You wait for a moment for weeks, months, years. And then, before you know it, it's gone. For some people it can be special events such as weddings, parties or (for weirdos) marathons, but for a large part of the rugby fraternity, Saturday afternoon was the culmination of 4 years of hype and build up. A hype that wasn't diminished by the absence of the hosts, but rather a hype that been maintained and inflated by a resolute English support core who remained enthusiastic about the game and the tournament despite having a national side as useful as a chocolate teapot. Top marks for hosting, but that wasn't the focus of the attention as the finalists emerged in front of a packed out Twickenham.
It was fitting that the two best sides in the World - without doubt - should meet in the Final. The Australians, Rugby Championship winners; the All Blacks, well...they're the All Blacks. One of the oldest and bitterest rivalries in the game, booted up into the stratosphere in a battle for the game's biggest title on the game's biggest stage.
Of course, we had the formalities to look forward to first, including the five renditions of 'God Defend New Zealand' and the Haka which is, of course, one sport's great traditions. I've never done a big Haka piece, and now is not the time - but I love the spectacle and tradition. The only thing that ruins it is that World Rugby tell you to stand 20 metres back and watch 23 very large blokes work themselves up into frenzy whilst calling upon the spirits of their dead ancestors to aid them - in my view you should be able to do you what you want up to the halfway line in order to even out the psychological advantage it gives the Kiwis. Anyway, mini-rant over, Bernard Foley's boot got the final to end all finals underway in glorious Autumnal conditions in West London.
But the weather was as bright as things got in the first 40 minutes for the men in gold, as the All Blacks sent wave after wave of darkness crashing towards the Wallaby line. Ma'a Nonu and then Julian Savea both hurtled towards the whitewash to get the All Blacks close, the former making yards after a bad defensive read by Tevita Kuridrani, but the Wallabies were indebted by the scrambling defence of Drew Mitchell and the breakdown of team 'Pooper' (aka, Pocock and Hooper) on more than one occasion. Eventually, after 9 minutes of near constant New Zealand possession and attack, Australia were penalised at the breakdown and Dan Carter caressed over the opening three points of the game. The advantage was hampered somewhat by the sight of Kieran Read - not a man to make a fuss of a minor knock - having his ankle mummified in order to carry on...and carry on he did.
The Wallabies struck back 9 minutes later after the impressive Scott Sio forced a penalty at the scrum out of Ben Franks, and Foley got his side on the board to level things up - but it was a rare visit to New Zealand territory. The underdogs suffered a blow straight from the restart as Kane Douglas landed awkwardly to end his involvement in the game, and from then on it was an All Black monopoly on possession and territory, with the Aussies again grateful to their superb backrow for pinching key turnovers at critical times as the Kiwis tried - on more than one occasion - to drive them over from close range. Somehow, after a quarter, the scores were still level - but the Wallabies were perhaps a little fortunate to have equal numbers on the pitch as well after Sekope Kepu took a particularly keen interest in Carter's rib-cage (after the ball had gone) and then followed it up with a high tackle on the All Black playmaker. Lineout malfunctions, added to the fact that McCaw was starting to dominate the breakdown with the likes of Retallick and Kaino providing able backup, meant that you had a Wallaby side that simply could not find a way to get out of their half.
The bad news kept coming for the men in gold - the influential Matt Giteau was forced off with concussion and then Carter added two penalties, the second following a blatant forward pass that was somehow missed by all the officials, gave New Zealand the lead. But it wasn't the margin that their dominance perhaps deserved and, if the Aussies could get to half time less than a score behind and regroup, you sensed that they were still very much in this. But that, in a nutshell, is why the World Champions are the best in the World - when they have to deliver, they do. Attacking the blindside, Conrad Smith hit a hard line before switching with his namesake Aaron, and then slick hands from McCaw allowed the electric Nehe Milner Skudder to scoot over for the game's first try - and it was an absolute gem. Carter's touchline conversion made it a killer blow for the Kiwis, who went into the break with an commanding 16 - 3 lead.
Australia needed something to change, and fast. What they perhaps didn't have in mind, in terms of change, was Sonny Bill Williams surprisingly replacing Conrad Smith - and the irritatingly good sportsman (Rugby League superstar, heavyweight boxer, World Knitting champion etc) had an immediate, devastating impact. Making two offloads within 10 seconds, Williams made space for Ma'a Nonu to accelerate through the gap, step the cover, and gas his way over from 50 metres. It was another absolute beauty that Carter, for once, couldn't convert, but two scores either side of the half-time whistle had sealed the game for the All Blacks.
