Game, set: Australia were always chasing the game at Eden Park
New Zealand are just 80 minutes away from possible Rugby World Cup glory after booking their place in the final with a convincing 20-6 victory over Australia at Eden Park on Sunday.
The hosts - the only unbeaten team left in the tournament - will face France at the same venue in seven days in a repeat of the 1987 RWC final.
New Zealand led 14-6 at half-time thanks to a try from centre Ma'a Nonu, created by a brilliant run and offload by full-back Israel Dagg. And further points from Piri Weepu provided the cement.
Conditions were perfect for a fixture many had billed as being fitting of a final. The anthems and Kapa O Pango were stirring but the biggest cheer before 21:01 arrived at the kick-off when public enemy number one, Quade Cooper, sent his drop-kick out on the full. Cue happy Kiwis.
What also caused bums off seats was the form of Dagg - back in the team following injury - and he immediately caught the eye with his fine running ability. The full-back was slicing Australia to bits during the first six minutes and when he cut down the right before offloading back inside to Nonu, the hosts were on the board. Inspirational nine Weepu was unsuccessful with his first kick but nine Wallaby missed tackles was far cry from their effort against the Boks.
Weepu struck the post moments later when openside flanker David Pocock was penalised at the ruck but did discover his range on twelve minutes from a similar position.
Australia needed a foothold at 8-0 down as a fired-up New Zealand looked to work the body of their trans-Tasman rivals. Digby Ioane almost provided the perfect fillip to their cause from a counter-attack but fell just short of the line following a good fend on the covering defence. It resulted in three points however via the boot of James O'Connor which helped ease the early loss of prop Sekope Kepu to injury, James Slipper was his replacement.
Their reprieve was shortlived though as back came the hosts with a Cruden drop-goal. Meanwhile, Cooper was having the game of his nightmares, slicing numerous kicks from hand to go with that initial kick-off, with many a coach probably eyeing up Berrick Barnes.
In fact Barnes did emerge as a blood-bin replacement for Pat McCabe soon after fly-half Cooper had shown character when sitting back in the pocket in response to Cruden's effort. At 11-6 the game was nicely poised for Australia going into the break but then an unlucky ricochet off lock Dan Vickerman that went forward to Adam Ashley-Cooper promptly put the lead back to eight at 14-6. New Zealand's public were breathing a lot easier for their side.
It was looking like being the same final as 1987.
History being repeated gained further momentum not three minutes after the resumption too when an Owen Franks tackle led to McCabe holding on in a kickable position, Weepu having the simple task of extending matters to eleven as Australia and Robbie Deans worked out the next score would be vital. The probability that would be Gold was reducing by the minute however as mistake after mistake, such as obstruction and fumbles, foiled them.
What was also noticeable was the lack of impact Pocock was having on proceedings, with a tighter rule on the breakdown applied by Craig Joubert. Sunday's official did not however have to be a rocket scientist to spot the side-entry from hooker Stephen Moore but Weepu sent his penalty wide from distance, which was set to be his last act due to the arrival of Andy Ellis for the final fourteen minutes. Australia had also put on Tatafu Polota-Nau.
The Wallabies' front-row change made little impact to their cause and it was in fact New Zealand's Andrew Hore who enjoyed the better closing stages, first winning a breakdown penalty and then being the middle of All Black dominance at scrum-time. The game was all but sealed thanks to returning scrum-half Weepu - on for a bloodied Ellis - knocking over three points to make it 20-6. The Kiwis were home and hosed, or so they thought.
Why? A yellow card for replacement Sonny Bill Williams for a shoulder charge on Cooper made for an anxious final four minutes but the hosts stood firm. Next, France - again.
Man of the match: New Zealand's forwards were dominant from minute one but it was the cutting edge that Israel Dagg brought from full-back that sees him wrestle this award from one of his pack. Dagg was a calming presence when Australia kicked long, sending fine returns into touch while also combining those with the mesmeric step that has been thrilling Crusaders fans all year. Mils Muliaina leaves his fifteen jersey in very good hands.
