All Blacks crowned kings of the world
23 Oct 2011
JON CARDINELLI, reporting from Eden Park, watched the All Blacks beat France 8-7 to secure their second World Cup title.
Four million New Zealanders have had to endure 24 long years in between World Cup titles. On Sunday 23 October, they had to endure a further 80 agonising minutes as their beloved All Blacks edged slowly and, at times tentatively, towards the elusive gold.
The energy of a nation was channeled in the New Zealand national anthem, and the All Blacks played their part with a spirited rendition of Kapa o Pango. France responded through Thierry Dusautoir’s passionate gesture during the Tricolores’ call-to-arms, and through the team’s decision to advance towards the hosts while they laid down the traditional challenge.
The message was clear: France would not be intimidated by the All Blacks, their media or the New Zealand people’s pre-match assertion that they had no place in this final. Their march on the All Blacks would signify a collective up-yours to all the non-believers, and their efforts in this match would underscore their passion and belief that they could indeed upset the world’s top-ranked team.
It was this fiery attitude and physicality that had the All Blacks rattled at stages. Tony Woodcock scored a simple try for the hosts when a smart lineout move opened up the French defence, but Piri Weepu failed to make the conversion. In fact, Weepu would miss all three of his attempts at goal and the All Blacks would miss out on eight points as a result. It was this lack of composure that so nearly cost the hosts the game.
The All Blacks were resolute on defence, but then so were the French. They matched the hosts at the collisions which limited the All Blacks’ attacking platform. Morgan Parra stopped Ma’a Nonu from breaching the gain line early in the first half, and paid the price for his bravery. He was able to return to the field for a brief spell but was later pulled when he failed to recover from what was a big knock.
The All Blacks would lose their own flyhalf before the first period was through. Aaron Cruden was caught between two French defenders in the 34th minute, and proceeded to hyper-extend his knee. Suddenly the All Blacks were without Cruden, their third-choice pivot, and looking to Stephen Donald, a player who wasn’t even in the country until a couple of weeks previously. If the All Blacks were going to pull this one off, the forgotten man of New Zealand rugby would have to steer them home.
Donald relieved Weepu of the goal-kicking duties and took his first opportunity early in the second half. But the 8-0 deficit did little to dampen the spirits of the French, who continued to clatter into the collisions and breakdowns with masochistic intensity.
They also persisted with their ball-in-hand tactics, and their searing counter-attacks stretched the All Blacks on numerous occasions. It was one such counter-punch that would provide the spark for a massive moment, which Dusautoir took expertly to help close the gap to 8-7.
It was during this time that the All Blacks must have been thinking about the failures of the World Cup teams of yesteryear. Weepu had shown a lack of composure in the first half through his inability to convert three very kickable opportunities, and as the French swelled with confidence, the All Blacks grew frantic.
It was a situation tailor-made for the French, and undoubtedly a worse-case scenario for the hosts.
But as plucky as the French were, they were just as erratic as in previous matches at this tournament. Credit should go to the All Blacks defence, but had France shown more composure and patience with ball-in-hand, they may have taken the lead and inspired some real panic in the New Zealand ranks. Had they converted their own goal-kicking chances, they would have assumed control as the clock wound down.
Dimitri Yachvili missed a penalty attempt early in the second stanza, and Trinh-Duc pushed a long attempt wide in the 65th minute. The replacement flyhalf also made a telling mistake when he overcooked a garryowen late in the game. It marked the end of long spell where France had pinned the hosts deep in their own territory.
It was during the remaining minutes that the All Blacks, spurred on by the thousands of desperate but patriotic Kiwis in the crowd, showed their composure. Through the determined efforts of their forwards and the collective discipline on defence, they were able to douse the French flame.
France swept from side to side for several minutes in hope of milking the penalty that would win them the game, but the All Blacks stood firm. They won the turnover, and attempted to play for time, and when referee Craig Joubert handed them a penalty, it signified the beginning of the end.
The All Blacks won the ensuing lineout and another penalty after mauling the French back, and at this point, Eden Park erupted in celebration. It will not be remembered as the most convincing performance, but it will be remembered as the day the All Blacks ended a 24-year drought and assumed the mantle of undisputed champions of the world.
1,158 Comments
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23 Oct 2011, 21:28 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-806: Spot on SPOT ON BOET!!!
I was saying the same thing after the Boks crashed out of the RWC and I got called a poephol and told to shut up and that I was too stupid to comment on this blog because I was called for the next coach to have performance clauses in his contract and that 80% win ratio should be what we as fans accept.
