Good running rugby this lol …
16 Oct 2011, 10:37 am
thiis going to help coopers confidence a lot.
16 Oct 2011, 10:37 am
I agree, I saw Bryce tell Danie to take the man out in the air. And he told Lambie to run ahead of de Villiers.
Conspiracy!
16 Oct 2011, 10:37 am
The fact that they took a drop kick instead of going for the try should give NZ a great deal of confidence in their defence.
16 Oct 2011, 10:38 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-270:
Would the Donkeys played better and attractive rugby if they were not supposedly robbed. IDIOT.
Tell your team(donkeys) to get rid of skop and jag rugby then we will respect them as they were when Gerber and the likes were playing. Then the good name of Springboks will be respected.
16 Oct 2011, 10:38 am
Anyone noticed Richie in this game yet?
16 Oct 2011, 10:39 am
missed kicks may come back to haunt us..
16 Oct 2011, 10:39 am
Pat McCabe looks like a boxer who went 12 rounds after every game
16 Oct 2011, 10:41 am
@Peter Mkata(Peter Mkata)-286: Twat. They played well enough to win last week. And would have won with any other ref, other than a bent Kiwi.
Its showing this week. The “donkeys” would have been far superior in this game against the ABs.
Dumbfuk
16 Oct 2011, 10:41 am
Blood everywhere!
16 Oct 2011, 10:42 am
LOL Horwill getting the “slow clap” from the AB’s for that error.
16 Oct 2011, 10:42 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-276: Am I rubbing you up the wall as well Xhego? Hahaha!!
16 Oct 2011, 10:44 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-290: “would have” is a massive assumption
16 Oct 2011, 10:44 am
great game so far…
16 Oct 2011, 10:45 am
@Richie_7(Richie_7)-294: “Would have”, maybe, but “RIGGED” not so massive.
At all.
16 Oct 2011, 10:45 am
Somebody save corey’s nose
16 Oct 2011, 10:46 am
It’s like watching last weeks the game between SA and Aus with a ref who hasn’t been bought and paid for.
16 Oct 2011, 10:46 am
Australasia IS SPARTAAA!!!!!
16 Oct 2011, 10:47 am
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-299:
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