NEW ZEALAND 34, AUSTRALIA 17
New Zealand - Tries: Milner-Skudder, Nonu, Barrett; Cons: Carter 2; Pens: Carter 4; Drop goal: Carter
Australia - Tries: Pocock, Kuridrani; Cons: Foley 2; Pen: Foley
Man of the match - Dan Carter (New Zealand)
LONDON // Just after New Zealand had beaten Australia 34-17 in the final of the World Cup last night Richie McCaw and Conrad Smith talked over what it felt like to be the first side to retain the Webb Ellis Cup.
Four years ago when New Zealand hosted the tournament the weight of expectation was such that edging out France washed a huge feeling of relief over the players.
Since then New Zealand have gripped their status as the world’s No 1 team with an iron fist, and as Australia trooped off beaten but unbowed McCaw and Smith felt more a sense of satisfaction at getting a job done than anything else.
Steve Hansen’s men embarked on this journey by putting plans in place for this tournament almost immediately after that day in Auckland. It makes England’s effort over the same time frame look remarkably amateurish.
Hansen stepped up from being assistant coach by seamlessly succeeding Graham Henry, and in his squad this week he could have called on up to 14 players from that 2011 success.
And to have the nucleus of that 2011 squad stand up and be counted again in quite an extraordinary way last night was the driving force behind New Zealand’s dominant triumph.
Like art, a rugby performance will never be perfect but in the white heat of a World Cup final New Zealand raised the bar.
All the pre-match focus had been on the battle of the breakdown, but McCaw, Jerome Kaino and Kieren Read not only won that with ease, but were hugely influential elsewhere.
Kaino continuously crossed the gainline with the ball and even helped to give his side much-needed attacking width.
Read was a constant menace in the lineout and McCaw’s leadership helped ride out Australia’s second-half fightback.
Everywhere you looked it was the generals who led the way.
Ma’a Nonu capped his 103rd appearance in an All Black jersey with a try that displayed an unyielding commitment to cross the whitewash.
It was Conrad Smith’s sublime inside pass that resulted in the Australian defence drifting towards him to allow Nehe Milner-Skudder to dive over outside him in the first half.
Which brings us to fly-half Dan Carter.
All the focus is likely to be on his well-taken drop-goal, the first in a final since Jonny Wilkinson in 2003, but the 33-year-old pivot generated more turnovers during the game than McCaw.
After his drop-goal he nailed a tricky kick to take his side seven points clear.
He shrugged off Sekope Kepu’s two late tackles.
Afterwards Hansen said categorically that McCaw and Carter were the two best players to ever wear the All Black shirt, and even with a certain amount of recency bias it is an assertion that is hard to contest.
And then there is the snapshot of the future, and what might happen in Japan in four years time.
Bauden Barrett has long been groomed to take Carter’s place and his last-minute try gave New Zealand fans a good dose of hope as Carter prepares to remain in Europe for the rest of career.
Milner-Skudder is just 24, and on numerous occasions be broke through the scrambling line of the world’s second best defence almost at will.
Last year’s player of the year Brodie Retallick is the same age, as is Barrett.
Top tournament tryscorer Julian Savea is only a year older, while Aaron Smith is 26.
This All Black squad continually focuses on improvement, and it is a testament to their backroom staff that only veteran prop Tony Woodcock was unavailable to play last night.
The rugby world has been painted black for the past four years.
It is going to be very difficult for any team to break up the legacy that McCaw, Carter, Nonu, Smith and the rest leave behind.
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