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The All Blacks have finally broken their 24 year drought and have won 2011 Rugby World Cup defeating a brave France 8-7 at Eden Park. The game was an absolute cracker, and despite the favourites winning, the element of surprise would be the score.
Most people thought that the All Blacks would win in a one sided encounter. But France, the number three team in the world according to the latest IRB World Rankings, surprised the pundits who thought the game would be over by half time.
New Zealand had the final say, of course, before the kick-off, with the haka.
France did a rare response to the haka by walking towards the All-Blacks, which basically looked like a “bring it on” by the French.
The first half was penalty misses, but New Zealand had a 5-0 lead at half time after a sole uncoverted try to Tony Woodcock.
After the half time break, Stephen Donald scored a penalty to make it 8-0 and it began to look like the All Blacks were going to reclaim the Webb Ellis Cup after 24 years in a canter. But French captain Thierry Dusautoir crossed the line and Francois Trinh-Duc scored the resulting conversion to make it 8-7 and then it was game on.
When the final siren sounded, there was 20 seconds of more play until referee Craig Joubert signalled a penalty to the All Blacks and Eden Park erupted.
It fell to Andrew Ellis to kick the ball out and the World Cup was going back to New Zealand. At long last to long suffering All Blacks fans.
They say that the 2000 Bledisloe Cup game in Sydney was the greatest rugby union game ever, but the 2011 Rugby World Cup final would be pretty close, or maybe even knocking off the Sydney Bledisloe Cup match in 2000.
Not because of the scoreline, but because of a French team which no one gave a hope of winning the World Cup against the might of the All Blacks, coming so close to immortality.
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.