WALES SETTLE FOR FOURTH, NEW ZEALAND LIFT CUP

 

 

The last times Wales were involved in a Rugby World Cup 3rd placed playoff was back in 1987 when they faced Australia at the Rotuura International Stadium. Paul Thornburn opened the scoring for Wales with a pen before the Aussies replied through Michael Lynagh then the Welsh retook the lead through a Gareth Roberts try only for the Aussies to get tries from Matthew Burke and Peter Grieg(both converted by Lynagh) before half time. Wales then replied with a try from Paul Moriaty(Thorburn converting) before Thorburn and Lynagh added a pen each before Lynagh added a drop goal. However the Welsh still weren't done and Thorn converted an Adrian Hadley try to give Wales a 22-21 win(four points for a try back then).

The last time Wales faced Australia was at the Millenium Stadium last year when they lost 25-16. The last time they beat the men in gold was back in '08 when they saw off the visitors to the Millenium Stadium 21-18 in one of the great recent Welsh rugby displays. The last two the two sides faced each other in the RWC was in a Pool B match back in '07 when Wales lost 32-20 at the Millenium Stadium and went on to fail to make the knockout stages while the Aussies marched on. The Welsh have not beaten the Aussies in the RWC since that 1987 third place playoff at the Rotorura Stadium which they won 22-21 in what remains statistically their greatest achivement in the competition.

Well, they were the last British Isles side left standing but after their dissapointing loss to the French, Warren Gatland's crew were left to fight it out for scraps. The Aussies had had a less that bulletproof tournament going into this Rugby World Cup 3rd place playoff at Eden Park and the locals were certainly in no mood to support anyone wearing gold - including using the excuse that they were "1/8th Welsh" but the Welsh were surely the underdogs here. Gethin Jenkins replaced suspended Sam Warburton as captain and a team that had caught everyone by surprise were ready to take one last bow. It didn't realy mean much but the least we could expect was a decent rumble.

Well neither side looked to be taking charge in the first few minutes of the match though some big name Aussies fluffing their lines certainly helped with Quade Cooper sliding the ball to Berrick Barnes who cooked the Welsh defence to open the scoring with a try, converted by James O'Connor. Not long after that though Wales got on the board with Hook slotting a pen. The Aussies certainly had the edge here but were already being disrupted by injuries. In the latter stages of the half Wales looked to get back into the match but missed a tight-angled pen and then was pretty much it for the half. Wales came in 7-3 down but still it was anyone's game.

Well the Welsh didn't have the greatest start to the half after blowing a pen from point blank range but finally turned the game around when Philips kicked to Hook who threw it possibly forward to Williams but got away with it. Slight problem, not long after that the Aussies turned it back around with an O'Connor pen, and then extended their lead with another. Wales looked to try their hand at a comeback but the Aussie defence got in the way and the men in gold extended their lead with a Barnes drop goal. Stephen Jones replied with a pen for Wales but then Aussie scrum half Luke Burgess took advantage of a knackered Welsh defence to offload to Ben McCalman who grabbed a try but the Welsh still had the last word, eventually breaking through for Bradley Davies to set up Halfpenny for a try, Jones converting. That was it though, Wales lost 21-18.

Well the last time New Zealand were in an RWC final was back in '95 and Jonah Lomu, nightmare of the rugby world finally met his match when the All Blacks were beaten 15-12 after extra time at Ellis Park. For the last time they won the tournament you have to go back to 1987 when a team including John Kirwin, Grant Fox and Sean Fitzpatrick beat France 29-9 at Eden Park. The last time France made the RWC final, they got whacked 35-12 by Australia in the Millenium Stadium back in '99 with current French coach Marc Livremont in the side. Les Bleus have never won an RWC final though despite two attempts, they've never really found consistency where it matters here.

Well, England were seen off by the French in the quarter finals and then Les Bleus dealt with Wales, the last British Isles team left standing and now it came to a rematch of the 1987 final against the All Blacks. From the start of this tournament a nation has expected, seemingly desperately needed the dreams of their guys to claim the World Cup on their turf. The All Blacks are after all, meant to be an inspiration to the rugby world. Now though this was it, the Rugby World Cup final at Eden Park. The French also felt that despite the odds, they were destined to win this one. They weren't the country that were really ready to go nuts though.

Well the locals may have been against them but France were certainly ready for a rumble and the All Black attack not being fully function either made this a nervy encouunter to start with. The All Blacks held out though and then out of nowhere Tony Woodcock bursts out of a lineout and runs over the line for a try. The French certainly picked up enough injuries as the game went on and the game seemed to devolve into a grindfest. The French had more opportunities late on in the half but weren't able to take them. More importantly though, they were still very much in the match. New Zealand led 5-0 at half time but they'd have been hoping for more.

Well the All Blacks had a chance to extend their lead with a pen early in the second half...but they blew it only to get another opportunity and this time Bath's Stephen Donald a guy who wasn't even originally in the squad kicked it over. The French weren't done though. Francois Trinh-Duc surged through the All Black defence before running intro trouble, the ball then came to Anthony Rougerie who found Thierry Dusatoir for a try, Trinh-Duc converting. France could have taken the lead but missed a pen. Ultimately it turned out to be another grindfest. Ultimately the All Black held up and New Zealand went nutso as their guys claimed an 8-7 win!

So, congratulations to New Zealand, 2011 Rugby World Cup winners. It's the first time they've lifted the trophy since 1987! Before the final a newspaper in NZ produced a list of players that had never won the RWC, presumably those that had played since '87, it was quite a list. The All Blacks allways recieve plenty of hype and they have allways looked awesome on their day but they have allways choked in ever RWC in my memory. Finally though, with a home crowd behind them and possibly on the last opportunity they'd have to win the competition on home turf they have done it. They may not have played their best rugby in the final itself but still...job done.

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