Richie McCaw lifts the Webb Ellis Cup
And brings to a close the 2015 World Cup. There will be plenty of reflection and reaction on the All Blacks’ historic win and the tournament as a whole in the coming hours and days, so do look out for that.
That’s all from me tonight and indeed for the tournament. I’ve done 24 MBMs in this tournament and it’s a testament to how good it’s been that I don’t want it to end. Thanks for reading, for all your emails, tweets and whatnot. It’s been a blast. Bye!
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Richie McCaw is the first to step up and receive his winner’s medal.
McCaw 131 wins 2 draws 15 def in 148 Tests (87 away). 10 Bled Cups, 4 Tri Nations 3 Rug Champs 2 WCups. 110 wins as capt. #RWC2015final
— Mark Keohane (@mark_keohane) October 31, 2015
Paul Rees wins the race to file copy from Twickenham. You can read his match report right here.
Thanks to the lone emailer saying that South Africa deserved to win the World Cup. You’ve given me a chuckle.
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Cheers ring out for Nigel Owens as he collects his medal. I thought that he’s had better games than today, but I can’t imagine that anyone else would have done better and it’s pleasing to see him getting that kind of appreciation from the crowd.
Finally, an Australia vs New Zealand World Cup final where the right team won. Been waiting since March for one of those
— Peter Miller (@TheCricketGeek) October 31, 2015
Jason Leonard is bringing the trophy out. I think we can all agree that an Englishman deserves to get his hands on the trophy. Ahem.
Craig Trainor writes: “Can we all enjoy that Dan Carter drop goal. As a welshman I’d never appreciated it as an art. But that was unbelievable.”
It was a stunning kick. No one else would have had the time, space and composure to take it, shuffle to the left and nail it from range.
Stephen Moore: “It’s not about us tonight, it’s all about New Zealand ... best team all tournament and they deserved it ... I’m proud of the effort we put in through the 80 minutes but sometimes you come up against a better team and that was us tonight.”
A really dignified interview from the Wallabies captain there, who must be devastated about seeing his side come so close to clawing back the deficit.
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McCaw backtracking on retirement? "If you get moments like today, why would you ever call it a day?" Probably not #RWC2015final
— kevin mitchell (@kevinmitchell50) October 31, 2015
Richie McCaw speaks
“We wanted to do something nobody else had done ... momentum was against us but we’ve been in those situations before ... it’s about getting the ball back and getting in control ... I still don’t want it to end to be honest ... at the moment I’m still part of this team and why would you ever call it a day?”
Where to begin with that? New Zealand become the first team to win the World Cup three times. The first team to retain it. Richie McCaw is the first man to captain a side to the title twice. They were the best team in the tournament and deserved the win, with Dan Carter being named man of the match in his first final in four attempts. There’s no room for sentiment in rugby, but they deserved this.
Perhaps All Black teams of old would have choked when Pocock, then Kuridrani scored in quick succession to give Australia hope after being demolished in the first half. Not these guys though. Not Dan Carter, with his nerves of steel in kicking a brilliant drop-goal and a mean penalty from 51 metres. Not Richie McCaw, Kieran Read, Sam Whitelock and Aaron Smith, who showed remarkable composure in settling the game down after the Wallabies threatened a comeback.
Congratulations to New Zealand. Surely the most dominant team in major sports since Ricky Ponting’s early-2000s Australia.
Full-time: New Zealand win the Rugby World Cup 2015!!!!
Ben Smith hoofs it into touch. Cue ecstasy for the men in black.
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80 min Cane on, McCaw, for the last time, off.
Try! (Barrett 79 + Carter con) New Zealand 34-17 Australia
That’s it! Beale offloads to Mitchell, but he knocks on and it bounces into the hands of Ben Smith. He breaks and draws six men towards him, before kicking ahead. Beale and Barrett give chase, but the latter has fresher legs, hacks it on and collects to go under the posts unchallenged!
