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, 11:46 am
Great stuff new WORLD CHAMPS!
23 Oct 2011, 11:46 am
Have I missed anything??
Well done Kiwis and the French did not roll over like I thought they would. Credit to them
(That hurt me to say that) !!
23 Oct 2011, 11:46 am
Well done AB’s tough game not easy at all.
23 Oct 2011, 11:46 am
Congrats AB’s. France played better but that’s not the stat that matters in the end
23 Oct 2011, 11:46 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-337: You’re just a Japie hensopper.
23 Oct 2011, 11:46 am
ABs 3-2,france 3-0 gotta be the ultimate WC chockers.
23 Oct 2011, 11:46 am
Well done All Blacks. Best team in the tournament.
Well played France, you almost had this one.
23 Oct 2011, 11:46 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-337: Well Done Tackler…we will allow you to be a douche for the day
23 Oct 2011, 11:47 am
@ET.(ET.)-329:
what **** you talk.
where was your great nz running rugby tonight?
skop and jag won the day!
23 Oct 2011, 11:47 am
Spare a thought for Dan Carter please.
Tragic.
23 Oct 2011, 11:47 am
Finally after 20 years and five disappointments and this year – mining diaster, eartquake – Kiwis have something to cheer.
Congratulations Kiwis!
Congratulations, Richie!
Congratulations to the Frogs for a massive, nail-bitting final. You could have won, too. Despite all disarray, what a players, what a team.
But now it won’t matter. ****** is off the back.
Phew.
23 Oct 2011, 11:47 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-337:
Oh, p8ss of you retreaded idiot.
23 Oct 2011, 11:47 am
Cane, Poppa, NZ in China, and all my mates from NZ – well done lads – enjoy every moment!
Tough luck France – you guys were epic in this final!
23 Oct 2011, 11:47 am
And finishing the game with 4th choice flyhalf.
Well done, boys.
23 Oct 2011, 11:47 am
Well Done AB’s. In the end you deserved it. Well done France. On the day you guys were awesome. Could just have gone your way as well.
23 Oct 2011, 11:47 am
CHAMPS
Oh yeah.
Anyway hats off to the French for putting up a huge fight.
NZ won the first half but lost the second.
But as we have heard for years on here, defense wins the RWC.
23 Oct 2011, 11:48 am
well done all blacks, new World Champions
23 Oct 2011, 11:48 am
Well done, Kiwis. Well hosted and well played. The All blacks are worthy winners. And you had the two hottest anthem singers too
23 Oct 2011, 11:48 am
@frenchiebokfan(frenchiebokfan)-350: your a d*ck
23 Oct 2011, 11:48 am
Well played Frog’s and hard luck.
ABs well played, well deserve world champions.
23 Oct 2011, 11:49 am
The intensity actually increased last 20 minutes, and it wasn’t really a stroll in the park the first 60 minutes
23 Oct 2011, 11:49 am
I have not ever seen the ABs so denied of the ball as they were in that second half.
France were even more adventurous too in the 2nd stanza and ABs strangely did all the damn silly kicking.
23 Oct 2011, 11:49 am
It’s been a long time, this is just sweet, there’s no better feeling, this is the best year ever, I just can’t believe it!!!!!!!
23 Oct 2011, 11:49 am
Sleaze 8 Sport 7
Sad day for rugby, finally killed by professionalism and corrupt commercial interests
23 Oct 2011, 11:49 am
Tackler you did not answer me yesterday.
I have a great gf,fam and friends.
Career and busy designing my bigger better home at the dam.
You have your mom and good spelling.
What else?
You are going to die a lonely old man in a country where you immigrated to but never integrated.
You are a failure.
23 Oct 2011, 11:49 am
Enjoy the moment guys. For four years you will be the champions of the world. Great tribute to the Christchurch supporters.
23 Oct 2011, 11:50 am
This result is good for the people of Christchurch.
23 Oct 2011, 11:50 am
@RL(RL)-370: mate,lose to tonga,how can you win a WC?
23 Oct 2011, 11:50 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-337: A serious question. Are you retarded? You come across as being very stupid.
You are a Yarpie idiot, you are NOT a Kiwi.
You are a YARPIE, YARPIE YARPIE
23 Oct 2011, 11:51 am
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-373:
well done mpu, you should be proud of your boys and your kiwi ancestry, well done big fella.
23 Oct 2011, 11:51 am
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-373:
We finally got it mate.
23 Oct 2011, 11:51 am
Congratulations to AB’s and fans.
Well deserved- cherry on the cake and “justice” reward for being the number one team in the world for a number of years
Great show by the French too.
23 Oct 2011, 11:51 am
well done NZ. Keo I absolutely disagree with you. The AB’s were clueless on attack. But maybe you are trying to justify your wholly inaccurate pre match prediction.
23 Oct 2011, 11:51 am
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-375:
Fern, settle down man.
23 Oct 2011, 11:52 am
beaver?!
23 Oct 2011, 11:52 am
overrated nz, won a tainted world cup, ****** refs, crappy grounds, how many highg tackles did nz get away with, dusatoir immense, unlike offside mccaw, oh well even the sunshine shines on a dog’s *** now and again.
23 Oct 2011, 11:52 am
Well done ABS you are the best team in the world. Pitty the BOKS lost to the Aus because the ABS were ripe for the taking.
23 Oct 2011, 11:53 am
To all All Black supporters who where actually born in New Zealand or actually have New Zealand parents CONGRATULATIONS.
23 Oct 2011, 11:53 am
Congrats Kiwis, you showed the guts and deserve the cup. Look after it better than we did, as world champs.
23 Oct 2011, 11:53 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-384:
I am cool,he took me on yesterday,still awaiting his reply.
23 Oct 2011, 11:53 am
AB got their long awaited precious but France deserved it in the end
Set up nicely by the diabolical refereeing fiasco in the 1/4 final AB’s only had to deal with their own bogey team in the end and they almost faltered again at the hand of their nemesis but eventually 1 point and a missed penalty by Trun Doc stood between the greatest close call win and another famous loss.
France should not have taken off Yachvili with 5 to go was the new scrummy who knocked on with 3 min to go and handed back possession to the AB’s.
23 Oct 2011, 11:53 am
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-377: Well at least there should be less wife beating tonight
23 Oct 2011, 11:54 am
@cab(cab)-380:
Same thought sprung to my mind…. there is hope for him though, just ask Trevor Manual
Gootted…. I am fooking gooted
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHH!!
23 Oct 2011, 11:54 am
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-375:
Shame, you will never get it, will you?
23 Oct 2011, 11:54 am
Congratulations New Zealand
23 Oct 2011, 11:55 am
@maximus1(maximus1)-386:
If your French, then you played a good game but lost.
If you South African, then i understand your post even more.
23 Oct 2011, 11:55 am
ABs well and truly outplayed.
France the better side on the day, that’s for sure.
23 Oct 2011, 11:55 am
@Bod(bod)-393:
lol, mpu is v amusing.
23 Oct 2011, 11:55 am
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-390:
lol, course your cool, never doubted that.
23 Oct 2011, 11:55 am
Dermie : thank you ! In fact you’re right : an 8-7 victory at home against a team who lost 50% of its pool games is really something to be proud of…
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