Its unbelievable how short-sighted a lot of Bok supporters are. Hendrikp was laying into me because I said PdV was a weak kak coach and we should get a Kiwi to be the next Bok coach. He and many other were saying that Coetzee is the best option for the Boks.
If Coetzee becomes coach we will see better defence but that’s it. Our win ratio will remain at 65% or less. We will still struggle to score tries. We will pick slow wingers and unimaginative, one-dimensional centres and continue to play crash-ball, run-into-traffic, zero offload rugby. Nothing will change.
Unfortunately it seems that this will happen because I think Hoskins sold his soul to the ANC in order to keep the top job and he made assurances to them that from now on Bok coaches will be picked on transformation criteria and not on merit. To the world it looks like the ANC are transforming rugby in SA when really it is window-dressing for a lack of investment in grass-roots sports development.
Only children with money can afford to play rugby. That is why the rate of transformation is so slow.
Saru is run by a bunch of souless, money-grabbing autocrats who are prepared to sacrifice SA’s rugby reputation in order to get rich and fat off ANC hand-outs.
23 Oct 2011, 21:31 pm
Craig Joubert definitely helped Richie and Ted overcome one more famous choke which was STARING them in the face.. if this WC was not tainted by setup ref’s you can rest assured France would have won today (SA time) yesterday (NZ time)
Go check it again.. late into second half and Frenchies were ALL over AB’s like a f’ng blanketed rash and AB’s were goeing wal like NEVER before
French went through 15 or 18 phases on the halfway line busting through some tackles with Harinorduquey, Dusetoir and Bonnaire making Richie, Read and Kaino there proverbial biatches until Joubert came through and saved the day.
On minute 74 France came storming through about 35 mts out, and AB’s sealed off and lay all over the breakdown ball off their feet and sprawled gasping for all they were worth.. right there was a penalty if ever there was a moment of panic stations hitting the entire rugby world seeing AB’s go down to Les Bleus once again when it mattered most.. and Craig Joubert didn’t have the balls to pull out his penny whistle and blow the right call…
That would have been the ball game and the WC in its glory.. and Joubert goeied wal alongside Richie, Kaino, Whitelock, Thorn and Read for all he was worth.. because France would have nailed that last nail through AB’s last hope coffin like never before..
Go check it again.. from minute 40-80 it was ALL France and not a glimmer of an AB hope with Rougerie and Mermoz repeatedly making Nonu and Smith look like kindergarten playmates in the midfield and Traille owning Dagg with Trinh Duc and Yachvili cleaning up Weepu, Ellis and Donald Cluck…
If ever there was an IRB miracle conspiracy shoring up the hopes of a nation for evermore.. this was IT.. and everyone close enough to the action know it.. Till Lievermont had one more of his brain implosions by replacing Yachvili with a debutante rookie scrummy with less than 5 to go and one more time Rougerie bust through Smith and Nonu with AB’s sprawled in defensive disarray and the rookie scrummy providing AB’s with the lat turnover that sealed France’s inevitable setup fate..
23 Oct 2011, 21:33 pm
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-899:
Meid, your adopted country nearly did not get there in the end
And this is a side that lost to Tonga; they made you look ordinary – that’s for sure
You must have loved that stunt France did while Piri was pulling weird faces and closing his eyes; by the time he opened it he probably thought they’re coming for him
23 Oct 2011, 21:34 pm
The next Bok coach to be
Will prob’ly be Coetzee
He has no clue
Of what to do
They’ll be as weak as tea.
23 Oct 2011, 21:34 pm
It’s not all about coaching, 80% of winning consistently at test level is looking after your best players so they are able to take the field in every test. Until SA manage sort that they’ll never be as consistent as NZ and will be relying on the odd good year or big WC performance. NZ have all that off-field structure sorted, they rarely field a weakened team.
23 Oct 2011, 21:37 pm
Craig Joubert was the hero of the day he also avoided blowing a blatant high tackle by Donald on Mermoz earlier in the one sided French dominant half and allowed AB’s to seal and slow French ball refusing to blow the daylight rule at the breakdown just like Bryce before him…
IRB done their homework well to assure an AB eventual relief from the blessed choke because it was DEFINITELY ON.. the choke was visible right before everybody’s eyes.. only CJ couldn’t bring himself to bring it on with far too much national psychological disorder staring the poor NZ folk in the eye…
23 Oct 2011, 21:38 pm
@Sheriff(Sheriff)-903:
There’s no such thing as nearly
The ABs won quite clearly
For 4 more years
You’ll shed those tears
We’ve got the cup you want dearly.
