On Sunday morning, my cousin rang me and asked if it was true the All Blacks had just beaten Ireland on time. “No Jim,” I told him, “that was the Kiwis beating England in the Rugby League World Cup semi-final.”
We chatted about how unlikely it was the All Blacks would need an over-time try and conversion to defeat Ireland.
On Monday morning we chatted again and I suggested Jim was something of a clairvoyant in that he seemed to know something all the experts and supporters of the All Blacks and Ireland couldn’t possibly know.
There was something thrilling, in any case, with the way the All Blacks toughed out a victory in over-time against an Ireland side that was fired up, played strongly and believed in the seeming unbelievable – that they would defeat the All Blacks and kill off their prospects of the first unbeaten season in the professional era (starting in 1996) by a leading international rugby team.
On the All Blacks’ northern hemisphere tour, they toughed out a victory over France by forcing a penalty from a scrum on their own tryline with minutes left to play.
They were behind England on the hour at Twickenham and then rolled over them in the last 20 minutes by breaking down England’s lineout.
And against Ireland they came back from a 22-7 deficit at halftime to score after the full-time whistle had sounded.
Breaking down Ireland’s lineout was an important ingredient in getting the momentum to win what looked like being, with only minutes left to play and Ireland in possession well inside the All Blacks’ half, the unwinnable Test.
You could argue from all of this, with the All Blacks emulating the escape tricks of Houdini, the All Blacks are coming back to the field.
But there is a counter argument that you could make, too. And that is the measure of a team is the Tests it wins when everything suggests they shouldn’t win.
A lesser team, a team without the courage and wit, might have lost all three of these Tests.
Knowing how to win, and the unbeaten year by the All Blacks suggests they certainly know all about this, is a key factor in ongoing success.
Take Ireland, for example. They have never beaten the All Blacks, even though they’ve played Tests against them since 1905.
They had the All Blacks at their mercy and Jonathan Sexton missed an easy penalty to give them an 8-point lead with minutes left to play.
But even after that miss, they had chances to seal the victory.
With time almost up they started to do one-up hits to soak up time. The referee Nigel Owens warned them about sealing off the ball-carrier as he plunged to the ground. Sure enough, they sealed off a runner.
Penalty! The All Blacks had to make a series of plays from their own 10m line to score and convert to win. They did this with brilliant, steel-nerved and ruthless running and passing.
Ireland did not know how to win and the All Blacks did not know how to lose.
Back in 2001, Ireland were in a similar situation with a big lead at halftime. In the second half of the Test, the All Blacks steam-rolled Ireland into defeat.
The man of the match was an All Black playing his first Test, Richie McCaw.
The latest Ireland-NZ Test, though, reminded me more of the 2003 Rugby World Cup semi-final between the All Blacks and the Wallabies.
In both these Tests, the All Blacks presented an astonishingly successful series of previous Tests.
In both Tests, too, the All Blacks kicked short from the kick-off, lost the catch and then endured a long sequence of defence on their try line.
In both Tests, too, the All Blacks gave away a crucial and soft long intercept try.
The difference was that in 2003 the All Blacks did not have the mental strength to come back to win.
A decade later, the All Blacks had this mental strength. It is a belief that is going to make them a most formidable side for the next two years at least.
There are three things I look for in teams with pretensions to greatness.
The first is whether they have several great players in the side. Second, whether there is potential for further growth in the side. And third, whether the culture of the side is deep enough to allow for greatness in the side.
The culture of the current All Blacks is clearly strong and vibrant and creating a self-belief in all the players there is something special happening to them and the team.
The last pass of the Test was a hand-off in the Sonny Bill Williams manner by the new hooker Dan Coles to the substitute centre Ryan Crotty.
The All Blacks have used, according to Richie McCaw, about 40 players this season. Many of the new players will be established stars in RWC 2015.
As for great players, in Richie McCaw, Kieran Read and Dan Carter the All Blacks have three players who are not only giants of New Zealand rugby but among the greatest players to have played anywhere and at any time.
I was reading an interesting account of the All Blacks’ culture, ‘Legacy’ by James Kerr, that the senior players always clean up the team’s dressing room after Tests.
People more expert than me in mind games theory will be able to give a deeper analysis of what this gesture means, but to me it suggests a humility about their role as custodians of the All Blacks jersey and traditions that runs counter to the notion they are an ‘arrogant and cheating’ side.
I would suggest the Springboks, with 10 Test victories this season out of 12, with the two losses to the All Blacks, have had an outstanding year, too.
The Springboks look to be a much stronger side than the team that won RWC 2007. But whether that will be the case in RWC 2015 is another matter.
The problem with the Springboks is too many of the champions of Rugby World Cup 2007 have been recalled to the side.
The young players who played so splendidly in The Rugby Championship have been flicked on and the old champions have been brought back.
