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, 10:39 am
here come Beaver!!!!!
23 Oct 2011, 10:39 am
1995: Suzie’s food
1999: The Frogs had Champagne for breakfast that day
2003: no idea
2007: THAT forward pass
2011: Piri’s flu??
23 Oct 2011, 10:40 am
come on, they didn’t stop play for Parra
23 Oct 2011, 10:40 am
Eish !!! that hurt just looking at it
23 Oct 2011, 10:40 am
ABs dont bring on Donald please
23 Oct 2011, 10:41 am
Not a good day for flyhalves…
23 Oct 2011, 10:41 am
How come the game stops for Cruden, but not Paras?
23 Oct 2011, 10:41 am
Come on Corey take those kicks!
23 Oct 2011, 10:41 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-153:
Fair point
23 Oct 2011, 10:41 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-147: Nah, frogs are being kept fresh for using later.
23 Oct 2011, 10:41 am
@David(David)-157: He too was born in a manger. All the guys in black were.
23 Oct 2011, 10:43 am
No Cruden, Piri kicking like my ouma, and now they’re down to Donald. Eish.
23 Oct 2011, 10:43 am
I don’t get this play continuing when players injured.
23 Oct 2011, 10:43 am
#4 AB flyhalf now in action — great depth at #10!
23 Oct 2011, 10:43 am
Bad call by Joubert. Ball forward of a Frenchie in that line-out.
23 Oct 2011, 10:45 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-164:
it’s Stephen Donald
23 Oct 2011, 10:45 am
jerome kaino is having a quiet half
23 Oct 2011, 10:46 am
Ai craig.
23 Oct 2011, 10:46 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-164: Donald is depth? Come on.
23 Oct 2011, 10:46 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-166: It’s like saying Jorrie Muller is depth at centre
23 Oct 2011, 10:48 am
Weepu throws the towel in, HT
23 Oct 2011, 10:48 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-164: Hahaha, now that is funny
23 Oct 2011, 10:48 am
Tackler is being sarky.
Won’t roll away.
23 Oct 2011, 10:50 am
Surprising call by Piri to kick it out – but it’s the right thing to do for the ABs
They’re only 5 points ahead, the Frogs can come back from much further behind.
Let’s see which teams half-time speech works best… both teams tend to play better in the 2nd half.
23 Oct 2011, 10:50 am
Kiwis have already made Joubert their beeeeech…
23 Oct 2011, 10:51 am
Craig has been briefed well…
23 Oct 2011, 10:51 am
Looks like the French and All Blacks are looking to make history tonight by trying to play the most boring final yet..both teams are equally poor which should suit the French. Hopefully the second half will be better…SBW at center would be a good start.
23 Oct 2011, 10:51 am
@Micky Wicky(Micky Wicky)-174: NZ need to come out firing, it looked like France were in the ascendancy
23 Oct 2011, 10:52 am
tell you what if the frenchies score some points here, the kiwis could go into meltdown.
one can almost here the sphincters tightening from here.
23 Oct 2011, 10:53 am
so far id like to say thank you france for turning up and making this a contest for all rugby fans .
Joubert while he is doing a relatively good job he’s allowing the all blacks more play than the French but somehow France is holding on
If AB’s fans weren’t nervous at kick off… im sure its a different story now
23 Oct 2011, 10:53 am
Corey can take those kicks.
Breed ‘em tough in Hutt.
23 Oct 2011, 10:53 am
Yet another one sided reffing performance! NZ miles offsides at times and getting away with it
Interesting 2nd half ahead, AB’s need to step up
23 Oct 2011, 10:53 am
@Golden Boy(Golden Boy)-177: The 2007 final was worse than that…
23 Oct 2011, 10:54 am
@Rugby-1(Rugby-1)-182:
Yeah he is letting us SAFAs down with his strange calls in favour of the Kiwis. You have to be fair…
23 Oct 2011, 10:55 am
Well this is finals rugby,
French still looking like they can change the way this match is going at any minute.
Good to see a few on attacking the refs already.
23 Oct 2011, 10:55 am
If NZ get the next score, it’s probably game over.
If France get the next score, it’s also probably game over
Let’s hope one of them gets a score…
(Please let it be the Frogs or my French wife will ensure I live like a monk for the next 6 weeks!)
23 Oct 2011, 10:55 am
@cab(cab)-179:
Gotta agree….. “The General” Pirri is crumbling and the NZ weather is suffering from an almighty suction
France score first in the second half its goodnight nurse…
23 Oct 2011, 10:56 am
@Micky Wicky(Micky Wicky)-183:
I know..but these guys really are going all out to beat even that…5-0…mmmmmMan United put more past Arsenal in that ‘boring’ round ball game in which a goal only counts for one point.
23 Oct 2011, 10:56 am
@Golden Boy(Golden Boy)-177:
Instead of Nonu, who’s already got rid of Parra and is a constant line breaker? SBW is too slow for 13.
23 Oct 2011, 10:56 am
I think joubert has been ok he does need to watch the ABs offside
23 Oct 2011, 10:56 am
Enjoyable game so far
23 Oct 2011, 10:56 am
France are still in it, because of Weepu’s screw ups and luck.
If France can manage to score the first try… we have a game on our hands.
23 Oct 2011, 10:57 am
ABs poor display today makes losing in QF even more painful. Boks would have destroyed them today
23 Oct 2011, 10:57 am
Listening to ht comments on ITV, Fitzy sounds like he’s been on the sauce
23 Oct 2011, 10:57 am
@Bod(bod)-187:
interesting analysis, it is looking like the french are getting the upperhand…not sure the nurse can resuscitate the ABs.
23 Oct 2011, 10:57 am
Woeful kicking cost Wales badly in this WC.
Will it happen again today?
A solid kicker will win you a World Cup. Well it worked in 1995 and 2007.
23 Oct 2011, 10:57 am
@Bod(bod)-187: they should let Donald kick, Weepu is that bad
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-185: Joubert is embarrassingly one-sided for a WC final
23 Oct 2011, 10:58 am
@Golden Boy(Golden Boy)-188:
Dont watch the game,simple.
I am sure the world of rugby wont miss a sour person like you.
23 Oct 2011, 10:58 am
@David(David)-189: it was Richie who got rid of Parra with a knee to the head – not that getting rid of Parra was a great idea, Trinh-Duc is an actual 10
23 Oct 2011, 10:58 am
@simbachips(brendon)-194:
mehrtens has twice been on tv drunk.
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