Or had it? With Kurtley Beale making a positive impact since joining the fray and Mitchell making good inroads, the Wallabies were starting to get just a little bit of traction and, with 50 minutes gone, Ben Smith clumsily upended the Australian winger in the tackle to earn himself a trip to the sin-bin - the first to ever see yellow in a final, incidentally...ironic that it should happen to one of the real 'nice guys' in rugby. Aware of their predicament, the men in gold kicked to the corner and, from there, Pocock barreled over off the back of an unstoppable rolling maul. 25 minutes to go, 11 points down, 1 man up. They couldn't, could they?
On 65 minutes, it looked like they could. With Ben Smith on the brink of returning to the field, Genia brilliantly spotted space in behind the defence and dinked the ball over for Foley to chase and, with the bounce sitting up nicely for the fly-half, he was able to feed Kuridrani, who thundered over for yet another phenomenal score. Foley converted again, and suddenly there was a 14 point turnaround, and the men in gold were only 21 - 17 down, a score away from one of the most remarkable comebacks in sporting history.
A lesser team may have felt the pressure, gone into their shell, panicked. But not the All Blacks. And not Dan Carter. With his side trying to claw their way back to parity in the territory stakes, the veteran skipper barked out orders like a battle commander and, when the smallest window of opportunity presented itself, he snapped a glorious drop goal between the sticks from 35 metres to extend the lead again. I am not exaggerating when I claim that no other player in the world would have attempted that kick under the pressure he was under - let alone executed it. Masterful.
The Wallabies wriggled and chased and ran as they searched for that try, but like a python the All Blacks simply squeezed their prey and waited for the resistance to break - and it did. After Greg Holmes was penalised at the scrum, allowing Carter to hammer over a long range penalty, and then Ben Smith atoned for his sin-binning to pick up a loose ball as the Aussies attacked in the late stages to weave his way clear and kick ahead for Beauden Barrett to touch-down for a classic counter-attacking try. It was fitting in so many ways that the man who many have tipped to fill Carter's boots after the World Cup was the man to close out the final, but this was not a time to celebrate a changing of the guard.
As the Final whistle blew, with the score at 34 - 17 (perhaps not a reflection of how tight the game really was in that second half), you could only marvel at the legacy left by the 'old guard', this All Blacks side - the best ever. The first to win the trophy three times. The first to retain the title. This is an All Black side that is as close to invincible as any side in any sport ever will be, and they leave names etched into legend. Carter, Nonu, Smith and - of course - McCaw, will all go down in the pantheon of greats to have played the game.
The Wallabies were worthy adversaries and, judging by their resurgence in just a single year, can probably set out their stall for greatness themselves in the near future if they continue that trend. But there was no doubt whatsoever that the right team had their hands on the trophy.
Rugby World Cup 2015. The best ever.
The All Blacks side, 2011 - 2015. The best ever.
How very fitting.
NB Top marks to Sonny Bill, who has now become even more irritating by showing what a lovely bloke he is (on top of being superb at all sports) by handing his medal to an enthusiastic young fan. Some people have called it disrespectful of the competition - nonsense, you don't need a but of metal on a string to remember you're a World Champion.
New Zealand Player Ratings
15. Ben Smith: 6.
A bit like his opposite number, Smith was solid without being at his wriggly best on Saturday afternoon. Still joined the line plenty of times and injected pace whenever he did so, but he has to lose a mark for the clumsy tackle which saw him sent to corner for 10 minutes and helped to kick-start the Aussie resurgence.
14. Nehe Milner-Skudder: 8
The guy just oozed menace throughout, strolling in for a try early doors but then always looking to carve apart the Wallaby defence whenever he came in off his wing - which was a lot. Brilliant feet.
13. Conrad Smith: 7
Played a key role in the opening try, cutting a nice line before having the awareness to switch the ball back to his namesake Aaron, and was instrumental in keeping a lid on the Australian backline in the first half.
12. Ma’a Nonu: 9
I remember when he burst onto the scene back in 2005 and we all thought, "here's another crash-bang-wallop" merchant. He's not exactly delicate, but there's so much more to his game than physicality (and there has been for some time) and it was all on show here - distribution, kicking and, of course, a nose for the tryline as he weaved his way over from long range. He will go down as one of New Zealand's best-ever centres - and that's saying something.
11. Julian Savea: 5.
For a man who made some of the loudest impacts in the games leading up to the final, he was oddly quiet for large segments of the big game. Perhaps that's because he was well dealt with by Ashley-Cooper, but he also didn't seem to go looking for work that much.
