Shaken and stirred
There was also a sense of history last night in Paris when Argentina delivered on their early tournament promise to reach the World Cup semi-final for the first time.
In a game that lacked the pace and intensity of the other three quarter-finals, the Pumas diced with death. Clearly the physical and emotional demands of the last four weeks had taken their toll, and they never reached the dizzy heights achieved against France and Ireland.
Argentina survived due primarily to Scottish ineptitude. When it mattered most, Frank Hadden’s side was unable to breach an impressive defence, and when Scotland look back on this game they will rue a series of unforced errors and mistakes, in particular the blockdown of Dan Parks’ clearance kick when Ally Hogg had worked so hard to turn over possession at an Argentina line-out. Fittingly, once again it was the ageless Gonzalo Lungo who scored the try that made the difference.
Argentina now have seven days to recharge the batteries as they prepare for another physical onslaught against South Africa. I have no doubt that the challenge and opportunity of a first-ever final appearance will lift their spirits, and Springbok coach Jake White in particular will have a few sleepless nights in the build-up. It won’t be lost on Eddie O’Sullivan that Ireland’s pool of pain has now produced two semi-finalists.
However the scenes in the Millennium Stadium on Saturday night will live long in the memory. The sight of Jean-Baptiste Elissalde running backwards, hand aloft to the crowd, to seek the sanctuary of the touchline and signal the end of the game was almost surreal. New Zealand were unceremoniously dumped out of the World Cup at the quarter final stage for the very first time.
Hats off to England too. They set the scene earlier Saturday as Brian Ashton's men produced a power-packed performance to defeat Australia. No doubt, that victory allowed the French to dream that anything was possible.
From the moment the French players stood within inches of the New Zealand haka in Cardiff, the quarter-final we’d all been waiting for was primed to explode. The All Blacks, handicapped by a system that offered no meaningful contest in the tournament so far, were once again found wanting when the real pressure came calling.
France won this titanic battle because their discipline and defence stood firm when the contest lay in the balance. Bernard Laporte has shown many shortcomings in his eight year reign, not least his erratic selection policy. Yet, the greatest virtue he has brought to French rugby is discipline.
From the outset of his tenure any player guilty of foul play or of conceding silly penalties just wasn't tolerated. When it mattered most - defending their line through an incredible 26 phases of New Zealand attack - France refused to give away the penalty that would have, almost certainly, cost them the match.
After an opening period when France stuck rigidly to a game plan which relied solely on kicking for territory, the realisation dawned that it was never going to work. New Zealand, with a 10 point lead at half time, could and should have been even further ahead.
Laporte, recognising at the break that their limited approach was not going to work threw off the shackles and ran. With New Zealand now under a period of sustained pressure for the first time in the tournament, Luke McAlister was forced to obstruct the French support runners deep in his own 22 and was dispatched to the bin. It changed the course of the game.
Recognising the opportunity and seizing the moment, France responded with such ferocity that they scored 10 unanswered points to level the game during McAlister’s absence.
Despite the fact that their lineout was under constant assault - losing five throws and securing only 28% possession in the entire game - France prevailed because of their commitment in the tackle. Incredibly the French made 119 tackles in the second half and 178 in total. This is above average for two games and Thierry Dusatoir alone made a staggering 28 tackles. Jerry Collins topped the charts for New Zealand with six, they had that much ball.
No doubt, the All Blacks will rue the fact that when the game was still there to be won, not only had they lost Dan Carter to injury but also his impressive replacement Nick Evans, who looked capable of turning the game while he was on the field.
It was fitting that the crucial score should come from a scrum deep in the French half when they chose to run. Imanol Harinordoquy and Damien Traille combined to release Freddie Michalak who had just been introduced and the flawed genius set up a great try for Yannick Jauzion. The conversion from far out by Elissalde proved the difference between the teams at the end.
Two points in arrears and with the game still to be won, Richie McCaw's men threw everything at the French. Inexplicably, though, McAlister (now playing at out-half) failed to fall back into the pocket to drop a goal. It was a fatal error and inexcusable under the circumstances.
When the system demanded cool heads under pressure, amazingly it was the French who supplied them. Their recovery from the opening night disaster against Argentina is now complete and they march on to Paris for a semi-final showdown against England that few if any would have predicted.
For the All Blacks, Graham Henry and his management team this represents the end. New Zealanders don’t countenance failure although, God knows, they should be used to it in this competition by now. In the immortal words of George Gregan in Sydney in 2003, when the Wallabies dumped them out at the semi-final stage, four more years awaits. It will be a painful journey.
Earlier Saturday in Marseille, England’s pack, too old to be described as Dad’s Army, strangled Australia up front with a performance that looked beyond this team. Since the embarrassment of the 36-0 annihilation against South Africa in the pool stage, Brian Ashton has gone back to the drawing board and revamped his side.
While the return to action of Jonny Wilkinson in the last three games has proved crucial, in reality veteran forwards Simon Shaw, Mark Regan, and Phil Vickery led the charge on this occasion.
Recent evidence in the Tri-Nations suggested that Australian coach John Connolly had addressed serious Wallaby deficiencies in the scrum. When it mattered most however they were mangled. Andrew Sheridan, in particular, made mince meat of his opposite number Guy Shepardson and the Aussies never recovered.Such was England’s dominance up front that it took 30 minutes before any of Australia's talented three-quarters received any ball in an attacking position. Rookie out-half Berrick Barnes looked nervous and out of sorts and Stephen Larkham was badly missed. Even then, when Lote Tuqiri scored a try from their first meaningful attack you felt that Australia might edge it even on very limited possession.
The fact that they didn’t was due to the growing influence of an excellent England back row that succeeded in frustrating the Aussies at the breakdown and turned over a significant amount of ball. England also had their heroes behind the scrum as well, none more so than Andy Gomersall and the ageless Mike Catt.
While England will be ecstatic at eliminating their greatest sporting rivals, all the remaining contestants will be breathing a sigh of relief also. When the “Fields of Athenry” was belted out by the thousands of Irish fans who bought tickets anticipating an Irish presence, you wondered how the Irish players must be feeling having beaten England at the last four times of asking.
If only we had hit the ground running……
Saturday, October 13 ENGLAND v FRANCE - Stade de France, 8pm
Sunday, October 14: SOUTH AFRICA v ARGENTINA - Stade de France, 8pm
Friday, October 19 3rd place play-off, Parc des Princes, Paris, 8pm
Saturday, October 20 World Cup final, Stade de France, 8pm.
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