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78 min Taken quickly and Foley, then Beale carry it up. Now they go wide and Kuridrani takes it into the 22, but New Zealand’s defence drifts and shuts the move down...
77 min Phipps goes right to to Mitchell down the short side, but Carter stops him. They recycle and the Australian wing gets it on the other side; he goes on a strong arcing run, but knocks on in contact and Carter clears to touch.
76 min Now the Wallabies are being driven backwards and tied up in midfield. Magnificent defence from New Zealand, as it has been for 56 minutes of this match.
75 min Foley goes short at the restart and it’s back with Australia, Kuridrani bashing into the 22 down the right. Left they go, but New Zealand’s defence is solid.
Penalty (Carter 74) New Zealand 27-17 Australia
51 metres with the angle. Never, ever, ever in doubt. I even wrote the changed scoreline before he hit it.
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73 min And it’s a penalty to New Zealand as the Australian front row goes to its knees. It feels like the momentum has been sucked out of the Wallabies with that drop-goal. Carter is going to have a shot at goal from a metre or so inside the Australian half, to surely win the World Cup.
72 min New Zealand scrum on halfway. You won’t be surprised to hear it’s taking a while.
71 min Australia regain it at from the restart, but it’s dropped by Mumm. Phipps is on for Genia. Beale gathers a Carter chip over the top, but the fly-half follows it up with a great low chop tackle and forces the knock-on. Mitchell returns from his HIA; Vito and Kerr-Barlow replace Kaino and Aaron Smith.
Drop-goal (Carter 70) New Zealand 24-17 Australia
New Zealand lineout on the Aussie 10 metre line and they carry it up in midfield. Back it goes to Carter and, from 43 metres, he pulls out the snap drop-goal and sends it sailing brilliantly through the posts! What a hit that was!
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69 min Not quite yet as they build the phases. Carter chips across for Ben Smith to chase, but Beale reads it and gets there quite brilliantly to take the mark. He’s had a great game since coming on for Giteau.
68 min Carter with a rangey touchfinder, out on the left midway inside the Australian half. New Zealand are playing it sensibly now, going for the territory game. Retallick steals the lineout and they carry it up to the 22. Drop-goal time?
67 min Australia put width on it, but Williams wins the turnover on the floor and New Zealand spread it the other way. It’s just slowed down a touch now as we get into the nervy stages. Barrett clears straight to Folau, who returns to his opposite number.
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66 min Penalty Australia midway inside their own half as McCaw goes offside. How are your nerves, New Zealand fans? Toomua on for Mitchell as Foley kicks to touch just over the New Zealand 10 metre line, on the right. Simmons wins the lineout.
65 min Ben Smith returns from the sin-bin as Barrett and Mealamu replaces Milner-Skudder and Coles. What a costly 10 minutes that sin-bin period has been for New Zealand.
Conversion (Foley 65) New Zealand 21-17 Australia
Well well well.
Try! (Kuridrani 64) New Zealand 21-15 Australia
He’s tackled but offloads to SBW, who goes into space down the right, but it’s turned over and Foley clears to touch in the 22. Milner-Skudder takes it quickly and clears, but Beale runs it back. He chips over the top into space, in the 22 and it’s a perfect one! Mitchell chases, gathers and checks, but Kuridrani is up in support and he can go over from 20 metres!
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62 min Australia got destroyed at their last scrum, but this is much steadier. Foley jinks inside and looks to break, but there’s no room and Mitchell clears, but straight to Milner-Skudder.
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61 min McCalman comes on for Fardy as New Zealand get a lineout a few metres inside the 22. The driving maul is formed, but it’s well defended, going nowhere and Australia get the scrum.
60 min Ashley-Cooper doesn’t roll away from the tackle and gives away a penalty. This time Carter does make touch down the left.
Reckon that was lucky to just be a yellow, what do you reckon @DanLucas86?
— KimmiC (@KimmiCFlatWorld) October 31, 2015
No.
