Stunner: Thierry Dusautoir's try got New Zealand fans sweating (Photo: AP)
The wait is over, but my word how the whole of New Zealand had to live on its nerves to see their precious All Blacks claim their first World Cup in 24 years.
France were simply magnificent, from the moment they advanced on the haka in an arrow-shaped formation with the captain Thierry Dusautoir at the front, they defied every prediction that they would be a soft touch.
They were resolute, unyielding and hell-bent on taking the game to New Zealand in the best World Cup final ever.
And yet it was not enough. They may rue the 48-metre penalty goal failure by Francois Trinh-Duc in the 65th minute, the ball just drifting wide but given that Wales the week before had failed in similar circumstances perhaps there was some justice in all of it.
For the victors where was nothing but relief. The exultation at the final whistle, the clamour to embrace each other, tells you just how much it meant to all of them, to the players on the field, to the packed Eden Park stands and to the hundreds of thousands that have flooded in to the city to watch the match on big screens.
Who knows what level of desolation would have afflicted this country if that one-point margin of victory had been lost. It so nearly was.
In the end New Zealand were just grateful to hang on, the forwards picking and going only inches at a time to run the clock down for four long minutes. But they managed it, and the celebrations right throughout the land began. It was going to be a long night but a joyous one.
It was a deserved accolade to have claimed in the end for the double act of coach and captain, Graham Henry and Richie McCaw, these two great men warranted all the plaudits they would receive.
It was staggering to see the transformation in this French team. Even the All Blacks, respectful throughout the week, must have been stunned by the sustained ferocity with which France played.
It was true that the All Blacks had the better of a fearsome first half, scoring a try through the unlikely source of prop Tony Woodcock in the 15th minute, substitute fly-half Stephen Donald extending the lead five minutes in to the second half, but from there on in it was all France.
Some quite sumptuous performances to behold in the France back row, noble work from Aurelien Rougerie in the centre and some nice testing ball play from the back three. It was the forward pack though, who grabbed hold of the game, dominating in the set-piece, line-out and scrummage.
When Dusautoir was on hand to round off a sharp, opportunist attack, Trinh-Duc converted and it closed the scores to 8-7 with 34 minutes to run. You felt the force was with France and that somehow they might pull off an improbable victory.
Somehow New Zealand hung on, knowing that this sort of chance might never pass their way again. That they managed to do so was a sign of their character, their togetherness and a sense that it was their destiny to finally lay their hands on the Webb Ellis trophy after such a long time.
No comments:
Post a Comment