10. Dan Carter: 9.
A staggering display. He has built and built throughout the tournament and here, he was vintage Carter. His game management was superb, his accuracy with the boot superb and his outrageous drop-goal was confirmation that he is, without doubt, the best 10 to have ever played the game. Would have got man of the match were it not for McCaw in my book, but plenty have handed him the accolade and it's pretty hard to argue with.
A bit like his opposite number, Smith was solid without being at his wriggly best on Saturday afternoon. Still joined the line plenty of times and injected pace whenever he did so, but he has to lose a mark for the clumsy tackle which saw him sent to corner for 10 minutes and helped to kick-start the Aussie resurgence.
14. Nehe Milner-Skudder: 8
The guy just oozed menace throughout, strolling in for a try early doors but then always looking to carve apart the Wallaby defence whenever he came in off his wing - which was a lot. Brilliant feet.
13. Conrad Smith: 7
Played a key role in the opening try, cutting a nice line before having the awareness to switch the ball back to his namesake Aaron, and was instrumental in keeping a lid on the Australian backline in the first half.
12. Ma’a Nonu: 9
I remember when he burst onto the scene back in 2005 and we all thought, "here's another crash-bang-wallop" merchant. He's not exactly delicate, but there's so much more to his game than physicality (and there has been for some time) and it was all on show here - distribution, kicking and, of course, a nose for the tryline as he weaved his way over from long range. He will go down as one of New Zealand's best-ever centres - and that's saying something.
11. Julian Savea: 5.
For a man who made some of the loudest impacts in the games leading up to the final, he was oddly quiet for large segments of the big game. Perhaps that's because he was well dealt with by Ashley-Cooper, but he also didn't seem to go looking for work that much.
10. Dan Carter: 9.
A staggering display. He has built and built throughout the tournament and here, he was vintage Carter. His game management was superb, his accuracy with the boot superb and his outrageous drop-goal was confirmation that he is, without doubt, the best 10 to have ever played the game. Would have got man of the match were it not for McCaw in my book, but plenty have handed him the accolade and it's pretty hard to argue with.
9. Aaron Smith: 7.
Great angle and communication in the build-up to Milner-Skudder’s try, and his service was as snappy as usual. A couple of box kicks were a little wobbly, though, but he provided Carter with a solid platform - and that was all he needed.
1. Joe Moody: 6.
There were only eight scrums in the entire game, but Moody recovered from an early penalty to get his own back against Kepu. Not all that conspicuous in the loose, but he can be very happy with his contribution to a World Cup winning side.
2. Dane Coles: 7.
One scything run was trademark Coles but, otherwise, he perhaps didn't have the impact with the ball in hand that he would have wanted. Perfect in the lineout though, and you cannot ask for more than that.
3. Owen Franks: 5.
Solid in the scrum after early wobbles and that was all he needed to do. Little impact in the loose but it didn’t matter.
4. Brodie Retallick: 8.
Weighed in with two turnovers at the breakdown, both in a first half period that saw possession changing hands regularly, and he was all over the Wallaby lineout like a rash - and about as welcome as one, too, for an Aussie side that was desperate for a platform.
5. Sam Whitelock: 8
These days he seems to be overshadowed by his partner in crime, 'Lurch', but here a high work rate to make 12 tackles as well was key to his side's success. Oversaw a flawless line-out, too.
6. Jerome Kaino: 8.
He's one of the few guys who genuinely scares me when they're doing the haka (from the comfort of my sofa, mind), and he showed his brutal strength once again on Saturday. Made more metres than any other forward on the pitch and was relentlessly physical throughout.
7. Richie McCaw: 10.
Gave one of those displays where you have to re-watch the game to appreciate everything he does. Pocock may have won more turnovers in the classic sense, but how many time was McCaw there to drop on a loose ball, to make the tackle, to deliver the scoring pass. He was everywhere and every time something important needed to be done, he did it. Grabbed two turnovers himself, too, and as captain, he was virtually flawless. He will join Carter in the 'best player ever' arguments...although by the sounds of it, he may have two more years to make his case after indicating he might want another pop at the Lions.
8. Kieran Read: 6.
A quieter display but considering that he was pretty much playing on one leg, that's understandable. Was a calm head in amongst a furious forward battle and the fact he was kept on showed how important he is as a leader for the side.
Replacements: 8.