59 min Ben Franks is on for Joe Moody. Sio and Kepu are off too, with Slipper and Holmes replacing them. Back to the action and Australia knock it forward in midfield from the lineout, so we get an exchange of kicks, ending with New Zealand in possession, 10 metres inside their own half.
58 min Carter’s penalty misses touch though and Kuridrani runs it back up to halfway. Right again then Beale chips ahead, but Milner-Skudder clears to touch on the 10 metre line. A replay shows that it was a high tackle from Kaino on Pocock, but Owens had already called advantage over. Not sure about that call given it was a kickable penalty.
57 min We’re looking at a high tackle on Pocock as Mitchell steps down the right and darts into the 22. Foley makes a bit more ground, getting up to within 15, but a few phases later they concede a penalty for holding on.
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56 min Aaron Smith sends the ball straight up in the air and Australia get possession, going right along the 10 metre line. There’s nary a gap to be seen in the New Zealand defence.
55 min Faumuina is on for Owen Franks. Australia clear the restart miles back downfield, before Carter returns a similar distance. Mitchell slices his kick, but gets lucky as the ball spins away, bouncing into touch 15 metres or so inside the New Zealand half. Moore off, Polota-Nau on.
Conversion (Foley 54) New Zealand 21-10 Australia
That try takes Australia beyond England’s record of the fewest points by a side in a World Cup final (six in 1991 and 2007 since you asked). Foley has the conversion from wide on the left and gives his side just a tiny sliver of hope.
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Try! (Pocock 53) New Zealand 21-8 Australia
Australia go to the corner and form the driving maul from five metres. It’s a strong effort and New Zealand are powerless to stop Pocock from going over!
Nope it’s a yellow card as well. Off goes Ben Smith for 10 minutes: the first man to be sin-binned in a World Cup final.
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Yep the legs were lifted up above the horizontal and this will be a penalty to the Wallabies but no more.
52 min Foley steps and makes good ground, up to within five. Left they go and Ashley-Cooper wriggles towards the line. It goes out again and Mitchell is stopped just short. He’s held up and Wayne Barnes flags for a tip-tackle by Ben Smith...
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51 min Foley finds touch on the 22, on the left and Australia drive the lineout into the 22, getting possession in there for the first time in the match. Right they go, carrying it on.
50 min That’s a brilliant scrum from New Zealand and Smith gives it to Milner-Skudder, who zooms up into the 22. He’s headed towards touch and offloads inside, but Beale intercepts and looks to be clear. He goes inside of Carter, but then his pass inside is just plucked out of the air by Kaino. The ball goes loose and, after some faffing, Australia get the penalty.
49 min Australian scrum, around five metres inside the New Zealand half, pretty much central.
48 metres New Zealand have had 70% of the possession and around the same amount of territory. I can’t see the Wallabies getting back into this and they have to be alert to the danger of New Zealand running away with it. Mitchell steps inside and speeds up over halfway, but then McCaw is so close to winning the turnover on the ground. Owens rules that the ball is stuck in there though and awards Australia the scrum as they took the ball in.
47 min Read and Kaino carry it forward from the scrum, but it’s knocked on by McCaw. Australia scrum about 10 metres outside of their own 22.
Can you be 60 all out in rugby @DanLucas86?
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) October 31, 2015
Ask France.
45 min Carter spills the restart backwards, but New Zealand keep hold of it. Over the top goes Aaron Smith’s box kick, and Mitchell spills it forward in contact. Special praise has to go to SBW for sucking in three defenders before Nonu’s magnificent finish a couple of minutes ago.
44 min From wide on the left, Carter makes a rare miskick, drifting it across the front of the posts.
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Try! (Nonu 42) New Zealand 21-3 Australia
Foley chips over the top, McCaw gathers and New Zealand go down the short side. Apparently the SBW for Smith change is a tactical one. Right along the line they go and a lovely offload puts Milner-Skudder through for a half-break in midfield. The ball is recycled and there’s a hug gap in midfield for Nonu to thunder into, round the back of the ruck! He steps right to left and leaves Beale flat on his arse, before thundering over for a 55-metre try!
