A point that made a point
24 Oct 2011
MARK KEOHANE, in his weekly Business Day newspaper column, applauds New Zealand’s defensive effort in the World Cup final.
France earned the respect of all New Zealanders and the All Blacks surely earned the respect of the rugby world.
You cannot begrudge the All Blacks their moment, and you also cannot deny captain Richie McCaw his finest 80 minutes as an international player. He is finally a world champion.
France captain Thierry Dusautoir was the player of the match but it was the player of the past decade (McCaw) who got gold on the night.
Some may say the rugby gods have a heart, especially if you remember McCaw’s night — and face — at the 2007 World Cup in Cardiff four years ago when France beat the All Blacks 20-18.
McCaw and the All Blacks deserved the win. Not just because of their defensive effort on the night, but because of what they have dealt with at this tournament — expectation, pressure and injury setbacks.
Home-ground advantage is big in any tournament but in World Cups it has been a curse. New Zealand are the first host nation to win the World Cup in the professional era and they did it with their fourth choice at flyhalf, Stephen Donald, for the final 45 minutes.
They did it without Dan Carter and they did it with McCaw playing the entire tournament with a foot injury that will require surgery.
It is easy to forget the obstacles New Zealand had to overcome because of France’s effort but it would be doing the defensive quality of this final a disservice.
France had offered nothing at this tournament. They had been awful and had been beaten twice in the league stages. They were told they were a disgrace to the romance of French rugby and the World Cup heroics of their predecessors. But they are France and with the French you never know who gets out of bed, let alone who pitches up to play a game of rugby.
They are also players who believe the only rugby experience better than playing the All Blacks is beating them. I can’t applaud their effort enough. Then again neither can I that of the All Blacks.
France’s intensity spooked the All Blacks four years ago, but this time New Zealand were prepared for the physicality of France, and to a man they backed their defensive system and backed the bloke on the inside and the outside to make his tackle. This is a team that trusted in each other as much as each guy did himself.
France were monstrous in the collisions. Dusautoir played the game of his life. France played more intelligently than they have all tournament, and like a team with a plan.
France played from set piece to set piece, limited idiotic decision-making in their own half and played like a team with the belief that they could strangle New Zealand up front and outkick them.
This was raw passion from France. They played for their honour, their dignity and the right to be World Cup champions, but they never had the attacking threat to match either the power of their pack or the intent of their minds. It has been their Achilles heel all tournament.
The All Blacks in the professional era have always been accused of not respecting winning ugly. They did that at Eden Park and their defensive effort was monumental.
France will get many accolades because they defied the belief that the All Blacks would win easily, but if the adage is true that World Cups are won on defence, then New Zealand are deserved winners.
There were heroes on both sides and thankfully no villains, even though All Black Piri Weepu would probably have had to emigrate if France had been the champions.
Weepu missed two penalties, a conversion and kick-started France’s solitary try with a chip kick that landed in a French hand and ended in seven points for France.
He also suffered at the base of the scrum because of the French effort, more than the New Zealand lack of effort, but when the battered All Black forwards had to produce their biggest effort of the last four years they did so in the last four minutes of the World Cup final. They kept the ball for three minutes, forced the penalty and won the game that for the people of New Zealand was so much more than a rugby result.
And it was as if the rugby gods were reminding all of New Zealand about humility. New Zealand would win it by a point to make a point.
Crushing the French would have resulted in New Zealand arrogance and perhaps another 24-year wait for the gold cup.
But to be in Auckland last night was to know there was nothing blasé about this New Zealand celebration.
There was just relief and recognition that attack wins you the Tri-Nations but defence wins you the World Cup.
464 Comments
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24 Oct 2011, 12:25 pm
@pierre(pierre)-40:
Well it hard to tell the difference on here between posters that are actually concerned about the refs and the posters that blame the ref for every loss, even though they are not watching withy both eyes.
I should apologise for putting you in the same pot as those clowns.
But one thing that seems to be is that when NZ wins, it due to POB and the ref.
I am not exagerating here, most of the time NZ is not the better team and this is just another one of those games.
Ever heard off the cry wolf storry. This is not aimed at you at all but when most these guys on here blame the ref for every loss, when the ref does bulls up, i dont believe them, who would?