Moment of the match: The All Blacks came out of the blocks firing and when Ma'a Nonu crossed with just six minutes gone, they were well on their way to a first final in 16 years.
Villain of the match: You know him, New Zealand loves to dislike him. Quade Cooper played the villain for those wearing black in the stands. Not his best night in Gold.
The scorers:
For Australia:
Pen: O'Connor
Drop: Cooper
For New Zealand:
Try: Nonu
Pens: Weepu 4
Drop: Cruden
Yellow card: S.B. Williams (New Zealand - 76th min - shoulder charge)
Australia: 15 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 14 James O'Connor, 13 Anthony Faingaa, 12 Pat McCabe, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia, 8 Radike Samo, 7 David Pocock, 6 Rocky Elsom, 5 James Horwill (c), 4 Dan Vickerman, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Sekope Kepu.
Replacements: 16 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 17 James Slipper, 18 Rob Simmons, 19 Ben McCalman, 20 Luke Burgess, 21 Berrick Barnes, 22 Rob Horne.
New Zealand: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Richard Kahui, 10 Aaron Cruden, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Brad Thorn, 4 Samuel Whitelock, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: 16 Andrew Hore, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Ali Williams, 19 Victor Vito, 20 Andy Ellis, 21 Stephen Donald, 22 Sonny Bill Williams.
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Nigel Owens (Wales), Romain Poite (France)
Television match official: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)
By Adam Kyriacou at Eden Park
Comments
golden_stateNBA says...
Rosbif
Back at you.
Trust me AB supporters used to be the worst sports when I was young to the point that it put me off rugby.
There was this thought that they were invincible and that if they did get beat in a game it was the ref or some other far flung reason.
Thanks to your French team and I think the dominance of Australia from 2000 on we realised anyone could beat the ABs. Hence why everyone was so nervous in the game against Australia as I am about the final. We have not won it yet. Even if the press are talking rubbish about the French it is not what supporters like I and many others think. We have huge respect for the French and know it only takes one great performance and you will be world champs.
The ABs will have to play better then last week because last weekend is irrelevant this weekend is.
Posted 13:20 19th October 2011
tahi says...
superbok07...best team in the world doesn't come LAST in the trinations and LOSE in the quarter finals of a WC. Thats right the best team doesn't do those things because the best team is going to be crowned world champions on Sunday night.
Posted 00:17 19th October 2011
tahi says...
superbok07...best team in the world doesn't come LAST in the trinations and LOSE in the quarter finals of a WC. Thats right the best team doesn't do those things because the best team is going to be crowned world champions on Sunday night.
Posted 00:12 19th October 2011
Rosbif says...
@ Golden_StateNBA. Thanks. Nicely measured response. Agree we French had some pretty tough forwards back in the 80s. As did most of the teams. It was truly a different sport back then.
As you say, it's all a long time ago. That's exactly my message to the SA chaps. It took France years to get over it. That was dumb on our part. SA should learn from that. Get over it quickly. Start winning again. All rugby lovers want to see a strong SA team. And the passionate supporters that come with that.
Posted 18:02 18th October 2011
golden_stateNBA says...
Also read what's hot and what's not
I think they sum it all up well there
Posted 17:31 18th October 2011
golden_stateNBA says...
...I spend allot of time in non rugby countries like the USA. I have been to places like NYC Texas the swamps of Louisiana and everyone I talk to wants to talk about the All Blacks. They don't know about the springboks or the the French team.
The fact is the All Blacks are great for the sport..
Oh to sum it up Superbok and BVD would not be crying if there team won right. They would be on here telling everyone else what losers there teams were so it works both ways.
But a positive is you have them in your corner for the final(don't know if that's a good thing or not)and if the Springbok supporters felt so hard done by and hated the All Blacks that much and thought the reff was on the ABs side why did many of them go and by All Black shirts on Sunday and support them in the stands??
All the best for the Final
Posted 17:02 18th October 2011
Golden_StateNBA says...
@rosbif
I personally am not going to "shout" you down.
You have valid points but I think and just me mind you that they are all in the past. If you keep living in the past thinking everyone is ganging up in you you will get nowhere.
