The night 4.2m New Zealanders made 111 tackles
Statistically, the All Blacks might be the most successful team in world sport, but as was proved yesterday, the William Webb Ellis trophy is not easy to win.
For the innovation, inspiration and general contribution New Zealand has given to world rugby over the years, I would like to think that we deserved the win. But the last seven weeks has shown that it means more than that to Kiwis.
New Zealand’s bid for the RWC was promoted on the basis that despite the fact we’re a small country and unable to offer the financial return to the IRB that bigger host nations could deliver, we would provide a stadium of 4.2 million people.
The past 12 months has not been easy for New Zealand with the Pike River mining disaster, the Christchurch earthquakes and then, since the Rugby World Cup tournament started, the Rena shipwreck and subsequent oil spill in the Bay of Plenty. All this on top of a global economic downturn that has been hard-felt everywhere — but especially in smaller countries such as New Zealand.
Only weeks out from the tournament starting, surveys were showing a large portion of the Kiwi population had little or no interest in the Rugby World Cup. But in just seven weeks the turnaround of opinion has been amazing and New Zealand has united behind its All Black team.
There are many things that have happened during the tournament that make me proud to be a Kiwi. Scotland played both Romania and Georgia in our southern-most city, Invercargill, and for each match and despite unpleasant conditions over a quarter of the city’s population turned out to cheer on both teams.
Palmerston North played host to Romania v Georgia and Argentina v Georgia and once again both games featured full stadiums of face-painted, cheering fans getting behind teams for no other reason than to support rugby and to sell ourselves to the world.
It’s part of the New Zealand psyche to be hard on ourselves and we find it difficult, almost embarrassing, to really let our hair down and show emotion. But during this Rugby World Cup Kiwis have revelled in the atmosphere and suddenly come alive. We’ve become a nation of flag-bearers, almost one in every 20 or so cars has at least one flag flying from it. Flags can be spotted flying from houses, factories, building sites and I’ve even seen some police vehicles sporting the silver fern. More than one million people, nearly the entire Auckland population, have visited the local, specially created fan zones. To win this World Cup suddenly became incredibly important, not only to boost our collective psyche but also, I’m sure, for our short-term economic future. Lose the cup and we would close our wallets, go home and revert to our self-flagellating ways. Winning the RWC in 2011 could be just the push we need to grow up as a nation.
While having 4.2 million people willing you to victory could be seen as a huge advantage for the All Blacks, the disadvantage was the amount of pressure the home team was under.
But this was no ordinary rugby team and coaching staff. Graham Henry’s reappointment after losing at the quarter-final stage in 2007 was the major step towards captain Richie McCaw holding the trophy aloft. Henry has now coached the All Blacks 103 times for a record of 88 wins and 15 losses to give him an outstanding success rate of 85%.
In the process he has won five Tri-Nations and two northern hemisphere Grand Slams. Alongside McCaw, who played his 103rd game in the RWC final, this management group had experienced all the highs and lows possible in rugby.
Last Friday, McCaw said that until now he hadn’t understood what it took to make a Rugby World Cup final and to have a shot at rugby immortality.
The years of planning also afforded the All Blacks the luxury of having a number of players who over the eight-year reign of Henry had been exposed to the All Black systems and techniques.
This was never more vital than when Stephen Donald, the number four choice out half, was required to play 45 minutes of what was a tense and tight final.
A player with his fair share of detractors and already signed to play for Bath this season, Donald kicked the penalty that turned out to be the difference between winning and losing the World Cup. And his astute use of the boot also turned France around at vital times.
Rugby may have been better served if the All Blacks had won with a wonderful display of attacking rugby, and possibly if Dan Carter had been playing and kicking the early penalty goal opportunities, that may have happened.
But there were definitely times during the knockout phase of this tournament when defence rather than attack was the dominant force.
Still, as a rugby purist, now that my heart rate and breathing have returned to normal, the fact that the All Blacks had to go out and win the cup in such a tough encounter respects the tradition of the trophy.
Congratulations must go also to a French team given no chance prior to the match. France’s contribution to the contest was immense and there was absolutely no doubt that they came to play and genuinely thought they could win.
Luckily today is a holiday in New Zealand, giving a whole nation the chance to draw breath. There is no doubt that on Sunday night 4.2 million people made every one of the 111 tackles along with the All Black team, who ultimately delivered the result New Zealand has been dreaming about for 24 years.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