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41 min Here we go again, Carter kicks off and Australia gather. Foley kicks towards touch but Ben Smith fields it and returns to Folau. Conrad Smith is off.
Looks like Sonny Bill Williams is on. Nonu is still there, so I’m not sure who’s gone off.
@DanLucas86 hey the late and then high hits in Carter, deliberate? Part of 'Carter rage'?
— RDall (@ThedallsRdall) October 31, 2015
I think it’s more a case of Australia, and Kepu in particular, being over zealous in their attempts to rattle the Kiwi 10. Nothing malicious in it, but Owens did have a word with the tighthead after the high tackle.
The forward pass that went unchecked before Carter’s third penalty did have something neatly poetic about it, given that Wayne Barnes is the man running that touchline.
@DanLucas86 nicely ironic who which official didn't spot the forward pass.
— Liz (@kiwiLiz) October 31, 2015
Half-time: New Zealand 16-3 Australia
New Zealand go in with a deserved lead. Australia have defended well, especially at the breakdown, but then so have New Zealand and the difference is that the men in black have still been able to create something going forward. They’ve dominated territory and possession and that late try is probably no less than they deserve.
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Conversion (Carter 40) New Zealand 16-3 Australia
From the right-hand touchline, Carter gives his side a 13-point lead at the break.
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Try! (Milner-Skudder 39) New Zealand 14-3 Australia
Lovely offload from Read and Kaino charges over the gainline. New Zealand up to within 15 now. They recycle it and Conrad Smith pops a perfect inside pass to Ben Smith, switching play. It creates the offload and some beautiful handling gets it from the full-back, to McCaw, to the wing and he slides over in the corner.
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38 min New Zealand go short side and Milner-Skudder sends a miss pass out to Coles, who charges down the right touchline. Back inside it comes and they go through the phases.
37 min Ben Smith takes the restart and carries it forward, with McCaw and Moody also gaining ground and taking them into the Australian half. They swing it left and Kuridrani comes up to make a great tackle, forcing a knock-on that’s missed. An exchange of kicks gives New Zealand a lineout on halfway.
Penalty (Carter 36) New Zealand 9-3 Australia
Australia won’t be happy with that decision at all. Carter, from wide out on the right, has about 40 metres to make with the angle. He curls it through comfortably.
Inconsistency of TMO highlighted again.
— Owen Gibson (@owen_g) October 31, 2015
34 min New Zealand win it and pick and drive over the Australian 10 metre line. Right they go at pace and Milner-Skudder fires it out to Kaino on the touchline. It’s a massive forward pass that goes unnoticed, then Genia goes offside to concede the penalty.
33 min Read wins the lineout on halfway and Carter goes for the high crossfield kick for Savea to chase. Beale takes it and spins away from Ben Smith, sprinting clear, but Nonu comes across and takes him into touch with a brilliant cover tackle. Probably saved a try there.
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32 min Moore with the throw on the right, but it’s too long and Aaron Smith takes it. Wide goes the ball, quickly, and Milner-Skudder chips ahead, only for Ashley-Cooper to get across and call the mark inside his 22.
31 min Australia get a penalty a metre or so inside their own half as Moody fails to roll away from the tackle area. Beale decides it’s out of his range, so Foley goes to touch a couple of metres outside the 22.
30 min New Zealand get it back from the drop-out and Carter exchanges kicks with Folau. It New Zealand get it from the ensuing lineout and spin it right to Milner-Skudder, but at the next phase Moody knocks on and Australia kick clear, Read returning with a garryowen. We’ve had a lot of kicking thus far.
29 min Australia are going backwards, so Beale looks to chip it into the corner. An admirable effort, but it’s no good as the ball bobbles just over the try-line and Ben Smith dots it down. Beale for Giteau is a permanent change.
28 min This time the kick goes deeper, to Nonu in the 22. Aaron Smith clears and Folau comes back on a jinking run, up to midway inside the All Black half. Right they go, but there’s no ground to be gained.