If I wanted to live in the past I could go in about the forward pass that led to the French victory in the last world cup or the alleged food poisoning in 95 but most of us have moved on.
If you want to win games you take the reff out of it and win the game by getting more points then the other.
France got more points then the Welsh the other day they are now through to the final. Maybe that was to make up for the hard time France have got through the years(I don't beleave this at all)the fact is Wales had the opportunity to win and they didn't like the SB had the chance against Australia but didn't.
If the ABs loose on Sunday I will not be on the forum sulking about it blaming the reff talking about conspiracys like these two I would be that first to congratulate your team.
Unlike some if the ABs loose I don't go into mass depression I pretty much forget about it the next day and you move on. All the chocking stuff and no world cup for 25 years does not worry me.
These two are just to hung up on it and in the end nobody cares.
By the way France did have a discipline problem but you know what. In many of you victorys over the ABs it was because of that the niggle in the rucks the sly
Posted 16:33 18th October 2011
Golden_StateNBA says...
@superbok
I think you should
I won't be embarised you know why?
Because the abs got further then you and some people's lives do not revolve around rugby.
If the abs loose to France so be it they were better then us like Wales Australia NZ and France are better then your team right now.
Move on.
Posted 16:03 18th October 2011
Rosbif says...
....other reds for Heaslip and Shaw recently...and surely many others......
Posted 16:01 18th October 2011
Rosbif says...
....Following on....
I can't beleive Jo Maso just agreed to let the ABs play in black this w/e, despite winning the toss. Out of "respect". That's just dumb. It adds to the AB marketing machine that pays the bills for our beloved sport, and therefore has the highest influence on refs, rule changes, venues, fixtures, etc etc. The same machine that requires AB victories, and makes it almost impossible to beat the ABs in NZ.
Look at the Lions in 93 (Dean Richards pen converted by Fox to win the decider) and again in 2005 (O'Driscoll spear). Any touring side will have similar stories. How many straight red cards over the years for touring forwards who have dared impose themselves physically (Grewcock srpings to mind, but what about the Wales teams of the 70s)? How few for ABs doing the same?
I realise this rant won't be popular. It's just my opinion. Happy for others to shout me down!!!
One day, we might see a Fra vs SA final in a RWC. Now that would be a great game :)
Posted 15:49 18th October 2011
Rosbif says...
@ BokVanDam and @ Superbok07. I have a lot of sympathy with both of you. And I'm not a fan of ganging up on folks, especially on the web. People will say you've asked for it. Another view would be that, when people aren't listening, you have to shout a little. Key is not to come across as too "shouty", because then you lose people, even when you have valid points.
For many years, Fra truly believed we were suffering at the hands of an anglo-saxon cartel. The only team we felt kinship with was SA, since we felt they were in the same boat. We love conspiracy theories in France. But our rugby really started to suffer. The low point came in Paris in QF vs Eng in 91, Blanco's final game. Again in 92 when we had two frontrowers red-carded vs Eng.
The point is, we were losing games against weaker opposition, because refs thought we had a "discipline problem". So other teams would simply provoke us and get pens. We wld consistently out-score them on tries. But tries were only 4 pts. And our kickers were weak since we used the adidas leather ball in our domestic rugby which was easier to kick. Everyone else used the Gilbert ball. Even that, we felt, was a conspiracy!
The point is, our rugby suffered. We let "hatred" of the English cloud everything. It really only improved after the 95 RWC when we beat Eng in the 3rd place play-off, then Sella Benazzi Cabannes Benezech and others went to play for Saracens, Harlequins, etc. With the nascent HCup, we started playing each other more frequently. And we started beating them. A LOT. The "myth" of disciplined English teams was broken.
Now, we need to break the aura of invincibility of the Black jersey.
Posted 15:46 18th October 2011
Golden_StateNBA says...
Hey superbok
Tell everyone why you were not in the first. There is a good reason for that and you were not missed. Stats and HISTORY do have relevance.
Maybe you and BVD can hang out and cry a river together. Maybe put Bryces head on a dart board and burn AB shirts. Would make for a great montage.
