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Cooper gathers the kick, he looks up to see acres of space ahead, sidesteps the first, then the second, swivels past the third, throws a no-look pass to Ioane who caterpillars before doing the “Dougie” (his super final try celebration) on his way past his opposite, flick passes to Genia, who forward flips with a twist to plant the ball under the post.
This is the kind of brilliant running rugby that our teams down under have been trying to achieve for years.
This year the Queensland Red’s conquered all before them. Magic individuals pulling off spectacular plays and stunning us with fluid, fast-paced rugby Northerners could only dream of.
But let’s face it, this kind of Rugby, while great to watch at Super level, is very rarely duplicated in the pressure-cooker situation of an international test match, especially between the top-tier nations in a World Cup year.
Much has been said about the new kid’s on the block in Australian rugby. Cooper, Genia, Beale, O’Connor, Davies, all capable of slicing a defencive line to shreds.
All Blacks fans should be shaking in their boots! Or should they?
When was the last time “razzle dazzle” rugby propelled a nation to the world crown?
World Cup rugby is a beast of its own breed. Players who have scorched all those before them can seemingly run into a brick wall when thrown into a World Cup pressure situation.
This is where the All Blacks have hit a home run with their team selection.
They have chosen players with a wealth of experience. Players who have matured over the years through their highs and lows and are mentally strong enough to face this ever-growing hurdle of World Cup success.
So often, a much hyped star of Super Rugby has been brought back to earth deep in the 80-minute slog of a test match. Often it is those senior players who have been cruising below the radar who step up and show their class and experience and drag their team over the line.
No All Black fan or South African for that matter can forget Isreal Dagg silencing the 90,000 fans in Soweto as he scored in the dying minutes to win and cement an All Blacks whitewash.
But it was the ever present experienced Ma’a Nonu who made the killer blow by busting the line and having the cool to hit Dagg on the chest with a nice pass.
Minutes before that Richie McCaw smashed his way over the line to score in the corner.
Personally i think the more experienced slower All Black backline will thrive behind a dominant forward pack, and be too cunning and wise for their more exciting and fancied Australian counterparts.
Graham Henry has already suggested a move from the open running rugby of 2010 to a more forward-oriented style.
The selections he has made back this theory, bringing in Hoeata and Ali Williams who are among the most physical and aggressive forwards in the Super 15, along with Messam and Thompson to add even more grunt to a heafty engine room.
The hopes of the Australian challenge rest heavily on the shoulders of their young exciting backs.
For me, they just lack that crucial experience. They are yet to build a winning culture and have struggled to find the room to cut loose in recent Test matches.
This doesn’t look like changing with the ever-growing injury toll in their front row.
Will the weight and pressure of a World Cup Test match stop them from scaling that big black wall standing in front of them?
I say yes, that wall being on foreign soil will pose too much of a hurdle. I think the World Cup has come a year early for the Australians and not a year too soon for the All Blacks.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.