As the only person in the world who thought it would be a tight game and that we would have to play big to win, I feel pretty damn good. With everyone fit, we're a brilliant team. Without Carter, we're a great team. Without a fully fit McCaw, we're a good team. A good team without any incisive attacking ability, no cutting edge. The three knock-out games showed just how limited our attacking abilities were. We scored just four tries in those three games and that is with home advantage. Had those games been played in the northern hemisphere, we probably would have lost. Don't get upset, just saying that's all.
So anyway, here's what I noted about our RWC:
It was a bloody hard game. And we were right to think that the French would play dirty. It was pretty obvious bad things had happened during the game. There was bugger all shaking of hands at the end, no polite words spoken, and no swapping of shirts. Rougerie gouging McGod at the end was pretty disgusting and he is damn lucky this came to light after his plane had departed Auckland. Can't imagine he would have avoided a lynching at the hotel had it been made public earlier. I shouldn't mention their behaviour at scrum time either but I will. Poux was constantly bearing in on Franks during the scrums. The early penalty which was given by Joubert ended with Poux at right angles to the rest of the scrum. Cheat. I had to listen to the itv commentary tell me that Franks should be penalised for collapsing. Madness.
It was tight but we deserved it. Unlike the papers around the world who have decided that we were lucky, or even worse bribed the ref, I thought it was a close game but that the French didn't do enough to win. The game was mostly played around the half way line, and they only got into it by a few moments of madness by Piri. There were few periods of sustained pressure in the 22 by either side. To pretend that the French were loads better is just plain wrong. Watch the replay.
Forwards win games, the backs decide by how much. Our backs determined that we would win by 1 point. This isn't good. We appear to have a lot of problems cutting through the opposition this year and the search for new nos 9, 10, 12 and an 11 need to continue.
Weepu is human after all. Poor chap. Nobody should have to shoulder as much as he did in the knock-out games. Calling the plays, taking the kicks at goal, positional kicking, marshalling the forwards. Thank god Henry spotted him falling apart and substituted him before he completely lost us the game. Played well earlier in the tournament though and everyone should applaud him for standing up and being counted. Nice bloke too. Have we become the new England? Reliance on a spectacular pack, a no.10 that kicks for position, a hard tackling midfield, no confidence in our wings. Sounds exactly like the 2002-3 England team. *head shaking*
Is Stephen Donald the new Allan Hewson? When I was a boy (hahahaha, who'd ever thought that you'd be old enough to utter that statement?), Mr Hewson was the AB pariah. Everyone hated him for being too small, and light enough to blow away in a decent Wellington gale. Not a proper fullback in the style of Don Clarke or Bryan Williams. Allan was a deadeye with the old goal kicking though and his simply awesome penalty from 400 metres out in the third and final test against the touring '81 boks to seal the series was something I and all other kiwis will remember for all time. When that went through he became a national hero (despite the fact that he pretty much gifted two SA tries to Ray Mordt). Beaver did the same thing last weekend and memories of that awful game he played against the ockers in Hong Kong last year will hopefully be erased. However, my previous post about Stephen's atrocious kicking ability unfortunately has become my most visited story ever... oh dear.
Dan Carter is an unreliable ****. That's three world cups now that he has let us down in. I'm hoping that we don't have to rely on him for another one. Finding a decent no. 10 is a massive priority now. Still can't believe we allowed Nick Evans to play in England. And why are first fives getting hurt so much? Carter, Cruden, Slade, Cooper, Priestland ... there were probably more but that's a world of talent that didn't last the tournament.
Brad, the WoodCOCK, Jerome, Richie, Kev, Mr Reid, the Franks', Big Sam, You always score with the Hore. Thanks for throwing it all on the line.
Conrad Smith. Immense. Tackling from the gods. I heart you.
It feels so good to win. An unbelievable weight off the shoulders. Not just for the team, for everyone in the country. Personally too. It seems bizarre. Why are we so tied in to the success or otherwise of sporting teams? I wasn't at the game or even at home during this but the emotion was massive. I cried like a little girl who'd just watched her pony get shot. The relief at winning. The joy. Watch this and relive the passion again, it's taken from the fans viewpoint. Or don't, it will make you cry.
Are they the best All Black team of all time? 'course not. The '87 team had more talent, the '95 team was magnificent in every area. The 2005 team will never be touched. But this team will probably be the best remembered of all the great AB teams as they won the cup and won it at home in such a tense final.
I really don't care about who coaches the team next if Henry steps down. The game seems in good hands and if it is Gatland or Hanson, then we'll do ok. There are backline issues to sort out and that is probably where the coaching needs to be focussed on.
We have to sort out a few other issues too like possibly looking at picking overseas players (provided they play at least five times for a super or NPC team in a given season), arranging super rugby so it fits in better with the NPC, fixing our international games so we get more proper, hard rugby, and working out a decent Southern Hemisphere tournament that can replicate some of the RWC and six nations pressure. But all that is for other posts in the future.
At the moment let's just glory in being World Champions.
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