Beauden Barrett and Sonny Bill Williams had the most obvious impacts from the bench, the former showing searing pace for the final try and the latter offloading twice in the same move to set up Ma’a Nonu’s score. But to a man, the men that came on kept the intensity high and showed no signs of the nerves that have dogged New Zealand on this stage in the past.
8. Kieran Read: 6.
A quieter display but considering that he was pretty much playing on one leg, that's understandable. Was a calm head in amongst a furious forward battle and the fact he was kept on showed how important he is as a leader for the side.
Replacements: 8.
Beauden Barrett and Sonny Bill Williams had the most obvious impacts from the bench, the former showing searing pace for the final try and the latter offloading twice in the same move to set up Ma’a Nonu’s score. But to a man, the men that came on kept the intensity high and showed no signs of the nerves that have dogged New Zealand on this stage in the past.
Australia Player Ratings
15. Israel Folau: 6
We were all waiting for him to explode into life once again, as we seem to have been doing all tournament, but it just didn’t quite happen. Perhaps that ankle niggle is more niggly than we thought. He was solid and always seemed to tie in a couple of defenders, but no fireworks.
14. Adam Ashley-Cooper: 6
Utterly invisible in the first half, although that was hardly his fault. However, he grew into the game in the second half and got his hands on the ball more, looking dangerous at times.
13. Tevita Kuridrani: 5
Perhaps a tad harsh for someone who showed good support play to score a crucial try (although it did look as if he was running through treacle) but he looked outclassed to me in the midfield. A bit of a blunt instrument in attack, he was pretty well dealt with and defensively he was ropey in terms of his positioning, too.
12. Matt Giteau: 6
Showed signs of promise and authority before being forced from the field after being flattened by Brodie Retallick. A real shame that the man who only played a bit-part in the 2003 Final at the start of his international career had to endure a similar role at the end of it.
11. Drew Mitchell: 6
Perhaps the Wallabies’ most potent attacking threat, he seemed to wriggle out of tackles at will and beat a number of defenders. Unfortunately, the ball seemed to bounce out of his hands an uncharacteristically noticeable number of times, including just before Barrett’s game-winning score.
10. Bernard Foley: 7
Targeted in defence but he stood up well and certainly did not crumble. He did, however, lack the utter authority of his opposite number and, although he certainly caught the eye with some trademark jinks, some solid kicking and a great piece of awareness for his team's second score, he was over-shadowed by his fellow number 10. Then again, there’s no shame in that.
9. Will Genia: 7
Has grown again this tournament after a year or two in the doldrums, and his communication and execution for Kuridrani’s second try was very impressive. Gave good service throughout the game but we didn’t see too much sniping around the fringes.
1. Scott Sio: 6
He was massively important for the Wallabies at scrum time, and we saw them struggle once the big loosehead left the field. He won an early penalty against Franks and from then on seemed to almost have the upper-hand without quite making it count.
2. Stephen Moore: 5
He has to hold his hands up and take a share of the blame for a lineout which fell apart when it was needed most. Bloodied and brave as ever, that sadly doesn’t always cut it at the top level (see Steve Borthwick for further evidence). That said, Moore is a class act and will bounce back.
3. Sekope Kepu: 6
Honours even in the scrum and a couple of big bursts were impressive but – let’s be honest – he was a lucky boy to stay on the field after clattering Carter illegally a couple of times. Unnecessarily risky from the prop and, as it turned out, it had no effect whatsoever on the Kiwi playmaker.
4. Kane Douglas: 6
A real shame he was forced off so early, because he has provided real bite to the Wallaby dressing room. Looked aggressive and up for it in the 15 minutes he was on, but an awkward knee injury curtailed his involvement.
5. Rob Simmons: 4
Like Stephen Moore, Simmons (as the lineout caller) has to share the responsibility for a predictable and shaky platform that was probably a key component of the loss. Full blooded and committed in the loose, he was also unfortunately conspicuous when it came to getting on the wrong side of the law.
6. Scott Fardy: 6
He made a couple of crucial turnovers which underlined why he should never be overlooked as such a key component of the Wallaby back row, but he was also guilty of being a little bit flimsy in the tackle – slipping off three, which helped the waves of Black build their momentum.
7. Michael Hooper: 7
Very impressive, even in defeat. He was absolutely everywhere as usual – charging about, clattering into people, and he pinched a couple of turnovers, too. Sometimes his over-enthusiasm to make the big hit led to him dropping off tackles, but with Pocock in the side his primary function is to cause chaos. And he did that well… albeit not well enough.