“As entertaining as it’s been so far,” writes Matt Dony, “I’m a little surprised they’re going through with this. I thought Wales won the whole thing on this pitch a few Saturdays ago.”
27 min I don’t think Giteau will be back to be honest, he took a massive hit to the head when he fell off a tackle earlier.
Penalty (Carter 26) New Zealand 6-3 Australia
Giteau goes off for an HIA, with Beale coming on in his place, as Carter lines up the penalty from 30 metres, just off to the left of the posts. Easy for him.
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25 min Savea comes in off his wing to try and burst through, but Australia have him covered. Kaino carries it on, but New Zealand are struggling to retain the ball under incredible pressure at the breakdown. Read and Giteau are both really struggling now, as New Zealand get a penalty for a high tackle by Kepu on Carter.
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24 min But New Zealand get a penalty at the lineout as Simmons climbs all over his opposite man. Carter sticks it into touch back where we were a few minutes ago, midway inside the Australian half. Retallick wins it, but not cleanly.
23 min Giteau with the penalty from midway inside his own half, finds touch midway inside New Zealand’s on the Australian right.
Huge loss for the Aussies with Douglas going off @DanLucas86. They'll be OK with 3-3 though. They've barely been out of their half. #NZLvAUS
— Guy Hornsby (@GuyHornsby) October 31, 2015
22 min Australia go right, down the short side, then Giteau kicks ahead and Ben Smith gathers. New Zealand pick and go now, with Fardy hammering Savea in the tackle. A couple of phases later the big wing just steps over the gain line, but brilliant work from Fardy forces him to hold on in the tackle.
21 min Into the corner from Carter, 10 metres out on the left. Quick ball off the top from Kaino, then Nonu is smashed and turned over.
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Owens asks for it at full speed and it’s a very marginal one. He decides it’s a split-second one but the prop could have pulled out if he’d got his timing a bit better. Penalty only and that’s probably the right call.
20 min Simmons takes, Genia goes high and the ball bounces loose, then into Kiwi hands. Milner-Skudder looks to wriggle clear, but the ball is knocked forward a couple of phases later. The bad news is that Carter is down and in pain after a big, late-ish hit from Kepu. It looks bad in slow-motion, but I reckon there’s nothing wrong with that tackle.
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19 min Smith goes quickly and darts towards the posts, but Hooper and Pocock are alert to his wiles. In comes the hard tackle from the former, over the ball goes the second and they win the turnover penalty. Giteau finds touch midway inside his own half, on the right.
18 min Seven metres out, Coles finds Read and the ball goes to ground straight away. New Zealand’s forward’s pick and drive and immediately get the penalty as the defenders don’t roll away...
17 min Retallick takes it and New Zealand crash it up the middle, not making any ground though. At the ruck, Moore leaves a trailing leg that trips up Aaron Smith and concedes the penalty. “You could have moved away,” Owens tells the Australian captain, correctly. Carter finds touch on the left, almost on the five-metre line.
16 min Australia with the defensive scrum, on their 22 near the touchline. It’s not clean ball, but they retain it and Foley fires an excellent clearance deep into touch over the 10 metre line.
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Douglas cannot continue, so Dean Mumm comes on earlier than he’d have wanted. Douglas looks pretty damn devastated, as well he might.
15 min A short restart from Carter is spilled by Kane Douglas and is back in McCaw’s hands. New Zealand spin it left quickly and Savea looks to burst down the wing, but the ball is lost forward under pressure from – of course – Pocock and Hooper. There’s no advantage so we’ll have a scrum, but only after treatment for Douglas, who fell awkwardly at that restart.
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Penalty (Foley 14) New Zealand 3-3 Australia
This is easy for Foley from 24 metres. He looks nervous, but he does not miss.
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13 min Owen Franks’ bind is no good and Nigel Owens has no hesitation in blowing for the penalty.
