So the World Cup is over for the All Blacks. England closed out a great game, and as a Kiwi, I write this as a catharsis to deal with this grief.
Kudos to England for playing to a specific game plan. They had a plan, executed it, and got the win. Make no mistake, they were the better team tonight. But over the course of this game and this World Cup, I have come to realise I don’t like the World Cup.
I don’t like the anticipation. I don’t like the expectation. I don’t like the non-rugby tactics.
And tonight I don’t like the disappointment. I don’t like having to say that England were the better team and outplayed the All Blacks.
This is an empty feeling, spawned from the level of expectation and pressure for the All Blacks to deliver what has never been accomplished before: the three-peat. This is the curse of the All Blacks.
Normally I wear the curse with pride as the All Blacks seem to overcome all obstacles. Tonight they didn’t.
(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
England are the team to beat. The way they executed an exact game plan and were able to follow it accurately is an exceptional ability.
South Africa were unlucky in the first game to lose to the All Blacks, but sometimes fate deals you a strange hand. They have been able to pick up an easier run to the final and have a good look at their potential opponents should they over come Wales tomorrow.
They know what they are up against, as I am sure Eddie Jones knows what he is up against, whoever triumphs tomorrow, as Eddie clearly looks at his opponent and devises ways to overcome them and render them fairly meek. At least tonight he did.
Who would have thought an analysis of your opponent would actually be useful?
(AP Photo/Koji Sasahara, File)
The level of expectation and disappointment is a hurdle hard to deal with. As an All Blacks supporter, dealing with loss is not something we have to do on a regular basis, and it is a bitter pill to swallow.
I have taken my All Blacks top off, and I have taken the flag down in the living room. I am still an All Blacks supporter – I bleed black – but for me, the World Cup is over.
Full credit to Eddie Jones and the England team, from being the first country hosting a World Cup to not make the knock-out games four years ago, to making the final and convincingly executing a game plan to nullify the All Blacks’ cohesion and attack is a remarkable turnaround and something to behold.
Eddie Jones is a mastermind and Australia would be very wise to throw everything at him to bring him home to start looking after the Wallabies.
Loss is difficult when you experience the success of the All Blacks – ten years as number one, more years than I can count with the Bledisloe, back-to-back world champions.
I am sure the All Blacks will come back stronger than ever and reclaim the mantle of best in the world. Other teams rise for the occasion when playing the All Blacks. They play above themselves. The All Blacks’ scalp is the prized trophy to place on the mantle.
This level of expectation is very tiresome. For once it would be nice to be the underdog – the one that other people barrack for, like the Kiwi team in the Cricket World Cup final.
Although the world rankings may still list New Zealand as number one, if we were to face England tomorrow, I would expect to be going in as underdogs.
Strangely now, I am developing a desire to find some Biltong, and tomorrow night I think the kids and I will be having a braai. I just need to find a decent Boerewors, although in Melbourne, I am not sure how successful I will be.
I am becoming a staunch Springboks supporter, being the sole southern hemisphere team left standing. I will fight my brother, but together we fight the strangers from the north.
I would expect all non-English supporters to now get behind Rassie and his boys and will them through to the final and then on to triumph and glory.
Kyri Demetriades
Guest
I feel for you. Re the braaai, lots of greeks in Melbourne and they make amazing sausage for your braai. Ask for Loukanika and Bastourma. Hopefully the boks will win but its going to be tough. That England side played an amazing all round game against you guys.
Katen pragnell
Guest
Have you heard of the term “generous in defeat” or humility You were beaten by a better side. Get over it. ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Paul Harris
Guest
Time to grow up and accept defeat manfully. It was England that had two tries disallowed, the first was a fair shout but the second somewhat dubious. Owens did his best to even things up for the ABs! NZ have no divine right to win everything, they were out thought and out played on the day. Just accept it, move on and learn from it.
Dan
Guest
Are you taking the piss. We watched from England wondering what on earth had happened to Nigel Owens. Half a dozen wildly blatant forward passes including some 2 feet from his face from NZ and he comes up with that rubbish in a maul!? ABs got completely drilled. "They didn't turn up" the Kiwis plead. They did, and then they got sent home. They didn't play good rugby, because they weren't permitted to. If Eddie stays till 2023 it'll be double trouble for England. They have the talent pool and the cash to bully at the top level and Eddie knows it. Why would he leave.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
Exactly my thoughts, that’s why I think we all get behind the Boks this weekend. Should be a cracker!