I also think Morne Steyn, iron hands at fly half, will be as much an impediment to the Springboks’ ensemble game, which they can play when they are a mind to do so, when he is leading the attack.
His first, second and often third option is to kick the ball away.
And where do the Wallabies stand in all of this?
Like England, they have a youngish side, that is struggling to find a style that works with the skills and attitude of the players on the squad.
The return of David Pocock, for instance, who I reckon will be used generally ahead of Michael Hooper as the number 7, will stiffen up the Wallabies’ defence and breakdown work.
Scott Higginbotham will give some speed and mongrel to the number 8 position. This will mean Ben Mowen can shift to his best position at breakaway.
The backs, too, have got a lot of potential growth in them as a unit, with the centres Matt Toomua/Tevita Kuridrani giving some strength and explosiveness to the Wallabies in the middle of the field for the first time since Stirling Mortlock and before him, Daniel Herbert.
Israel Folau is a try-scorer and terrific under the high ball.
The Wallabies have the chance to end the season with some momentum if they beat Wales (as they should) early on Sunday morning EST.
A victory will mean four straight wins and momentum, finally, going into 2014.
England will have a chance to show whether their young team is up to being a contender in RWC 2015 when they tour New Zealand next June.
Sir Clive Woodward, the coach who built the greatest and most successful England side that won RWC 2003, makes the point England are too restrictive in their back play to have any pretensions to becoming a great side.
I think this is right, and it applies as well to the Springboks who (unlike England) have the back line talent but lack the imagination to unleash the devastating runners they have to destroy the defences of their opponents.
This bring us back to the All Blacks. This year in 14 unbeaten Tests they scored 51 tries to 19; 454 points for and 239 against.
Have they peaked? I don’t believe so. And more importantly, the coaches of the All Blacks don’t believe so.
I would expect them to be better next year than they were this year. It is up to their opponents to make more progress than they have this season to head the All Blacks off.
If they don’t, the All Blacks bandwagon will roll on to RWC 2015.
Bebop
Guest
what #1 bok fan says is valid. the boks had just beaten the wallabies for the first time in decades at that venue and dished out a record loss to the aussies by the boks. they also hold the record as of this year for the most tries scored in the tournament (9) against the pumas, who actually gave the abs a big scare in nz as far as the scrum went, and boks had pummelled the argies in the scrums. first set piece of the game saw dan coles getting roasted and penalty awarded to the boks. they were up for chnaging history, and had been doing so by playing structured rugby first, with the hard, big hits from forwards and tight defence, and then were kicking into gear after a bit of a lead. we don't know what would have followed in that game but (a) the first ab try wasn't, and even with BdP off, the boks scored tries. But down to 13 men, any possibility of a an historic win disappeared. it could have happened and the commentators in nz acknowledged this in the run up to the game and afterwards. it's only the guys vying for 3rd spot who seem to want to belittle how well the boks did. but they did chase the trophy at ellis park, and did well, as they played ab rugby from the start. they shouldn't have. the debate the week before was whether they should chase the RC or just aim to beat the abs to break the streak. they should have stuck to their style of rugby, in my view. it wouldn't have been hailed as a spectacle, and the boks wouldn't have won the trophy, but they could easily have won. oh, and by the way nonu, the most dangerous backline player against the boks should have been cited and bannned for weeks after the first bok game. but the truth is that the abs rose to the occassion at ellis park and that does indeed show the gap between the sides. cannot ignore that the boks have exponentially improved in a year though. the gap between 1,2 and the rest is the real chasm.
stuart
Guest
Considering the hatred expressed against australia on the radio in nz when I was there a few months ago. I'm wishing for a mighty ab fall.. I mean really? We used to be competitive but mates. If we were out, I would go for the all blacks . Now ab supporters deserve to see their team thrashed by Romania. Go ANYONE playing the all blacks. Even England.
Common Sense
Guest
Not two, but three Grand Slams'. 2005, 2008, 2010
Nabley
Guest
I think what happens to the Laws and their interprtations over the next two years will decide if the Bok system dominates. The Boks have massive fast forwards, where as both ABs and WB are small by comparison. Thinking forward two years where are the Bok backs going to come from. Meyer will hav esome renewal next year, but I do not see much in either S15 or the Currie Cup that would represent dangers. If the tweeking of the Laws drive a tighter game then I would give more hope to the Boks. If it moves to expansive play then I would favour the Blacks and maybe an outside chance to the WB if they can get their act together.
Nabley
Guest
Jeff he said moved to 12 from 13. Prior to that he was a winger.
Nabley
Guest
I saw an article recently somewhere that said the senior members of the Team cleanup the dressing room after the game. That is pretty humble to me. Alternatively, they have been pilfered so often that if they don't pick up, anything left will be on the net for sale the next day! I read McCaw's book last Christmas. Nothing arrogant there. Just respect for the skill of his rivals and his professional approach to limiting their impact on a game.
Nabley
Guest
Grogs, I accept all that and various levels of acceptance.