24 Oct 2011, 12:26 pm
Craig Joubert probably did the right thing in letting them win this one. Shame, it would have been a travesty if france won “their” tournament.
24 Oct 2011, 12:26 pm
Excellent article. Having watched the game again, I can understand why France could feel aggrieved as they did not have the “rub of the green” this time around (from the ref especially). France stood up and played the game of their lives.
However, the ABs withstood a serious onslaught at the end and congrats to them. Even though they did not crush France as expected, they are worthy winners of the RWC 2011.
24 Oct 2011, 12:28 pm
@Alucard(Alucard)-47:
” I wish New Zealand many tremors the next four years ”
I live in Christchurch, are you saying what i think you are here?
24 Oct 2011, 12:30 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-50:
Still crying.
This is honestly a record on Keo.
No one has this many tears.
Thing is, your a toughy on the internet, i think your really harmless in real life, all noise and no go. Seen many like you.
Keep up my littlebitch
24 Oct 2011, 12:30 pm
@Dwis(Dwis)-52: Of course, how dare anyone win their sport. Any New Zealander who can think that this title is not tainted is utter trash! But these are criminal islands, so it will probably be nothing out of the ordinary for them.
24 Oct 2011, 12:31 pm
@Dwis(Dwis)-52:
yeah yeah fukn yeah.
24 Oct 2011, 12:33 pm
Greed is good…
Why? Because you get what you want no matter how you get it. It is entitlement.
France had and did everything to beat the All Blacks… Only one thing prevented them from doing so…
Craig Joubert. The ref takes centre stage.
This Rigged World Cup has demonstrated that International Rugby is now nothing more than WWE, and we can thank the refs for this.
24 Oct 2011, 12:34 pm
@Alucard(Alucard)-47: dude get over yourself. no need to your regular self today.
*cue* insults
24 Oct 2011, 12:35 pm
@Alucard(Alucard)-56:
Criminal islands.
Surely you dont want to show who has the most criminals in each country?
Thats pathetic.
SA lost, you dont give a cr@p about france or the refs but we won. Thats really hurting you.
Now we have 2 RWCs, better head to head by a long shot. More S15 titles, more 3 nation titles.
7s Titles, Junior RWC titles, Women RWC titles.
Just face it, we have you sorted.
Until you stop bitching about every little thing and really concentrate on your own team and fix your own backyard, this trend is going to continue.
24 Oct 2011, 12:35 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-58: HAHA this is too funny all the whinging just shows how much it hurts…4 more years:)
24 Oct 2011, 12:38 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-58:
Your my Littlebitch for 4 more years.
24 Oct 2011, 12:41 pm
Why was it necessary for New Zealand to get this World Cup?
It wasn’t. There were better bids that would have been more viable financially and would have been better to spread the game globally. New Zealand were awarded this World Cup through the old crusty blazer and tie network.
Why was it necessary for New Zealand to win this World Cup?
Disaster otherwise. Disaster for RWC Ltd if antipodean teams did not at least reach the semis, disaster for viewing figures in a region where Rugby Union has been in decline, disaster for sponsors.
Nobody could have won this World Cup other than the ABs or Wallabies. No other team would have won, no matter how good they could have been. They would not have been allowed to, they never were allowed to.
24 Oct 2011, 12:44 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-63:
NO team was good enough my Littlebitch, sure as hell know the Boks were not good enough.
24 Oct 2011, 12:46 pm
In the end it was a Saffa that prevented the CHOKE.
24 Oct 2011, 12:47 pm
The sooner South Africans realise that there is no respect for Bok rugby from the antipodeans, that NH/SH rugby is nothing more than a false dichotomy – a false grouping conjured up in the antipodes, the better for South African rugby.
SA rugby is in a central timezone must look North and West, not East.
East is not benefitting Bok rugby. And it won’t in future.
24 Oct 2011, 12:50 pm
@Dwis(Dwis)-65:
But in the beginning it was infact a Saffa choke, how else can you lose a QF with that much possesion?
24 Oct 2011, 12:50 pm
@Dwis(Dwis)-65: Yeah, because some Saffas can be such stupid, naive fools.
