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, 11:37 am
Lol corey MOM!
16 Oct 2011, 11:37 am
That is it !
The final is ABs versus France.
And I am in the KOs six for six
All you can do is pick up sticks.
16 Oct 2011, 11:37 am
@Robzim(Robzim)-397: go f0k yerself.
16 Oct 2011, 11:38 am
@heboric(heboric)-398: Says the guy who’s team couldn’t score a try last week.
16 Oct 2011, 11:39 am
@Slumtown(Slumtown)-403:
Great response. Classy too.Well done.
16 Oct 2011, 11:39 am
France are DEADMEAT.
16 Oct 2011, 11:40 am
Card sbw!
16 Oct 2011, 11:40 am
twist in the tail
16 Oct 2011, 11:40 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-396:
And NZ’s world cup would be coming to an end.
16 Oct 2011, 11:40 am
So much for SBWs magic.
16 Oct 2011, 11:40 am
Joubert has been superb today no aussies can complain
16 Oct 2011, 11:40 am
SBW – what a waste of an All Black jersey.
16 Oct 2011, 11:41 am
What next!
16 Oct 2011, 11:41 am
@Robzim(Robzim)-405: yeah f0k you too.
16 Oct 2011, 11:42 am
Nils only comes out when game is safe
16 Oct 2011, 11:42 am
Joubert has shown what being a good clean fair ref is all about.
16 Oct 2011, 11:42 am
@David(David)-410:
SBW’s magic?
16 Oct 2011, 11:42 am
@Richie_7(Richie_7)-404: It’s called a referee … helps to control the breakdown and gives penalties for illegal play … fortunately for you guys you had a good one one the field tonight …
16 Oct 2011, 11:43 am
Cheers Aussie Plonkers, Great reffing from Joubert.
16 Oct 2011, 11:43 am
Uphu Mthakathi( Mpundulu) xa kunje??
16 Oct 2011, 11:43 am
The Aussies are flat and lethargic. They have been sapped physically and mentalyy drained. They have peaked once too many times.
NO TNs WINNER has EVER WON a RWC of the SAME YEAR!
16 Oct 2011, 11:44 am
Justice for last week – bloody wank3rs. Bye pretenders.
16 Oct 2011, 11:44 am
Well done craig
Well done nosejob lower hutt Corey!
16 Oct 2011, 11:45 am
Well done Kiwi bloggers – well deserved win -if you lose it from here you only have yourselves to blame.
16 Oct 2011, 11:45 am
@Slumtown(Slumtown)-414:
Keyboard warrior from a slum?
16 Oct 2011, 11:45 am
@danuk(danuk)-418: And 4 years ago we didn’t. What’s your point? It’s been a week now; don’t you think it’s time you dried your tears and man up?
16 Oct 2011, 11:45 am
Awww Quadey looks like hes about to start crying.
16 Oct 2011, 11:46 am
16 Oct 2011, 11:46 am
Pocock nowhere tonight, I wonder why. As for Keo’s statement about the “best halfback pairing” in the world. NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
16 Oct 2011, 11:46 am
Quade! Where’s my laptop?
16 Oct 2011, 11:47 am
ADVANCE AUSFAILURES ******
16 Oct 2011, 11:47 am
Well done AB’s.
Australia were never in the game.
16 Oct 2011, 11:47 am
Mthakathi donsa ucingo. amawonkemphisholo niphumelela. Fucksake.
16 Oct 2011, 11:47 am
Well done AB’s
Outmuscled the Aussies today.
16 Oct 2011, 11:47 am
@Slumtown(Slumtown)-424:
Don’t blame the bloggers
16 Oct 2011, 11:47 am
@Robzim(Robzim)-425: man if you want to make lame comments expect a decisive answer. Boks should have won last week and theyre the only team that had a good chance of beating the All Blacks – attacking ails an all. I havent seen a super try fest today and that would have been exactly the way the Boks would have played.
16 Oct 2011, 11:47 am
HAHAHAHAHHAHA
NOTHING COULD MAKE ME HAPPIER, HORWILL’S CRYING FACE
HAHAHAHHHAHAHAHHAHHAHA
16 Oct 2011, 11:47 am
GOOD RUGBY ADVERTISEMENT IN ALL RESPECTS. I AM HAPPY. There was no way that the Aussies could play out of their skin on two consecutive weekends.
Now for bring up frogs. They will not withstand this TSUNAMI.
16 Oct 2011, 11:48 am
Well done AB, great game and great refereeing. France hasn’t had a decent game in the WC thus far, lets hope that changes next week
16 Oct 2011, 11:48 am
Well done blacks
Basics done right
16 Oct 2011, 11:48 am
Well done ABs.
Fully dominant.
Great defence.
You win fair and square. Thats how it should be.
16 Oct 2011, 11:48 am
Somebody give Joubert a Bells. First play off game not tainted by diabolical reffing!
16 Oct 2011, 11:48 am
@MG(MG)-429: Yeah interesting Pocock was all over the place last week and nowhere today – very suspicious. Thanks Bryce.
16 Oct 2011, 11:49 am
@JEZ(DEE DAH)-442: amen to that
16 Oct 2011, 11:49 am
People, I have tears in my eyes. Only sad thing is the last time we played the Boks, they beat us! So if we win next week, the Boks are the real world champs, which leaves a sour taste in the mounth! But thats the last thing i’m worried about at the moment! Kia Ora!!
16 Oct 2011, 11:49 am
@umad(umad)-439: oh shut up.
16 Oct 2011, 11:49 am
only one try…where’s the try fest?
16 Oct 2011, 11:50 am
Well done Boks
Fully dominant.
Great defence.
You didn’t win fair and square. That’s how it shouldn’t be.
16 Oct 2011, 11:50 am
Where did Andrew Hore get his circa 1946 scrumcap from???
The Bennie Osler Memorial Foundation or something similar
16 Oct 2011, 11:50 am
@Slumtown(Slumtown)-436: So where were your tries last week? Or the week before? The Boks gameplan is all around their penalties – kick and chase rugby and feed off the oppositions mistakes.
The day would come when you had a ref like Lawrence or the other team was disciplined – the Boks needed to have a plan B and know how to score tries.
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