23 Oct 2011, 21:42 pm
Jirre these rhymes.
UuUuuuurrrgh
23 Oct 2011, 21:44 pm
The yarpies blame Joubert
A week back, Filet Rare
The best on earth
Since virg’nal birth
But now he’s dog-food fare.
23 Oct 2011, 21:47 pm
if EVER the once rampant AB’s were fckd up absolutely solid for an entire 40 minutes of rugby last night was the night in the WC final on their home turf in front of their own baying praying hoping gnashing fans and calling on every last ounce of reserved faith that the rugby gods and the bought ref wouldn’t put it into them again… AB’s were absolutely and totally dominated by a French outfit that simply OWNED them all 80 minutes long in that one sided French dominated second half…
shades of 99 and 07 all over again.. only difference was this time they had the ref inside their back pocket and the sentiment for a loss was just THAT too far over the precipice for even a so called professional ref from blowing them over the last hope cliff and into the abyss of despair forever…
23 Oct 2011, 21:47 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-902: the stakes were high for them at this WC skop, NZ and Oz are both in the red financially, they’re hemorrhaging test players to Euro clubs and spectator/viewer interest in the sport is dying both nations. The RWC 2007 was a disaster for the coffers, another blow like that would have left their rugby in a perilous state. SA were sacrificed for Oz and France for NZ, to keep their heads above water, it is what it is.
Regarding the NZ team, we expect better due to their consistency between WCs and the style with which they play but I just don’t think they have three big WC knockout performances in them. It’s been the story of the past 24 years and if that match today took place anywhere but NZ they would’ve lost. That is the closest WC winning margin on record. I suspect we may not see another NZ WC win until they host it at home again (if ever).
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-909: enough already, nobody wants to hear their grandfather rap
23 Oct 2011, 21:47 pm
As I said on the other thread – for what it’s worth – a huge congratulations to the AB’s, all of NZ and the Kiwi fans that frequent this site. Enjoy gentlemen (and ladies?) – 4 years worth of World Champions’ bragging rights…
23 Oct 2011, 21:53 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-910:
OWNED them all 40 minutes long in that one sided French dominated second half…
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-909: you were saved a virg’nal rebirth boyo you wouldn’t know where the fck to put your head if Craig Joubert didn’t save your soft underbelly from being exposed again…
France OWNED the BA’s for 40 whole minutes not a glimmer of an AB hope was there after the Dusutoir try and AB’s were coming apart at the seams…
at 74th minute it was OVER and Joubert REFUSED to blow the law and hand the game to France which was ABSOLUTELY DUE..
Joubert saved yours and your entire nations sorry arses and had it not been the case I reckon the state of mourning would simply have been too heavy even for those with shoulders broad enough to carry whimpering cry babies like you for another 24 years and the rest…
23 Oct 2011, 22:01 pm
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-911:
It reads like a soapy setup all over the IRB mogul makers palace
This was not an even handed unbiased WC it was a setup and it is pretty easy to spot it even for those who are hoping that rugby cannot be tainted by the money manipulated brush… and I’m not crying about SA because the way we went about our selection policies and strategic planning we didn’t deserve to win this thing this time either…
But last night (NZ time) France deserved the victory and they were in fact the deserving champs… however the sentiment and perhaps the financial implications (heaven forbid it ever gets disclosed) was such that IRB simply could have it no other way with NZ hosting the tournament and the ailing aching psyches that would simply drown beneath the south pacific ocean if the gods and the powers that be would have ruled it absolutely justly and dispassionately…
23 Oct 2011, 22:11 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-913:
What a powerful man you are. The size of that chip you carry around would make most men cringe.
France played brilliantly, and I doubt another team anywhere on the planet would have held them out as the AB’s did last night.
23 Oct 2011, 22:15 pm
keep complaining about set ups Skop.
haven’t we heard over the years that defense wins WCs?
just because your SA side weerent good enough to get past the 1/4 final it’s suddenly a brought WC.
that’s an excuse that tops Susie any day.
23 Oct 2011, 22:20 pm
Evening kiwis!
23 Oct 2011, 22:20 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-914: we like to believe rugby is untainted as it’s the sport we follow but I’m not sure any professional sport is left untouched from behind the scenes horse-trading.
I hope the NZ supporters enjoy the win, the All Blacks really are part of their national identity and you felt it has satisfied a deep emotional need to finally win it again. But at the same time France have never won it and on that performance as clearly the better team they deserved to, the 24 years goes on for them and amid the AB euphoria that they weren’t given a fair crack of the whip just doesn’t sit well.
