Australia passed New Zealand as the team to beat. Argentina scored the most points. The host nation crashed out. Jean de Villiers retired. And, for all the goodwill engendered by unheralded nations such as Japan, Romania and Georgia, the lowest-ranked side in the world to make it through to the last eight are ninth-placed Scotland. Same old, same old, apparently. The pool stage of the 2015 competition was the most compelling of any Rugby World Cup to date. Here are some of the best and worst moments:
Best decision
A captain’s call can often be match turning. Seldom does it change the whole direction of a sport, though.
It is not overdoing it to suggest Michael Leitch’s decision to kick for touch in search of a try to victory, rather than settle for the offer of a draw for Japan against South Africa, might have done exactly that.
Asia has long been spoken about as representing the future for rugby. That future seemed like it was waiting forever to happen, though, as Japan, the continent’s leading side, went 24 years without winning a World Cup game.
Now that has changed. By the end of the competition they had won three times, beaten one of the sport’s superpowers, and had a record TV audience of 25 million tuning in to matches in their homeland.
And more than anything, Leitch’s decision was a reminder sport is about glory, taking a chance, and dreaming big.
Worst decision
As if inspired by Leitch’s heroism, Chris Robshaw chased a Hollywood ending when England played Wales in a seminal game, too. The one he got, though, was more like Bambi being killed.
Having thrown away a hefty lead against their neighbours from the other side of Offa’s Dyke, England’s captain opted to kick to touch and push for a match-winning try, rather than kick a penalty to draw.
They botched the subsequent lineout, were shoved into touch, lost the match, lost again to Australia next time out, and became the first host nation to exit at the group stage. A draw would have seen them through. Cue a deluge of opprobrium.
ALSO:
2015 Rugby World Cup: Day 25 Live — Reflecting on pool stage and looking ahead to knockouts
Australia top Pool A as Scotland battle past Samoa in thriller - Rugby World Cup in pictures
Best try
Everyone knows this World Cup is just an extended teaser before the serious business of the Dubai Rugby Sevens gets started.
The likes of Sonny Bill Williams, Liam Messam and Tim Nanai-Williams are surely just using it as an extended warm-up before they make a trip to the UAE at the start of December.
Well, perhaps not. But it is fair to suggest the best try of the pool stage was more characteristic of the sort scored on Pitch 1 at The Sevens than in the XVs game. Predictably, it was the flying Fijians who perpetrated it, with an 85-metre break against Wales at the Millennium Stadium, and Vereniki Goneva applying the final touch. Roll on, National Day weekend.
Worst ruse
In theory, the criminal master plan was sound. Canada were defending a lineout against France, near their own try line.
So why not send a French speaker to loiter around the opposition huddle to eavesdrop, and try to crack the lineout code?
The plan falls down, though, when someone the size of Jamie Cudmore is commissioned to do the job. There is a reason the FBI do not send grizzly bears in on covert ops.
Cudmore, who is less stealth, more sledgehammer, was quickly rumbled, and politely told: “Au revoir.”
Best tackle
It will never be known whether Japan could have beaten Scotland, and set themselves on course for the knockout rounds, had they not suffered an early fixtures pile up.
Four days after their emotionally exhausting upset of the Springboks, it was predictable they would flag against a fresh Scotland side.
Even in defeat, though, they proved themselves valiant competitors. Fullback Ayumu Goramaru had already shown against South Africa he had a siege-gun boot, and could pick a good line in attack.
Against Scotland, he proved he has the ticker to go with it, launching himself into an extraordinary, last-ditch try-saver on Tommy Seymour.
The Scotland winger offered grudging appreciation himself.
“Finally managed to get myself to Leeds,” Seymour wrote on social media afterwards. “Took me a little longer than the rest of the lads after Goramaru sent me three counties over with that hit.”
Worst dive
Many of the World Cup matches have been played in the unusual surrounds of football stadiums. Often, the players seem to have adopted the attitude of: “When in Rome ...”
Alesana Tuilagi, the Samoan wing who is built like an outhouse, was shown up by the TV replay for going to ground softly when obstructed by his opposite number in a game against South Africa at Villa Park.
When Stuart Hogg, Scotland’s fullback who is a distant relative of the Manchester United legend George Best, did similar at St James’ Park, he was given a typically lucid dressing down by the referee Nigel Owns.
“If you want to dive like that, come back here and play in two weeks’ time,” Owens said.
Maybe it was a genuine offer. Newcastle United could certainly do with a solid, pacey attacker of Hogg’s ilk.
pradley@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter at NatSportUAE