Oh by the way the ABs have not won it yet.
Oh yeah how is that third place seat felling in the tri nations? You have been warming it for a while. We have a new seat called forth because I think the Pumas will beat you next year.
I have so much more respect for Australian supporters now at least they don't act like two girls(BVD and Superbok)with there kitty stuck up a tree.
Be true supporters and go support your team in you domestic comp because that's where the mighty springbocks are right now
To all other springbock supporters thanks for buying AB shirts last weekend and supporting us.
Posted 08:35 18th October 2011
Ripzy007 says...
@BokVanDam & SuperBok07 - its hard to accept losing when you guys played well except on wheere it mattered, the scoreboard. BL was aweful and should be sacked and never referee again...whatelse; well we can come up with all conspiracies and abuse anyone you do not like but it will not change the FACT that the BOKS ARE OUT OF THE RWC 2011...Accpet it and Libe with it for until the next WC...
Posted 03:28 18th October 2011
jakedamuss says...
@Island Power, yah nah yu are right, bit exagerative of me, people from outside NZ just gotta understand NZ, what I was trying to convey is that were the great givers in world rugby and not relentless cheating poachers like the poms etc. Im Fijian, grown up in NZ my whole life, never would I ever want to play for fiji, and i can totally understand why ones like isa nacewa wouldnt want to either. Regardless, All Blacks deserve to be in the finals, just as sa did at the last tournament. However, NZ always deserve to be in the final and best of luck come sunday
Posted 02:34 18th October 2011
7ton says...
bokvandam=pathetically poor loser
Posted 22:35 17th October 2011
BokVanDam says...
My apologies to the French - the greatest team after the Boks - for omitting their hard won victory against the All Pacific in NZ, probably having to fight the elements, the dumb crowd booing at every opportunity and no doubt some Antipodean cheating from an Aussie ref or touch judge. I am just so used to joint Aussie/Kiwi cheating to advance each others cause that I thought we were alone in the battle against it. Good luck for the final Les Bleus! Wipe the smugness from these Antipodean faces and do us all a favour.
Posted 17:54 17th October 2011
worldwary says...
Hey @superbok07:....easiest route to the world cup final ever!! Really!?
Wasnt that achieved by the Boks in 2007 ?
number 1 team in the world (All Blacks) on the other side of the draw.
Defending world cup champs (England) on the other side of the draw
6N powerhouse (France) on the other side of the Draw
2 x champions and previous cup finalists and trinatios partner (*stralia) 3rd ranked team in he world....on the other side of the draw.
Who the hell did you guys even play....did the celts and welsh and a little pacific island trouble you....ranked way down at 6th, 8th or 14th in the world or whatever they were.
NEVER PLAYED ANYONE FOR YOUR WORLD CUP
Posted 17:22 17th October 2011
melkdave says...
@BokVanDam
You are mistaken the french have also beaten NZ in NZ in recent years got a series win in 2010.A good game well refereed and the better team going to the final.Who should go on to win the championship now As to Australia they need a pack to go with a good backline ive said many times b4 IRB ranking (NZ exempted) just dont show a teams true standing atm Australia are about 5th imo perhaps 4th at a push and will remain about there in realatity till they get a pack who can scrum.Anyway looking forward now to the final and the ABs putting a cricket score on the french .No disrespect to the french but they just havent produced a single game to show they are worthy of being in the final,and a 15 man Wales would have beaten them easily .But that history and irrevalant now NZ long wait will over next weekend
Posted 14:11 17th October 2011
AussieRumble says...
@ superbok07
66% RWC winrate against AB's means nothing. We had a RWC winrate of 100% and still got pushed around. You 66 percenters would've got pumped. And Joubert would've nullified you dirty cheating eyegougers just as much :)
Can't wait for next years Four Nations... Go Wallabies!!!
Posted 13:35 17th October 2011
tahi says...
BokVanDam suck it up princess. If SA were good enough they would have won. I don't remember the ref throwing the forward pass or missing the shots at goal. Next time you want to comment on something make sure its worth the effort. You really are embarrassing to the people of SA.
Posted 12:56 17th October 2011