23 Oct 2011, 22:20 pm
Look foward to the next four years.
A RWC Champion team that actually can demonstrate why they deserve the title.
23 Oct 2011, 22:20 pm
so its official to win the world cup you need to get knocked out in the quarters the tournament before
99 oz 95 quarters
03 eng 99 quarters
07 sa 03 quarters
11 AB 07 quarters
Strange but true, does that mean it takes more than 4 years to build a world cup winning team, or that long to save up enough money to……….
23 Oct 2011, 22:22 pm
@Brads(Brads)-915: nope you the one with a chip
AB’s were willed to win this one by more than just the players on the field.. and the entire rugby world heaved a sigh of relief at the final whistle but if anyone is honest you will see any other ref on any other occasion and French would have won this game outright.. Joubert saved AB’s an absolutely ignominious defeat in the WC final at their own fortress Eden Park on the day it mattered to a nation most.
23 Oct 2011, 22:22 pm
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-918: i don’t think the all balcks were lucky , the french were just unlucky, not to mention kicks win games, god knows the kiwis missed enough to be out of sight
23 Oct 2011, 22:24 pm
this world cup will be remembered by one and all(except new zealand) as the WORSED reefed cup ever!!
23 Oct 2011, 22:24 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-910:
Yes, NZ is always one step ahead of SA. At Boardroom level we take you to the cleaners, then use your generous relief funding to pay off your refs. Thankyou SA without you we couldnt have done it. Thankyou to Europe and Japan also for setting up NZ Rugby Rugby Super Annuation Fund. I suppose when you are the Best, everyone wants to be your friend.
23 Oct 2011, 22:24 pm
Good morning Dawn.
Its 9.23am here, I have just climbed out of the sack after a very peaceful nights sleep.
Aided in no small measure be a draft or twenty
23 Oct 2011, 22:26 pm
@All Blacks – World Champions for A4Ys(poppa69)-916: It was a setup.. and got nothing to do with SA who did not deserve to win this time…
But on the night France beat you hands down and Joubert refused to blow the law when it ACTUALLY counted after 14 or 15 phases when France were prying you apart and you were sealing off and playing hands in ruck and lying all over the French ball in front of your posts 35 mts out Joubert refused to blow AB’s out of the game that would have sent a ricochet of anxiety through the NZ nation and the entire rugby world like never before
The difficult call was shelved and the WC went the way it was desired and designed to go all along…
23 Oct 2011, 22:26 pm
@Te Rangatira(Te Rangatira)-924: Remember the old adage, ‘when your right you can afford to be generous” Be humble, you look a lot nicer as a winner when humble!
23 Oct 2011, 22:27 pm
As Boy Louw — a famously stoical down-to-earth yarpie once said…
LOOKS AT THE SCOREBOARD.
Yeah, pilgrims — excellent advice!
World Champions = New Zealand.
#1 ranked IRB test team = New Zealand.
Winner of the most 3Ns = NZ
Winner of the most Super Rugby titles = NZ
Winner of the most Sevens titles = NZ
Top rugby nation on earth = ………… no prizes for guessing!
Hahahaha!
Four more years, boys!
23 Oct 2011, 22:30 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-921:
Stop it.
NZ won, yes it was a relief, I will acknowledge that.
But this was not a set up. this was not the final page of a convoluted deep seated conspiracy.
Craig Joubert made some calls last night against the AB’s that gob smacked me at the time, but I moved on and had forgotten then within a minute or so of them happening.
Had we lost, I would not have blamed anyone but ourselves, but I don’t accept for one second the result was a fix up.
23 Oct 2011, 22:32 pm
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-911: I think the All Blacks showed great heart in this game. They did battle in the second half and with their goal kicking (if they had kicked better the game would have been won by half time) but defended well and proved they can win when things are not going according to plan unlike NZ teams in the past. Winning three tough knockout games in a row is tough for any team. We nearly blew it against Fiji in 2007 and even battled for awhile against an average England side in the final. The pressure on NZ in this World Cup was massive and they would not be human if some of it did not get to them. I think now that they have the WC ****** off their backs they will be very tough to beat in future tournaments. The boks are going to have to choose wisely when selecting a coach or we are going to fall behind.
23 Oct 2011, 22:36 pm
Well, 22h35 pm here, school night, bedtime.
Public holiday in kiwiland today?