12 min Oh dear. Foley kicks long and the ball bobbles into Ben Smith’s palm before bouncing forwards. Wallabies scrum, a couple of metres outside the New Zealand 22 and near enough dead centre. The crowd pumps up the volume.
11 min In fact it was Conrad Smith, not McCaw, who won that turnover. Either way, the net result is a New Zealand lineout 30 metres out on their right. Smith puts it up high for Ben Smith to chase, but it’s a waste as the ball drifts out on the full. Australia lineout on their 10 metre line.
10 min Smith, Folau and Carter exchange kicks, before Mitchell runs it back. McCaw wins another turnover though and New Zealand have it just inside their own half, whence Smith goes high for Savea to chase. Folau takes but there’s another turnover and Ben Smith chips into the 22. Foley clears to touch just outside said 22.
9 min Moore changes his bloodied jersey and Foley restarts, again to Whitelock just outside the 22. New Zealand work it inside, then Carter kicks long and Folau runs into Ashley-Cooper while fielding it. Up he goes to halfway and Australia go left, looking for gaps, before the ball is spilled forwards.
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Penalty (Carter 7) New Zealand 3-0 Australia
It’s about 11 metres in from the left, just outside the 22. Incidentally Kieran Read just had a bit of treatment on his leg; he’s back up but not looking too comfortable. Carter has no problems from the tee.
6 min From the lineout, 25 metres out on the left, Nonu takes it standing still but dances into space. It creates an overlap and they spin it right to Milner-Skudder. He slips out of one tackle and makes ground, before they spin it left. Savea is dragged down, but Pocock sticks his hands in the ruck and concedes the first penalty of the match.
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5 min Read picks up and gives it to Aaron Smith, who chips through, but Mitchell is across to field it and Foley clears from deep in his own in-goal area. New Zealand were guilty of too many wasteful grubbers in attacking areas against South Africa and need to improve on their decision making today.
3 min Not the best start from the Aussie No9 that. New Zealand have a scrum about 10 metres out from the line.
2 min Genia picks it up at the back of a ruck on his own 10 metre line, wide on the left, but his box kick is charged down into touch by Retallick. Stephen Moore already has a bloodied nose. Whitelock takes it at the back and Nonu steps round Foley and drives into the 22. Driven up to within five, but Whitelock is turned over. Genia picks up and knocks on under his own posts though.
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PEEEEEP! Nigel Owens gives the signal and Bernard Foley gets the Rugby World Cup 2015 final underway in glorious London sunshine. Whitelock takes it in midway inside his own half and Smith puts it up for Folau to take just inside his own half. Retallick clatters him and they go right, but Foley is driven back in the tackle by Conrad Smith. Australia retain it but they’re on the back foot already.
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The haka is done. The crowd loved it. Time for rugby now.
Matt Dawson must be feeling pretty stupid about that Hakarena shit now. #RWCFinal
— John O'Connor (@JohnOC1991) October 31, 2015
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“I also have a poem,” says Dominic Adams. This is it:
Stuff all is worth getting up this early
And I’ve too many Kiwis at work
We better bloody win
Anthems time. “Atmosphere is so good I nearly bought a half-and-half scarf,” writes my Dad. New Zealand are first up, Australia second and, judging by volume, I’d say the crowd is marginally pro-Wallaby. Actually that might just be on account of Cheika, who is absolutely belting it out.
Prince Harry or William, I don’t know which, is being interviewed on the telly. Or it’s Kevin de Bruyne. Let’s ignore him and instead turn our attention to Thomas Bullemore, who has written a poem for this!
HUZZAH! brave Boys, behold the Twick,
Dave Pocock and his Golden kit,
How they together lay their headsto plot a hammering
Trick?To blow up Pumas and Dragons,
To HAKAS, clutched and torn:
--Oh! blund’ring Poet,
Since Campese’s day,
Was such an alliance born?--
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Best World Cup ever? Jonah thinks so.