Steph
Guest
I feel sorry firstly for all kiwis who were so convinced that the almighty All blacks were without question going to whip our arses. Mostly, I feel sorry for the team and the immense pressure that they are under. We were the team on the night,.Yes England the team to hate. Well, I am not sorry,.we outplayed and outclassed you on the night. Why is it please tell me why we are so hated by so many in Godzone,when so many kiwis cannot wait to head over to the Uk for your big OE, and so many stay given the chance. This still bewilders me. Go England on Saturday and yes Carry on and support South Africa it won't change the fact you ain't in the final.
mailman
Guest
Hubris: Excessive pride or arrogant self-confidence. Learn some humility mate, I always go for the All Blacks over the Poms (despite being a "toothless Wallabies" supporter) but the Poms smashed them fair and square.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Commiserations. But rest assured many Aussies were with you and almost as disappointed. Nothing quite as bad as the Poms winning!
Paulo
Roar Rookie
I have written another piece that highlights the importance of the smaller nations in making the cup such a great spectacle. Keep an eye out for it. It would be great to see more games involving the so called tier 2 and 3 nations. Sadly the greed and fear of some T1 countries put a stop to the Nation Championship which could have seen that.
Aiden
Guest
Some of your comments highlight for me a big problem that Rugby has in terms of its growth. Basically, the attitude that its not worth watching if Tier 1 teams are not involved. It's not real rugby. I don't get the sense that the players feel that way. They are out there and know that their opposition is giving their all, and irrespective of scorelines some great rugby is played. The NZ Namibia game is an example. For 32 min they held out NZ, and played smart rugby. There were 2 clear line breaks and a half break that, but for superior athleticism on the part of the ABs chasing, would have led to tries. Little Namibia has some of the smarts, what might they have been able to do with more money in their sport, more development? Transfer that thinking to Fiji, Tonga, Georgia, the US and then Japan ... well all of those arguments have been made already. The scorelines still blow out, but for a couple of outliers the results are the same, but anyone watching the WC will have seen massive improvement in the minnows in spite of, not because of anything the big unions have done for the game. Your solution for fan engagement is more tests with tier 1 teams. Basically entrench the boring status quo then. What could be more of an exhibition than the Lions? I love the series, but it really is meaningless. It's a tradition, but at one point it was something that some blokes just dreamed up to make money. What we need is far more games with lower ranked teams. Fans being as blinkered as they are, I can see that the fear is that stadiums will not be filled. One solution is double headers, England v All Blacks, with Scotland v Tonga as an opener. Why would Scotland do that you wonder? Well, to develop the sport maybe! A schedule could be drawn up where Tier 1 teams agree to take turns drawing the short straw and play away from home once in a while.
Paul
Guest
Owens awarded both non-tries but then the TMO called him out....
Paul
Guest
The tmo made the calls on the two non-tries....Owens had already awarded the tries... What was the penalty count?
Paulo
Roar Rookie
South Africa can play an exciting brand of footy, they opted for a more conservative approach against Wales. We will see how the final plays out. I think the less power and money is concentrated in the 6N teams the better for Global Rugby personally. Participation isn't really an issue right now, the comparatively less lucrative markets trying to hold onto home grown talent is the bigger issue.
paul
Guest
Owens has his favourite teams and his disliked teams (wallabies)....England is no. 1 on the liked list and South Africa not on the liked list....we'll see how that plays out in the final. When was the last time NZ didn't have get a penalty in the oppositions half?
paul
Guest
ENG not penalized once for offside, but it was plain they were many times....Owens didn't see too many English infringements and doesn't know what a shoulder charge is.....The TMO picked up the the two non-tries.....
paul
Guest
But there will be a Welsh referee, which is very wrong..
bob
Guest
Lets hope for the sake of Rugby as a global sport that England win. A South Africa win would have any future players taking up tiddlywinks as a more exciting option.
Paul
Guest
Well said...go the boks
Paulo
Roar Rookie
England, playing the way they did, for the full 80mins would be hard to beat for any team I think. They do need to back it up though, one last hurdle to get over before walking away in glory.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
The horror becomes more bearable with time. I would still love rugby and will still live rugby when the ABs don’t win everything. They haven’t in the past and they haven’t now and I still live the game.