23 Oct 2011, 22:36 pm
@surreyshark4(surreyshark4)-927:
Woosh
23 Oct 2011, 22:37 pm
at 43 minutes France stop AB incursion at 35 mts and get blown for hands in ruch.. Donald put them 8-0 up
Fast forward to late second half around 74 minutes after insurmountable French multi phased attack and France bust into AB territory.. same offence.. AB’s seal off.. hands in ruck and Joubert refuses to blow AB’s out the game.. because right there it was tickets and AB’s would have been left ruing another close shave choking loss to their Nemesis.. but this time where it mattered most right at home where the blood and guts would have spilled on the Auckland streets at another demeaning defeat where the costs were just that little bit too far beyond the scope of the hopeless hopes had it to come about…
23 Oct 2011, 22:40 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-931:
Yes it is. Labour Day.
Maybe they should change it to Relief Day
23 Oct 2011, 22:41 pm
@malcolm(malcolm)-930: there were two teams playing though Malc, France showed a lot of heart too, written off and insulted by everyone, even by their own crazy coach, they took the criticism, united and played NZ away from home in their own WC lost by a single point (and they missed penalties too) dominating possession and territory. It was a close game and unfortunately the chief deciding factor was the man with the whistle.
23 Oct 2011, 22:42 pm
AB Day
23 Oct 2011, 22:43 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-926:
“beat”
please explain ?
23 Oct 2011, 22:46 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-936:
I like it.
23 Oct 2011, 22:46 pm
@surreyshark4(surreyshark4)-923: Worsed reefed?
The hard-aground MV Rena, wrecked on the Astrolabe Reef 20 miles off the Tauranga coast, is worse-reefed.
23 Oct 2011, 22:50 pm
Grammar nazi
23 Oct 2011, 22:50 pm
All Blacks World Champions! No one cares how, so long as we win, when you Japies played at homeyou cheated like never before so i find it bold of you idiots to be calling it a setup! We won, we deserved it, we are the best team in the world and the boks are below average!
23 Oct 2011, 22:54 pm
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-935: The French played very well. I had a feeling with the way they faced the haka that this was going to be a big French performance. Where I disagree is that the ref was the deciding factor. I think Joubert had a very solid game. He did make a few mistakes but on both sides. If anyone looks at any game from only one perspective you will always be able to pick up mistakes to justify ones view about any ref.
23 Oct 2011, 22:54 pm
@chch(chch)-771:
Mary Mary
Quite contrary
23 Oct 2011, 22:54 pm
the history books will say NZ won
that’s all that matters. those continually complaining about the ref are poor losers. end of.
23 Oct 2011, 22:56 pm
well done All Blacks. mission accomplished.
now maybe you’ll be able to kick on and win one away from home….
23 Oct 2011, 22:56 pm
@malcolm(malcolm)-942: tell it to the French and the various journalists who will report on it in the coming days, there is little doubt the ref was a factor:
The France scrum-half, Dimitri Yachvili, had no such qualms. “The referee was under a lot of pressure,” he said. “He did not want us to win.
Anyhow, good talking to you all and well done to NZ enjoy the win, they don’t come around that often.
23 Oct 2011, 23:03 pm
a suggestion to all kiwi’s on here today – if you want to enjoy this victory you’re in the wrong place. entering into mindless arguments on this blog is just plain silly. get out there and enjoy it.
the only reason you’d be on this blog is to gloat, and you’re in the wrong place to get hearty congratulations – think back to 2007 and the way you reacted to how the Boks won and you’ll remember how much it hurts to lose. go enjoy the sunshine and read your own media. see you for the s15 next year!
23 Oct 2011, 23:08 pm
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-918:
just coz the french had one good game in the comp does not mean they deserved to win it. sure they were marginally better on the night, the ABs looked fatigued in the second half and nearly choked, but they were the best team in the competition and consistently the best team in the world. of course the ABs deserved their victory. it would have been a travesty had france actually won.
congrats ABs. a loss last night would be beyond contemplation! we’d have a nation in mourning.
I am just stoked the french pitched and made a match of it! a game worthy of being a final.
23 Oct 2011, 23:10 pm
@munkiboi(munkiboi)-947:
I don’t see too many people gloating.
I see a few desperate folk who are struggling to come to terms with losing their choker jibe to wind up AB supporters.
23 Oct 2011, 23:16 pm
836 If France did not want to win in the pool stages surely that amounts to match fixing and downright cheating as well as disrespecting the tournament. Don’t you find it strange, you trying to be fair and speaking on their behalf about the supposed “injustices”. I could list instances were ABs had dubious decisions against them
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