They really want to believe that antipodeans respect them… they really want to believe that they are similar… they really want to be accepted…
While the Kiwis and Aussies stab them silly behind their backs.
24 Oct 2011, 12:51 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-66:
oh poor didums, the Kiwis beat you up to many times and you want to go play somewhere else.
A baby of the highest.
24 Oct 2011, 12:53 pm
France were tragic and magnificent and had all the poetry – the people who wrote them off need to step up and confess their ignorance, including Keo. Brendan Venter did it publicly in a UK newspaper this morning.
Their performance was a display of courage and beauty. Can we establish once and for all: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS FRENCH FORM.
They break your heart but you keep have to keep watching so you don’t miss it when it happens – the rugby of the heavens – and when they play like that they are the best rugby players in the world – and they were in the final.
To their credit the Kiwi players and management knew and acknowledged this: Dan Carter, Richie, Ali Williams, Steve Hansen all made the predictions that France would come to play: and they were outplayed but they hung in, so non-traditionally on pure defence – I think they won because they respected the French and didn’t believe the utter tripe from all the sportswriters and commentators who know jack shti about the game – one chap on SA TV predicted a 40-point differential. The people on this site, who said watch out for France, and they know who they were, are the ones who know their game.
Paddy O’Brien needs to get the hell out of rugby – and take his ignominious No. 16 jersey with him.
24 Oct 2011, 12:54 pm
Two kiwi hands firmly around saffa necks caused that QF choke.
24 Oct 2011, 12:56 pm
@Dwis(Dwis)-71:
nope, you choked.
24 Oct 2011, 12:59 pm
The only point that has been proven is NZ needed to conspire off the field to win on it.
F–king cheats.
24 Oct 2011, 13:00 pm
The ABs won the RWC…
I wonder if there will be a push for further law changes after this tournament. Or are the laws/interpretations just right at present?
I suspect the latter. Everything is just dandy.
The correct order in Rugby has been restored, the Yarpies have been well and truly gotten, the Poms have been sent home in disgrace and the French… oh well they are French and no-one needs to understand them.
But they say this:
“One of them was particularly indignant. This is Dimitri Szarzewski. Angry hooker Stadium French dared to say out loud what everyone thought whispered, ” Kaino has a lot of mistakes, McCaw was what he wanted and they were not penalized. Unless the fault is really rough, they were not punished. Mr. Joubert was not brave. It was a World Cup final. I wanted to make things fair. And that n was not the case. ”
For the player lights, public pressure surrounding the meeting claimed the victory to the French: ” It annoys me because everyone wanted New Zealand wins then people will find it normal. The whole world was against rugby us and it made ??sense that we lost. Great players for whom I have great respect as Pienaar, Tindall and Cueto, we have openly criticized. New Zealand is the best team in the world for eight years and c ‘ although it is world champion, but tonight she did not deserve to win. “
24 Oct 2011, 13:02 pm
Okay hurricane, you win. We are clueless when it comes to playing “the game”. All hail the mighty all blacks! All hail sir richie! The greatest man ever the grace a rugby field with his presence. We’re not worthy. Please forgive us our sins, amen.
24 Oct 2011, 13:03 pm
OOh PUHLEASE Keo – this gatkruipery with NZ and the ABs is pathetic.
I dont agree at all with any of it. McCaw had another great game cheating and flouting the rules. Joubert was probably a bit overwhelmed by the occassion and hence McCaw was not penalised enough and strictly enough. So many AB high tackles were missed.
The IRB and the refs ruined this world cup for so many teams. The inconsistency and incompetence continues.
The greatest farce of them all being Bryce Lawrence’s a) Appointment b) Selection for a quarter-final involving Aus when he publicly admitted to making mistakes against Aus in a previous match!
Of course he is going to a) Be lenient on Aus and b) as a Kiwi does NOT want the Boks to play the ABs and knock them out.
The pool stages were exciting as the “minnows” showed what they can do and how much they have improved. But otherwise this RWC sucked. Well done to Wales for playing some great rugby and making some excitement. And very well done to France for playing so brilliantly in the final.
24 Oct 2011, 13:04 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-60:
Don’t try and shift the blame back on to us. You guys stink.
