The All Blacks have won the Rugby World Cup. It was not an easy match for them; they had to fight to the very end and dig deep like they have never done before. France proved, once again that they can never be underestimated. After some uninspiring rugby in the pools, losing to both Tonga and New Zealand, Le Bleu looked hopelessly outplayed, but this evening proved beyond all measure that France will always rise to the challenge of Finals rugby. The French played like a completely different team; with fierce determination they used every dirty kick, punch, gouge and off side play in their arsenal; they gave it all, but it was to no avail.
In the second half, the French dominated; a converted try and they broke the All Blacks’ composure. In the last twenty minutes they played phase after phase of fast attacking rugby, but still the ABs stood their ground and refused to concede. Their discipline under pressure was astounding. This, ladies and gentlemen, is why the All Blacks are the World Champions. No other team in the World could have resisted what the French threw at them tonight. Just the All Blacks.
🙂
By: nuuumannn - 28th October 2011 at 12:11
The one saving grace of the whole matter that no writer has mentioned is that mercifiully, it was the Kiwis who won the day and not France. If, Heaven forbid it had been, I’d have had to empty my fridge of all the varieties of delicious French cheese filling the shelves, cover my face with sackcloth and eat frogs legs for the rest of the year. C’est la vie !
😀
It’s going to happen though, you know it is. They’ll do it one day.
Borderline ridiculous? John!
By: John Green - 27th October 2011 at 11:56
Nuuumannn
Yes. There is little to disagree with in your last contribution. But, at the risk of repetition, I think that a one point margin – yes, a winning margin, should merit only: “Phew, that was close but, the win was well deserved ” rather than triumphalist expressions that, in my interpretation were borderline ridiculous.
The one saving grace of the whole matter that no writer has mentioned is that mercifiully, it was the Kiwis who won the day and not France. If, Heaven forbid it had been, I’d have had to empty my fridge of all the varieties of delicious French cheese filling the shelves, cover my face with sackcloth and eat frogs legs for the rest of the year. C’est la vie !
John Green
By: nuuumannn - 27th October 2011 at 11:29
You will know that in Rugby a single point win hardly counts. More of a draw really.
Hi John, a single point in a regular game, but not in the Rugby World Cup; different game, different pressure. In the WRC, one point makes a HUGE difference; it means the difference between becoming World Champions and losing. You disappoint me, John; a man of your intelligence and knowledge and you make a flippant comment like that? 😉
Yes, I am content with the AB’s victory and although, as you say it was by the slenderest margins, their victory is not based at all on luck. Despite the narrow victory, they won the cup fair and square.
The All Blacks were the only team to win every game they played in the competition. France lost three games altogether; twice to the same team, and once to Tonga, a team that was not expected to beat them. Hardly a competition winning performance throughout the tour. So, based on their performance throughout the RWC AND their win in the final, however you choose to look at it (I still think that, to have survived the attacks France launched against them was incredible), the ALL Blacks well and truly deserved to win.
Hi Dave, thanks for your comments in support of my original post.
In jest John, regarding making “un-English” comments; why shouldn’t I, I’m not English!:D
By: inkworm - 27th October 2011 at 09:15
Stop deluding yourselves – it was the narrowest of margins.
John Green
I’d say a final that went into extra time and was won by a drop goal would be even closer, still have high opinions of the team that did that and are NZ really that different?
By: Dave Homewood - 26th October 2011 at 23:49
Who is deluding who’s self?
The last game was indeed a narrow win – and that is exactly what nuuumannn posted, and no-one here has denied that. But who gives a toss if it were narrow or a cakewalk? A win is a win, and it was an exciting win and regardless of the last match’s score line the New Zealanders had the most convincing tournament of any team in the World Cup 2011.
But whatever anyone from NZ might say right now you’ll still troll away here with your negative comments. Frankly I don’t give a damn about you and your opinion. I am proud of my nation’s team and their achievements and I am happy to celebrate that fact.
By: John Green - 26th October 2011 at 22:44
As an Englishman and in spite of the England’s Rugby team self induced problems, I came to the Forums ready to take at least some of the flak on the chin from all the professional Kiwis. And so it proved.
Over weening pride and hubris go hand in hand. If the Kiwis performance and the single winning point are anything to go by then it could be another 24 years before they again touch the Webb Ellis trophy. Stop deluding yourselves – it was the narrowest of margins.
John Green
By: Dave Homewood - 26th October 2011 at 21:08
I really do not think anyone was going overboard, apart from you John with your sour grapes. You really come across as a miserable, whinging git who loves to stir up ill feeling with claims of a harmless celebration being called OTT and hysterical.
If celebrating a great victory with pride is un-English it shows why England seems to strive not to win anything. No doubt if your team had won you’d still find a way to whinge and moan about it. Still, whinging and moaning is certainly not un-English, it’s one of the most recognised nationall traits.
By: John Green - 26th October 2011 at 13:58
“Measured and a good summary ?”
I’ve thought about my original criticism of nuuumannn’s opening shot and I’ve come to the conclusion that I was wrong. OTT ? No. More like HH ! Hysterical Hyperbole.
Be content. The Kiwis have won the Cup. True, by the slenderest of margins. So, a bit of a Pyrrhic victory with more than a teaspoonful of luck. You will know that in Rugby a single point win hardly counts. More of a draw really.