.@JONAHTALILOMU tells @WillCarling why it's the "most successful world cup to date". #RWCFinal #RWC2015 #NZLvAUS https://t.co/t01TCVi8zQ
— Heineken (@Heineken) October 31, 2015
“The best part of the Gotye song was sung by a kiwi,” points out Nathan Green. Best part of a Gotye song is like being the tallest dwarf though, isn’t it?
For the real battle I had planned to compare the biggest selling Kiwi and Australian songs of all-time. However it’s clearly no contest: New Zealand racking up the equivalent of a 150-0 victory here.
New Zealand
Australia
It’s Halloween and this is the one and only pun I’ll make about it: spooky omens for the All Blacks.
Llanelli 9-3 New Zealand, Oct 31st '72 Munster 9-0 New Zealand, Oct 31st, '78 France 43-31 New Zealand, Oct 31st,'99 #JustSaying #Hallowe'en
— Ross Harries (@rossharries1) October 31, 2015
And now a word from our sponsors:
Who will win the #RWCFinal? Hear @JONAHTALILOMU’s (definitely unbiased) match prediction. #ItsYourCall #RWC2015 https://t.co/X7PO1wDxUg
— Heineken (@Heineken) October 31, 2015
Today’s man in charge
Nigel Owens takes charge. For my money Owens has confirmed in this World Cup what many of us already suspected: that he is the world’s best at the moment. Normally it’s not a good thing to be talking about referees, but in this case we’ll make an exception. It’s a well deserved reward for one of rugby’s good guys. Here’s an interview he did with Kevin Mitchell back in 2009 that shows the extraordinary journey he’s been through to get here.
Your predictions? I reckon John McEnerney might be on to something here:
@DanLucas86 the level intensity the AB's bring is unmatched until now Aus under MC are peaking. A belter awaits. NZ by 2 kicks of DC's boot
— John McEnerney (@MackerOnTheMed) October 31, 2015
I feel Australia probably edge the back-row battle and the scrum is too close to call. I haven’t been overly impressed with Foley in the last couple of matches though and I think his boot could cost Australia. New Zealand’s bench is much the stronger, too. All Blacks by eight for me.
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Tons of essential pre-match reading
Which is why we’re starting this so early. Andy Bull’s piece on David Pocock might well settle your mind on who to cheer for if you’re a neutral.
- Paul Rees on five areas where the match will be won and lost
- Graham Henry on the hours before a World Cup final
- Rob Kitson on Dan Carter making the final at the fourth attempt
- Our writers’ predictions
- Andy Bull on why David Pocock is a magnificent human being
- Quiz! Paul Campbell tests your knowledge on the trans-Tasman rivalry
- Gerard Meagher’s power rankings shouldn’t surprise anyone
- Mike Aylwin rates the two teams player-by-player
- It’s Paul Rees again, on the styles of Michael Cheika v Steve Hansen
- Gerard Meagher on which of these All Blacks makes an all-time XV
- Rob Kitson is back, writing on some bloke called Richie
Oh and there’s a podcast too, in which Andys Zaltzman and Bull join Sandy War and Alexander Bisley to reflect on the semis and look forward to today’s match.
Whew.
Tenuous musical interlude
Don’t make me wait for you at the corner of Eden Park
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Preamble
Afternoon, folks. Time flies when you’re having fun, so the saying goes. Most proverbs tend to be utter bull, of course, but this one has certainly rung true during this World Cup. Six weeks and one day have passed since England and Fiji got this thing started and yet – for the large part anyway – the spectacle has been such that we are left yearning for more. The hosts were dumped out before the first round was complete, the three Pacific island teams were expected to excite but all finished fourth and none of the northern hemisphere sides made it beyond the quarter-finals. Yet who cares?
Japan became everyone’s second favourite team after stunning South Africa and winning three games in Pool B. They couldn’t quite squeeze through that tightest of groups, so Argentina took on the mantle of the romantics’ favourites with their thrilling all-out attacking game that smashed the Irish but proved self-destructive against the Aussie back row. And, most importantly, the two best teams in the tournament are here today competing for the Bledisloe World Cup.
