Before we put RWC 2011 to bed...
After three months of previews, warm-up matches, speculation, analysis, excitement, disappointment, emotion and, for eventual winners New Zealand, elation, it is time to put another World Cup odyssey to bed.
I am penning this somewhere over the Indian Ocean flying from Sydney to Bangkok. After an amazing seven weeks spent traversing the north and south islands of New Zealand, it is only right that due credit is paid to the hosts for staging what has been a very enjoyable, rewarding and at times inspirational tournament.
Achieved too without any great razzmatazz, just a return to the traditional values of the game when incoming tour parties were welcomed with open arms and made to feel at home. The difference this time though, was that the New Zealanders embraced and immersed themselves in the different rugby cultures and heritage of their visitors.
The fact that the hosts finally ended 24 years of torment by regaining the Webb Ellis Cup in a pulsating final made their sense of joy and achievement even greater. That it was achieved with a more tailored approach signalled that New Zealand too have learned much from the failures of the past.
They may not have been the better team in the final but New Zealand were unquestionably the best team in the tournament. It’s also fair to say the gap between the major sides from the northern and southern hemispheres has closed in a tournament that reinforced our faith in the basics of the game.
A few short seasons ago the powers that be in Australia and New Zealand were pushing a hybrid version of the game where the set-piece was becoming an optional extra. The law makers have since made the necessary adjustments and the mix available now is just about right.
In this World Cup, the key elements required for a side to compete revolved around a functioning set-piece and ruthless efficiency at the breakdown. Of equal importance for ultimate success was the necessity to have an attacking edge beyond your number 10.
A clear and defined defensive strategy remains as important as ever but New Zealand are the new world champions because they achieved the best balance between the key elements of the game, with an ability to play a wide counter-attacking game and also take it up through the forwards. They were forced to do things the hard way without Dan Carter and with the inspirational Richie McCaw severely handicapped, yet still prevailed.
New Zealand weren’t the only ones to emerge with credit. The biggest winners on this side of the world were Wales. Overnight they have found the nucleus of a side that could well challenge for ultimate honours in England in four years’ time.
In George North, Leigh Halfpenny, Scott Williams, Rhys Priestland, Sam Warburton, Dan Lydiate, Luke Charteris and Toby Falatou, Gatland placed his trust in youth and was rewarded beyond his wildest dreams.
The interesting thing now will be whether or not they can sustain that momentum.
The 2012 Six Nations has the potential to be the best for some time with Ireland’s opening game against Wales in Dublin offering an early opportunity for Declan Kidney’s men to address the pain of that quarter-final defeat in Wellington.
With the majority of Ireland’s squad likely to be around in four years’ time, there is much to look forward to. Kidney, however, must make finding a back up to tighthead Mike Ross a priority. He could also do with a batch of new young talent emerging in the second row to augment Donncha O’Callaghan and Paul O’Connell.
With Philippe Saint-Andre assuming control of France, one can only assume that a more harmonious environment off the field will produce performances like last Sunday on a more consistent basis. Then again, with the French you just don’t know.
England let themselves down, with the antics off the field even worse than the quality of rugby produced on it. Martin Johnson’s days look numbered. The RFU really need to get their act together before they even start to address the demands of hosting the World Cup in 2015.
Scotland and Italy have a lot of work to do.
The tier two sides were magnificent and it is incumbent on the IRB to continue their programme of investment in those countries as well as driving their fixture list.
Countries like Romania, Japan, Canada, Russia, USA and Georgia all contributed handsomely to the tournament, while Tonga’s incredible win over the French was an indicator of what the South Sea Island sides are capable of. Fiji were the biggest disappointment of the tournament.
Last word on the World Cup goes to the Irish squad and our magnificent bunch of supporters who made the whole of New Zealand stand up and take notice.
The Blarney Army were impossible to miss with up to 700 camper vans on the road at one stage. The memory of that night in Auckland when Australia were beaten and the atmosphere in the Green House in Dunedin against Italy will linger for a long time. Ireland’s performances on the field and the joy it generated off it made thousands of reluctant Irish emigrants feel as if they were back home — if only for a brief period of time. For that reason alone they achieved something special.
Come to think of it — 2015 can’t come soon enough.