Just so that you know how even handed my comments can be, I said much the same about England when they won by three points against Oz in 2003
You won and we congratulate you. The Kiwis are a fine team. Just don’t go ‘overboard’ it is un-English
John Green
By: Dave Homewood - 26th October 2011 at 09:36
“Post match euphoria”? Blimey ! I’ll have some of that euph stuff anyday.
Hmmm, no, you won’t if you continue to support England. You’ll just continue to wallow in bitter defeat, like you are now.
No one objects to a bit of understandable triumphalism – but, I think that your original contribution was, as I described, OTT.
I have read nuuumannn’s original post and thought it was very measured and a good summary of the game. It was also very complimentary towards the losing team for raising there gameplay. Where was it over the top?
Not only does it seem you watched a different game, but you perhaps have read a different post too?
By: nuuumannn - 25th October 2011 at 02:39
Hey! We just won the Rugby World Cup! Complete post match euphoria! OTT? Noooo! I was living in England in 2003 when they beat Australia in the final. A lot of that kind of thing then, too. I also recall that all the English bang on about is winning the football World Cup in 1966! Still!:diablo:
One head high ? I counted at least three by the Kiwis which went un-noticed.
At least we didn’t try and change the ball. Ultimately, this sort of thing is just nitpicking. I see there’s lots of criticism of the ref in foreign papers, even here in NZ, but he let both teams away with a lot. Perhaps he wanted to allow continuity because of the pressure that was obviously affecting both sides?
This sort of thing goes on for ages after every final. Remember how the ABs accused the Saffers of poisoning them in 1995? I was living in Germany at the time at a party trying to explain the rules to a bunch of American servicemen. The thing is, they loved it!
By: John Green - 24th October 2011 at 20:25
No I don’t. “Post match euphoria”? Blimey ! I’ll have some of that euph stuff anyday. No one objects to a bit of understandable triumphalism – but, I think that your original contribution was, as I described, OTT.
Just my opinion. Probably a hint of sour grapes because England wasn’t confronting the Kiwis.
One head high ? I counted at least three by the Kiwis which went un-noticed.
John Green
By: nuuumannn - 24th October 2011 at 02:50
Bit OTT fella ! The Frogs were good as were the Kiwis and both sides played with conviction but, it was far from a classic. You must have been watching a different game to me. I think that the kickers must have been wearing carpet slippers !
John Green
Okay, maybe I was suffering from some post match euphoria – you gotta forgive me, we haven’t won in 24 years! What I say in that thread still stands though. France played some aggressive rugby and the second half was all them, scoring a converted try (but conceding a penalty) and really collapsing the All Blacks’ game plan, which I state in my thread.
They had the ABs on the back foot and in that last 20 minutes they put the ABs under enormous pressure – and this is where I make my point – despite that, the ABs did not let them cross the line more than the one time in the second half. If the ABs were truly out of the game, France would have walked away with more tries and victory. They would have deserved to win, had they done so, but its because the ABs resisted that they didn’t. Any lessor team would have collapesd under the pressure.
That’s what I mean when I say that the ABs are World Champions because they fought for it.:D
Do you get it now?
By: nuuumannn - 24th October 2011 at 01:17
The biggest issue I had was with certain members of the NZ coaching staff and the NZ media who were talking like they’d won the game before kick off
Have to agree; it ticks me off the way the Kiwi media behave; the whole country was writing the French off. To be fair, there were a number of guys, mainly ex-players – and the odd serious rugby commentators warning not to underestimate them, but it was b****y close. France would have deserved a win had they done so; they fought for it.
I could see a few times when the ref missed some real obvious French off sides, misbehaviour in the rucks, but then again, he did nothing about Woodcock’s high tackle! 😉
By: nuuumannn - 24th October 2011 at 01:11
Bit OTT fella ! The Frogs were good as were the Kiwis and both sides played with conviction but, it was far from a classic. You must have been watching a different game to me. I think that the kickers must have been wearing carpet slippers !
John Green
Not really, I watched the same match; no one mentioned anything about ‘classics’. Yep, the kickers were everywhere but in the game. Nevertheless, France did put up a mean fight; very much the AB’s equals, I agree, but as I said, the French spent most of the second half attacking, but only scored one try. The ABs resisted all their efforts and held out with one point between them. How can you say that’s OTT?:confused:
By: inkworm - 23rd October 2011 at 21:10
The biggest issue I had was with certain members of the NZ coaching staff and the NZ media who were talking like they’d won the game before kick off, really wished there had been a drop goal in the last few minutes and certainly a lot of decisions went the way of the home team.
Now that Moody has finally quit before he may have been pushed the lad has finally had an intelligent thought* and it is time to start building for the next one which we’ll have the home advantage.
*Lewis allegedly missed a Leicester boxing day game due to injury opening a Christmas present, and he had to have Austin help tie his laces before a match!
By: Wokka Bob - 23rd October 2011 at 20:34
My best mate in the early 70’s was an ex AB. Where ever you are Big ‘T’ feel proud and stand tall. Both teams could have won. Luckily for me it was the All Blacks! Oh by the way I still have your engine fitters notes.:D
By: TwinOtter23 - 23rd October 2011 at 19:54
I never thought I’d end up supporting the French at rugby, but when it’s 16 against 15…………… :rolleyes:
By: John Green - 23rd October 2011 at 19:29
Bit OTT fella ! The Frogs were good as were the Kiwis and both sides played with conviction but, it was far from a classic. You must have been watching a different game to me. I think that the kickers must have been wearing carpet slippers !
John Green
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October 23, 2011 at 1:22 pm