You could argue that of these two, Australia have been the most rounded team of the lot. They were astonishing in attack against England then even more astonishing in defence a week later when they beat Wales. They nearly blew it all with their expansive play against Scotland but held their nerve when it mattered (I know, and shut up about that penalty, we’ve covered it before), then hammered Argentina at the breakdown to get here.
New Zealand, on the other hand, have been all about the attack. They were rusty in the pool stages as no one tested them after their opener; as a result some of us thought that France had a chance against them. Then we ate dollops and dollops of humble pie as the All Blacks turned in the performance of the tournament. South Africa were a missed conversion away from extra time, but only New Zealand ever looked like crossing for a try in that semi-final and Dan Carter reminded us just why he’s the best ever with his perfect game control.
So now they meet in the final, for the first time ever. This is the fourth time the teams have met in World Cups, with the Wallabies leading the way with two wins to one. The All Blacks’ only victory came in the semi-final last time around, a bit of a damp squib that the Kiwis easily took 20-6, but before that Australia had proved something of a bogey team. New Zealand were the reigning champions when they met in the 1991 semi in Dublin, but they came up against David Campese in his prime and the great grump did this:
A dozen years later there was another semi-final and again the All Blacks went into it as the strong favourites. However Elton Flatley proved magical for the hosts in Sydney, kicking 17 points, while Carlos Spencer, the New Zealand No10, was at his maverick worst; his pass was picked off by Sterling Mortlock for an interception try that killed the game and sent the Wallabies on their way to a 22-10 win.
That’s all ancient history though and probably has little bearing on today’s match. More pertinent are the two matches they played shortly before the tournament – one the Rugby Championship decider, the second as close to a mere friendly as these two will contest. The All Blacks smashed the Wallabies in the latter, with Carter proving that he was back to his best in a 41-13 romp. That was against a much-changed Australia side though and it might be more indicative to look at the first match, when David Pocock and Michael Hooper played in tandem for the first time and promptly demolished Richie McCaw, Jerome Kaino and Kieran Read at the breakdown. Scott Sio showed himself as a scrimmaging force to be reckoned with too, as Australia took a 27-19 win and with it the Rugby Championship.
This, though, is on a different scale. There are records to be broken and legacies to be forged. Carter in a World Cup final at the fourth attempt. McCaw with the chance to lead his team from the horrors of 2007 to unprecedented back-to-back wins. Those two plus Read, Ma’a Nonu, Conrad Smith and Kevin Mealamu – all greats of the game – almost certainly playing their final World Cup games, if not their last for their country. On the other hand, there’s Michael Cheika looking to complete the most incredible turnaround in a team’s fortunes and demolish the idea that rugby bows down to sentiment.
Kick-off is at 4pm GMT. That’s 3am in Sydney, 5am in New Zealand. Sorry about that, fans of either side. Here are your teams for the biggest match of the biggest tournament in the history of rugby’s biggest event:
New Zealand
Ben Smith; Nehe Milner-Skudder, Conrad Smith, Ma’a Nonu, Julian Savea; Dan Carter, Aaron Smith; Joe Moody, Dane Coles, Owen Franks, Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Jerome Kaino, Richie McCaw, Kieran Read.
Replacements: Keven Mealamu, Ben Franks, Charlie Faumuina, Victor Vito, Sam Cane, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Beauden Barrett, Sonny Bill Williams.
Australia
Israel Folau; Adam Ashley-Cooper, Tevita Kuridrani, Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell; Bernard Foley, Will Genia; Scott Sio, Stephen Moore (captain), Sekope Kepu, Kane Douglas, Rob Simmons, Scott Fardy, Michael Hooper, David Pocock.
Replacements: Tatafu Polota-Nau, James Slipper, Greg Holmes, Dean Mumm, Ben McCalman, Nick Phipps, Matt Toomua, Kurtley Beale.
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