Nabley
Guest
Nonu played well against Ireland but the other games was very ordinary and inconsistent in my book.
Hamish
Guest
My thoughts exactly. We can critique it as much as possible, however whether we discuss this today, tomorrow or in 50 years - the history books will show the ABs were undefeated in 2013.
Nabley
Guest
Plenty of players want to play on when their time is up. There will be no difference with Carter. Endurance contests require fit bodies. Also, one of the big failures of RWC winners in the past has been not to renew. If either Carter or McCaw make the AB team, it will be their fourth RWC. Mind boggling and questionable if it should be done. I am sure Hansen and his people are thinking hard about it. Dagg has not produced anywhere near the same form he had when first selected and playing in the 2011 RWC Finals and 2012. While he can produce from time to time his hands are no longer good and he provides a number of KOs to the opposition. In fact he provided an intercept try through a KO in the Irish test, that would otherwise have been a try to the Blacks. Also, we no longer see the speed that he use to provide when attacking the line. He is starting to mince round which I think is an indicator that he is getting concerned about the wear and tear on his legs and knees. With Barrett it has not been just one game. He is a bench player at present but he has consistently shone in all Tests he has played in, either at 5/8 or FB. Given that replacements only get about 20 mins max, more usually 15-10, he has done very very well. Pocock has been a great No 7 on the old style of ball recovery and turnover. The problem is the old style has gone, in so much every player now is skilled enough to do it. What the Boks have shown us is that an openside can do a lot more running with the ball. Hooper is small true, but he is a ball carrier which Pocock is not. I would like him to be bigger, but you have to take what you have got and his performance in carrying the ball speaks for itself. Genia has had his worst season since he started. Still plays a hard game but he is now totally predictable. He also is addicted to Box Kicks that invariably simply mean loss of possession. He could come back but I would be looking for a positive backup getting more game time at Genia's expense next year. One of his great skills in the past was his ability to fed Coopers game. Coopers game has changed and for the better. He is now playing an international level game rather than a provincial level transposed into Tests. Genia's special understanding of Cooper and his needs is no longer at a premium. Truth be known he could come out tomorrow night and have a cracker against Wales and leave egg on my face. The odds though are not good.
Buk
Guest
Moaman I agree - there are things amiss with the seeding system. Besides the logic of current no.1 and 2 being on the same side of the draw, there is also an aspect of reverse advantage in all pool play with seedings and the follow-through matches - if you get drawn in the same pool as the no.1 side in the world, that guarantees you will not meet them in knockout rounds and an easier track to the final, provided you beat the other two teams in your pool. In fact you can even lose to one of the other teams in your pool and still get through, as per France in 2011. In terms of form, I would argue that any one of SA, Australia (accuse me of bias if you want, but the Wallabies won the Tri-nations that year) and Wales deserved to be in the final ahead of France. France: - got walloped by the All Blacks in pool play - got beaten by Tonga in pool play - only just beat a poorly-performing England side who seemed to be imploding, in their quarter-final - only just managed to beat a 14-man Welsh side in their semi-final by a one penalty margin Obviously played a very good final, but did their previous WC performances merit them being there ?
Buk
Guest
Thanks for correcting my in accuracies, Jerry, my comments were based on a rough check and/or personal recollection of knockout stage games, had overlooked pool games.
Cookie mstr
Guest
Personally I think we have to applaud both teams for one of the most memorable games ever. I think we can also take a leaf our of both Meyer and De Villiers book when they showed incredible class at the post match to acknowledge that they and the Boks have to get better to beat the ABs. They threw their best at them at Ellis Park and fell short, but surely were nothing less than magnificent in defeat. De Villiers is humble and a true leader - these guys will be a major threat to win RWC 2015 if the ABs even give an inch.
Kane
Roar Guru
You really have to include the class of 2010 in that bracket wouldn't you? The 2010-13 team have played 54 tests with 49 wins 4 Losses and a Draw.
Jerry
Guest
Oh, also England played and beat two TN teams to win the 2003 RWC - they beat SA in pool play.
Jerry
Guest
Not really, there's only been one time (2007) when Aus, NZ & SA were actually on the same side of the draw on their pre-tournament seedings. And as it happened, SA came first in their pool and ended up on the other side of the draw. The only other times they've all ended up on one side of the draw has been because one of them ended up coming 2nd in their pool (Aus in 2011, SA in 2003). And there's been one time when there was guaranteed (assuming they all got out of pool play) to be one of them on the opposite side of the draw to the other two - 1995 when Aus & SA were in the same pool.
Old Bugger
Guest
Nah mate - it's just the cronyism hidden amongst the IRB board determined to ensure a NH v SH final.
Jerry
Guest
SA played Australia in the opening match of the 95 RWC.
moaman
Guest
There has to be something amiss with the seeding system,surely?
Jerry
Guest
Not in Johannesburg, that was the point.