24 Oct 2011, 13:04 pm
Am I the only one who absolutely despises the laws that allow a ball to lie at the back of a ruck under the last mans feet for as long as the team in posession wants????
It really slows the game down to a yawn, has no inkling of positiveness about it and is actually bad for the game
Its not sour grapes, but I detest the last four or five minutes of a game being “wound down” by the ball being held, picked up, driven, held, picked up, driven, held…… and so on and so on….. and absolutely no ground is made at all
Think of it. Romania could actually draw 0-0 with the All Blacks if in the first ruck in their possetion in each half they got the ball to the back and kept it there for the rest of the half. Ridiculous, but allowed under the current rules
I positively hate this aspect of the game..
24 Oct 2011, 13:05 pm
@mudrockshark(mudrockshark)-73: Very well said!
24 Oct 2011, 13:05 pm
@mudrockshark(mudrockshark)-73:
Is that what happened with the 10 tri nation cups as well?
@Dwis(Dwis)-75:
No need for that.
But you do have a point. You were clueless in the QF with all the possesion, territory and the best drop kicker in the world at you disposal.
Dont forgive us Kiwis but at least forgive your bok team.
24 Oct 2011, 13:06 pm
The best on the Night did not win the Rigged World Cup 2011. Simple.
France were the better team. Simple.
AB’s won. Simple.
Ref impartiality was sacrificed. Simple.
24 Oct 2011, 13:07 pm
Without mentioning any teams, I have a serious problem with 2 things that have been highlighted by this world cup.
1) The influence of refs on the outcome of a game. If it can happen on the world stage then imagine the manipulation in schoolboy and provincial games. We are running the risk of rugby losing support.
2) In many games, the better side on the day, with all the possession and territory lost. This can happen once or twice but not on so many occasions. Maybe point 1 has a lot to do with this but 99% of the time, in any other sport, this would not be possible. Football is way ahead of rugby as a spectator sport and rugby is doing itself no favors at the moment.
24 Oct 2011, 13:07 pm
@mudrockshark(mudrockshark)-73:
And the proof?
Thats right you have none. Not one person here has any proof that us Kiwis paid anyone, setup anything to favour us.
@bokfan1(bokfan1)-79:
Oh you must have the proof, please show.
24 Oct 2011, 13:08 pm
@Bod(bod)-78: Totally agree with you! And that law was flouted without any regard for Sportsmanship or honour by the ABs in the final – nothing new for this team.
McCaw continuously and purposely displays contempt for the rules of the game, the entire AB team act as if rugby was made for them and the IRB run it that way – nothing may inconvenience NZ.
24 Oct 2011, 13:10 pm
@bokfan1(bokfan1)-84:
So NZ held it in the back of a ruck for too long and we lacked sportmanship?
lol i have heard it all know.
24 Oct 2011, 13:11 pm
@BOD I heard that from next year there is a new law that only allows you to keep the ball at the ruck for 5 seconds.
24 Oct 2011, 13:12 pm
The 3N and S15 have been rigged for a long time.
- structurally (Travel time on different continents)
- reffing (an Aus vs Saffa team can have an Aus ref)
- financially (SA does not get a share concomitant with its contribution)
SA has the best domestic Comp on the planet other than Top 14 in France. S15 threatens this comp.
24 Oct 2011, 13:16 pm
Maybe with Arg competing the structure will not be so lopsided, but don’t hold your breath.
I suspect Arg might just give a middle finger to SANZAR… Negotiations are not been held in good faith I suspect.
24 Oct 2011, 13:17 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-83: Personally I am not saying it is a paid-for thing or a deliberate set-up. But the people in positions of power in the IRB are either Kiwis or display blatant bias for NZ (or at least do nothing to dispel the feeling that they are pro-NZ).
The head of refs flies across the world to apologise for the reffing in a Test that NZ wins!
The RWC is given to NZ when it is obvious the country is not equipped to hold the numbers of fans the tournament attracts (and hence make a profit for IRB).
The ABs have a ridiculous ratio of something like 43 penalties for 1 yellow card, while the #1 and #3 teams (SA & Aus) average 6 and 7!
