Again I've ventured up to Brooklyn from Wellington Hospital where I've spent the afternoon with my gorgeous and increasingly pregnant wife Megan. I'm here at Mary's house (long suffering wife of Poor Schrader) and we'll eat dinner before being joined by her son Zeb, my Megan, our unborn twins and my Mother Janice (the world's biggest fan of Cory Jane).
Together we will all watch the game that New Zealand has been expectantly waiting for for 24 years. I know, I know, this isn't a final, but surely either the ABs or Wallabies will have too much fire power for the damp squib French side who will be opposing either of them in next week's final.
Last night's Semi between Wales and France has taught us plenty. Wales were the best team at the tournament thus far. They had standout players in crucial positions and they played in a way where the whole team complimented each other all around the park. They were brilliantly drilled, and had a fine skipper to boot. They seemed prepared for anything. On paper, and in my prediction, they were always going to win last night.
And then the game came along and spoiled the theory. Last night showed that the best team won't always win. We have seen this proven for the last few weeks running at this RWC. Samoa deserved to beat the Springboks, who in turn should have monstered the Wallabies last week. So my worry about tonight's match has come starkly into focus.
Despite the Daniel Carter and Richie McCaw injury scares, the All Blacks look the better team for this match than the Wallabies. They are driven by a finely-honed pack, who have performed perfectly in this tournament at scrum-time and in the lineout. They have 3 excellent loose forwards, with Jerome Kaino thus far being the most consistent player at the RWC. They have rugby's best outside center combination of Ma 'a Nonu and Conrad Smith, and outside of them 3 of the most inventive and clinical finishers in the business. They even have one of Rugby Union's biggest drawcards up their sleeve with SBW on the bench.
The team's only perceived weakness is the very fresh combination of Weepu/Cruden at halfback/first five. But this may end up working out for them too, as the Aussies will have had little chance to analyse their deficiencies. Make no mistake this is a very good team on the verge of greatness.
The Wallabies look much more shaky; they have lost their most potent player Kurtley Beale to a bad hammy, their scrum and lineout were both abject against South Africa and their talisman Quade Cooper has looked off-colour for weeks. They would not be here if it weren't for David Pocock whose scrambling quest for ball single-handedly bested the Springboks.
If they were to play this game 10 times I reckon the All Blacks would win by 9, but they only get one shot. Will tonight be their night? I will find out with you all in real time, without my trusty iPad. This game is way too important for me to have any distractions.
I'll give the last word to my Mother-in-Law Winifred Bull. She told Megan the other day that after Aotearoa's annus horribilis; with the Christchurch earthquakes, the Pike River tragedy and now the Rena disaster that it becomes incumbent on the All Blacks to cheer all 4 million of us up. While I see her point, it is a lot of pressure on those 15 men in black.
So, no pressure ABs, show us what you got.
80 minutes later... The All Blacks had plenty. The loose trio isolated Pocock and totally dominated the breakdown. The tight 5 were supreme at scrumtime. Everyone (except for SBW with 4 minutes to play) showed amazing discipline. The outside 3 were brilliant on defence and attack. Piri was steady and Cruden ice cold. They won the kicking battle. They won the pressure battle. And they won the top two inches battle.
They were simply way too good for the Wallabies.
New Zealand 20 - 6 Australia
Tweet of the match - "Is AC the new DC?" @SmithyInBrissy
Piri was steady? Piri was sick (spewing on the sidelines sick) and er... not at his best... But woohoo All Blacks!
ReplyDeleteWow - was he really puking? Well if he was sick, then he did pretty well. One of the things I liked about the game was that we didn't have a single stand-out hero last night (like Piri was last week). So many guys stepped up and were awesome. Such a great game. So happy
ReplyDeleteWry Tiger. I stand by steady, he played pretty well apart from a poor 50% kicking conversion rate. He distributed well, kicked well when he had to, and marshalled the forces well. I didn't see him throw up until he left the field. Don't think it marred his game in any way.
ReplyDeleteStill happy about the win half a day later!
Hopefully we can all refocus on France now