8. David Pocock: 9
Another breakdown masterclass from a man who is surely Player or the Tournament. Not only did he win three turnovers, but he also topped the tackle charts with 13 and controlled the rolling maul well to kick-start the fightback. He would have been utterly dominant, were it not for a very, very special display by the greatest flanker of his (or probably any) generation on the other side.
We were all waiting for him to explode into life once again, as we seem to have been doing all tournament, but it just didn’t quite happen. Perhaps that ankle niggle is more niggly than we thought. He was solid and always seemed to tie in a couple of defenders, but no fireworks.
14. Adam Ashley-Cooper: 6
Utterly invisible in the first half, although that was hardly his fault. However, he grew into the game in the second half and got his hands on the ball more, looking dangerous at times.
13. Tevita Kuridrani: 5
Perhaps a tad harsh for someone who showed good support play to score a crucial try (although it did look as if he was running through treacle) but he looked outclassed to me in the midfield. A bit of a blunt instrument in attack, he was pretty well dealt with and defensively he was ropey in terms of his positioning, too.
12. Matt Giteau: 6
Showed signs of promise and authority before being forced from the field after being flattened by Brodie Retallick. A real shame that the man who only played a bit-part in the 2003 Final at the start of his international career had to endure a similar role at the end of it.
11. Drew Mitchell: 6
Perhaps the Wallabies’ most potent attacking threat, he seemed to wriggle out of tackles at will and beat a number of defenders. Unfortunately, the ball seemed to bounce out of his hands an uncharacteristically noticeable number of times, including just before Barrett’s game-winning score.
10. Bernard Foley: 7
Targeted in defence but he stood up well and certainly did not crumble. He did, however, lack the utter authority of his opposite number and, although he certainly caught the eye with some trademark jinks, some solid kicking and a great piece of awareness for his team's second score, he was over-shadowed by his fellow number 10. Then again, there’s no shame in that.
9. Will Genia: 7
Has grown again this tournament after a year or two in the doldrums, and his communication and execution for Kuridrani’s second try was very impressive. Gave good service throughout the game but we didn’t see too much sniping around the fringes.
1. Scott Sio: 6
He was massively important for the Wallabies at scrum time, and we saw them struggle once the big loosehead left the field. He won an early penalty against Franks and from then on seemed to almost have the upper-hand without quite making it count.
2. Stephen Moore: 5
He has to hold his hands up and take a share of the blame for a lineout which fell apart when it was needed most. Bloodied and brave as ever, that sadly doesn’t always cut it at the top level (see Steve Borthwick for further evidence). That said, Moore is a class act and will bounce back.
3. Sekope Kepu: 6
Honours even in the scrum and a couple of big bursts were impressive but – let’s be honest – he was a lucky boy to stay on the field after clattering Carter illegally a couple of times. Unnecessarily risky from the prop and, as it turned out, it had no effect whatsoever on the Kiwi playmaker.
4. Kane Douglas: 6
A real shame he was forced off so early, because he has provided real bite to the Wallaby dressing room. Looked aggressive and up for it in the 15 minutes he was on, but an awkward knee injury curtailed his involvement.
5. Rob Simmons: 4
Like Stephen Moore, Simmons (as the lineout caller) has to share the responsibility for a predictable and shaky platform that was probably a key component of the loss. Full blooded and committed in the loose, he was also unfortunately conspicuous when it came to getting on the wrong side of the law.
6. Scott Fardy: 6
He made a couple of crucial turnovers which underlined why he should never be overlooked as such a key component of the Wallaby back row, but he was also guilty of being a little bit flimsy in the tackle – slipping off three, which helped the waves of Black build their momentum.
7. Michael Hooper: 7
Very impressive, even in defeat. He was absolutely everywhere as usual – charging about, clattering into people, and he pinched a couple of turnovers, too. Sometimes his over-enthusiasm to make the big hit led to him dropping off tackles, but with Pocock in the side his primary function is to cause chaos. And he did that well… albeit not well enough.
8. David Pocock: 9
Another breakdown masterclass from a man who is surely Player or the Tournament. Not only did he win three turnovers, but he also topped the tackle charts with 13 and controlled the rolling maul well to kick-start the fightback. He would have been utterly dominant, were it not for a very, very special display by the greatest flanker of his (or probably any) generation on the other side.
Replacements: 7.
Kurtley Beale and Dean Mumm were both on the pitch for significant periods of time and both contributed with energetic and strong displays. Mumm in particular was a joint top-tackler and Beale was a threat in space throughout. The substitute front row didn't have a great time in the scrum, however...
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