A ref like Bryce Lawrence is awared a RWC spot, then given a Quarter final after messing up a pool game.
and so on and so on…
Im sure a Kiwi would struggle to see it from the point of view of the rest of the world, but the IRB make it seem as if the ABs are the favoured child and everyone else suffers.
But no one may say anything, or they are labelled “whingers”. So these 3 or so posts are my last on the subject. Not everyone enjoyed this World Cup – and it was not the fault of the rugby – it was the fault of the IRB and the refs.
For example, Im not angry against the Aus team for the Quarters – any team will push the law as far as they can – I am angry at the bad refereeing that fails to halt the attempts at cheating. However, McCaw, Franks and Thorne (WRT rucks) take it to another level – continuously lying all over, not rolling away, holding on, diving over, coming in from the side and so on.
But what do I know? Im just a Yapie who will never play International Rugby…
24 Oct 2011, 13:19 pm
Sheesh, another mass weeping.
24 Oct 2011, 13:20 pm
I reckon SA rugby should have a long term goal of a partnership with France and Argentina in terms of a possible Club vs Province basis and International Series.
Working together with these two countries will benefit all far more in the long term than SA with the East.
24 Oct 2011, 13:22 pm
@bokfan1(bokfan1)-89:
Well look at it this way.
I though us losing the RWC in 2007 was bad enough. The way we were treated on here was sad to say the least, but most of us carried on,saying the reffing is appaling, but he winners of that tournament told us to stop whinging etc etc. Boy was it rubbed in our face.
Now we have won the RWC its got worse.
This site is unbearable now.
24 Oct 2011, 13:29 pm
Phew a lot of strange opinions here…..the AB’s definitely deserved to win the WC, they were the favourites going in and played well during the WC…No arguments from me, the team that deserved it the most won……bottom line
24 Oct 2011, 13:33 pm
the AB’s were supposed to win this WC irrespective of who they played in the SF or F….O’Brian & Lawrence made sure of that. I am sure the IRB probably suffered losses with this farce
24 Oct 2011, 13:33 pm
Saffas can accept a World Cup loss:
- They have accepted a 1999 Semi final loss. Aus were a better team that night.
- They have accepted a 2003 QF exit. The AB’s were a far superior team that day.
What some can’t accept is blatant stab in the back rigging.
The only team performances, with an honest, unbiased ref, that could possibly top the Bok QF 2011 performance might have been France in the Final or Wales in the QF against Ireland.
I don’t include AB’s vs Wallabies because the Wallabies were so obviously inferior in the Semi that they made the AB’s look better than they actually were.
But this is coulda woulda in a nice fair world of rugby which does not exist. Instead the World of Rugby is a world where some teams are more equal than others and the RWC is a WWE fest of manipulated results.
24 Oct 2011, 13:34 pm
Craig Joubert’s heroics last 20 minutes should also be commendable!
24 Oct 2011, 13:34 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-87: “The 3N and S15 have been rigged for a long time
“.. reffing (an Aus vs Saffa team can have an Aus ref)”
Well well
Not so long ago Bulls had 11 homie refs in 15 games, while everyone else – max 7 times.
And tell me, who was Jaco Peyper reffing Sharks vs Blues, Kaplan reffing Lions vs Blues, Mark Lawrence reffing Lions vs Force, Peyper reffing Stormers vs Reds, Mark Lawrence reffing Force vs Bulls, Marius Jonker reffing Lions vs Chiefs, Craig Joubert reffing Bulls vs Chiefs, Jonker reffing Waratahs vs Lions, etc. etc. etc. just last season?
Ag, forget it, why let the truth stand in a way of a very entertaining never-ending whinge.
24 Oct 2011, 13:36 pm
@Nils(Nils)-97: Its all wrong, you dumfck, that’s my actual point.
24 Oct 2011, 13:37 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-80:
This has nothing to do with any previous tri-nations. Stop trying to shift the focus.
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-83:
If you can’t see all the clear evidence for yourself then me highlighting for you is a waste of both of our time.
24 Oct 2011, 13:41 pm
@Nils(Nils)-90: Jealousy makes them nasty ….. wait for it ……….. Only another 4 years bokke !!!!
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