Kelleher begs forgiveness as All Blacks feel pain of failure
An epic 20-18 quarter-final defeat by France dumped the favourites out of the tournament and they now face the anguish of a nation that values success on the rugby pitch above all else.
But Kelleher, who played his final All Blacks match at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday night, has urged critics to remember the players are also suffering.
“All New Zealanders should feel the grief of what’s happened because we’re such a passionate and proud country,” said the 30-year-old. “It would be wrong not to grieve. But the players are feeling the same — we knew we were playing for our family, friends and the people we have touched.
“We’re hurting we let them down and we hope they can embrace us and realise we’re feeling the pain too.
“I’m absolutely devastated. The changing room was full of emotion and full of grief. We’re struggling to believe what happened. I shed a few tears after the game and had a reflection of my career as an All Black. I wanted to go out on a swan song but it wasn’t to be.
“I’ve sacrificed my last 10 to 12 years to New Zealand rugby because I wanted to win a World Cup. I’ve got some great memories but failing to reach the pinnacle at the World Cup is hard to accept. Like all New Zealanders I’m suffering and it hurts something chronic.”
That pain is intensified by Kelleher’s revelation that his side knew France were poised to launch a spectacular 1999-style comeback, but felt powerless to prevent it happening.
France, unanimously written off before the match, looked beaten as New Zealand surged 13-0 ahead inside the opening half-hour.
But after abandoning the disastrous kicking game plan that achieved little more than provide the All Blacks with a glut of possession, they clawed their way back into contention.
A pair of penalties from Lionel Beauxis sparked the revival and when Thierry Dusautoir ran through Mils Muliaina — New Zealand had Luke McAlister in the sin-bin — Les Bleus scented blood.
Yannick Jauzion finished a moment of brilliance from Frederic Michalak, nullifying a try by Rodney So’oialo, and Jean-Baptiste Elissalde converted to set up a semi-final against England.
Comparisons with France’s breathtaking 43-31 triumph in the World Cup eight years ago, when New Zealand squandered a 24-10 lead, were easy to make.
In the build-up the All Blacks coaching team ridiculed efforts to find any similarity between the occasions, but their bravado came back to haunt them at the Millennium Stadium.
History had repeated itself and Kelleher, one of only two All Blacks surviving from 1999, admitted it was another agonising upset.
“I said to the boys at half-time we were in the same situation as in 1999,” said the Toulouse scrum-half. “We came out for the second half and when the French started getting on top of us I said ‘don’t let it happen again’.
“We were aware of what France can do when they need to hit back. We knew what has coming but could not stop it happening.
“In games like this, when it goes bad it goes really bad. We are a better team than 1999 and we talked about that at half time.
“With all due respect to the All Blacks involved in that campaign, the closeness and camaraderie in this side is something special. We strongly felt we could pull it off but it didn’t happen for us and the knowledge that we are a better team than 1999, yet it still happened makes it hurt even more.”
Kiwis bristle when their revered All Blacks are branded “chokers”, but once again the team buckled under the weight of expectation.
Kelleher, however, claims French brilliance and not the flawed All Black psychology was responsible for the drama in Cardiff.
“That’s competition, that’s sport. You can’t just turn up and expect to win. What would be the point of playing? We were prepared mentally and physically and were beaten by the better side at the end of the day. We threw everything into it.
“France winning shows how great this competition is — it showsother nations can shine. That’s great for world rugby, but not for New Zealand rugby.”
L MacDonald, J Rokocoko, M Muliaina, L McAlister, S Sivivatu, D Carter, B Kelleher; T Woodcock, A Oliver, C Hayman, K Robinson, A Williams, J Collins, R McCaw, R So’oialo.
Evans for Carter (56), Leonard for Kelleher (56), Hore for Oliver (56), Jack for Robinson (50), Masoe for Collins (64), Toeava for Evans (71).
D Traille, V Clerc, D Marty, Y Jauzion, C Heymans, L Beauxis, JB Elissalde; O Milloud, R Ibanez, P De Villiers, F Pelous, J Thion, S Betsen, T Dusautoir, J Bonnaire.
Dominici for Heymans (69), Michalak for Beauxis (68), Poux for Milloud (41), Szarzewski for Ibanez (52), Chabal for Pelous (52), Harinordoquy for Betsen (5).
W Barnes (England).
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