Performance of the year from All Blacks
BY TOBY ROBSON AT STADE VELODROME
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OPINION: To the rescue come the All Blacks.
Stripped in white, the men in black lifted the darkness that has cast a shadow over rugby union this season with a 39-12 win against France at Stade Velodrome in Marseille.
Just when we thought the brilliance of yesteryear had been lost in a sea of rule changes and negative play, along comes the performance of the year.
This was the All Blacks as they sit in our collective memories, their imperious best.
The pace of the ball, the angle of the runners and the speed of the support play had France grasping for breath from the kickoff.
It is hard to remember the last time the All Blacks produced such a complete performance. They didn't drop a ball in the warm ups and it was hard to remember an unforced fumble in the match.
France were reduced to spectators as Richie McCaw and his men thumbed their noses at those who say rugby can no longer be won with ball in hand.
They had spoken of their tiredness before the match, but with the knowledge that the beach towels are a week away they cranked up a gear and surged to the finish line.
If there were two keys to this effort it was first-five Dan Carter's vision and the urgency of the All Blacks attack.
They had talked about their slow reload, the speed with which they set up their next attack, after the England match.
Against France it would have made Billy the Kid proud as players queued up to carry the ball like impatient commuters.
There were four All Blacks lurking as Cory Jane scored their fourth try, the first time they have crossed so many times in a test this season.
Confidence soared as the passes stuck.
Mils Muliaina scored the try of the tour on 24 minutes when France first-five Francois Trinh-Duc's grubber was swept wide by halfback Jimmy Cowan.
Conrad Smith surged, Sitiveni Sivivatu skipped outside David Marty and Muliaina trailed up on the inside to run to the line.
The doubt that blunted Muliaina's instincts earlier in the season was gone, replaced by the certainty of a man who knows where he is going and how he will get there.
The shackles that had gripped the All Blacks all year had been gloriously cast aside.
As his opposite struggled, Carter upped his game to freakish levels. His peripheral vision was putting his teammates into holes.
It was going to take a comeback of 1999 semifinal proportions for the French to escape this vice.
Richie McCaw was immense, Kieran Read was not far behind.
Smith's defensive decision making was impeccable as he came off his line time and again to snuff out the French backs. It was fitting that he scored the final try.
Lock Tom Donnelly must be close to the find of the season, a provincial battler who has more than meets the eye.
If this test was about how far the All Blacks have come this season the first try was a prime example of their progress.
The previously skittery lineout had the faith to throw long to Jerome Kaino and it set up Ma'a Nonu's break and then Sivivatu's try.
The All Blacks were being given yet another stern examination at scrum time, but even there the All Blacks struck the biggest blow.
Kaino got the second try, but Tony Woodcock would have got equal satisfaction after wheeling the French scrum off their own ball.
Random trumpets were blowing from all corners and drum kits were as common as a scarf. The All Blacks all but silenced them all.
France were fishing for a spark, emptying the substitutions with 25 minutes to play.
But today it was no use. Twenty Frenchman would have been powerless to stop this All Blacks side.
By shear will, skill and excellence they breathed life into the international game with a performance that will have restored the faith of even the most jaded New Zealand rugby fan...
- © Fairfax NZ News
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Dear Dear Ex AB Fan...ya just DON'T get it do ya!!??!
"I think you need to get things into perspective if you believe that...after one good performance the All Blacks have become the "best team in the world"..."
Actually Cochise...they have!!! They top the world rankings as the #1 international rugby team in the world! Now...before you start spouting about "world rankings being meaningless" or "just a seeding process", shall we ask Roger Federer to give back his world #1 ranking because he lost recently...after all he's the best in the world at the moment & worthy of top seeding...or, shall we ask Jenson Button to give back his "best in the world" standing even though he failed to win any of the last ten races of the season...and gets to paint a big '1' on his car next season. Oooooo...and shall we ask SA to give back their Rugby Sevens "Best in the World" status gained by winning the world series just becuase Fiji won the Sevens World Cup in 2005??
Wake up S-F-Brains...the RWC is a one-off tournament held every four years...nothing more, nothing less!!
Love ya work!
VBWEABF- "the All Blacks have improved markedly since losing those three games to South Africa and the one against France this year" Quite right! I agree 100%.
What I take issue with is people like Ray claiming that South Africa were 'lucky' in their wins agains NZ this year and another looney tune whose name escapes me claiming the Ref was to blame for all NZs defeats this year. How about, just once, we give some credit to South Africa and those other teams that play footy to a high level. There is a rugby world out there that doesn't revolve around Henry and his All Blacks. Our supreme arrogance ultimately leads to our downfall.
Ex All Black Fan.
C'mon mate. The point many people are trying to make is that the All Blacks have improved markedly since losing those three games to South Africa and the one against France this year.
Since the Tri-Nations which of the two teams have done better? That's right, the All Blacks!!!!!!! Our "second rate" team still beat Italy and your precious Springboks lost two games to club sides (who incidentally have plenty of former All Blacks in their squads) and lost to Ireland, who have NEVER beaten NZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I suppose you'll just whinge about the World Cup again to try and justify your own opinion. But mate, do yourself a favour and get over it like most REAL supporters have done. Unless you wish to put forward your candidacy for the All Blacks job since you strangely seem to think Ted & co. are useless.
Ray the Springboks (who are incidentally World Champs) beat the All Blacks three times this year. I think you need to get things into perspective if you believe that those victories were "lucky" or that after one good performance the All Blacks have become the "best team in the world"...Two weeks ago your precious 'invincible' All Blacks were severaly under the pump against Italy!
Yawn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
EABF quotes: "Let's not get carried away with one game". What a stupendously bad contradiction by a person who has moaned and moaned constantly about a game that was two years ago.
Everyone knows that you dislike the current coaches, but mate, that's just tough. The fact is that you actually don't know of anyone better to lead us into the 2011 WC do you?
I mean come on guys, lets not get carried away and go on about one game. The French beat us and we didn't play as well as we should have. We lost so get over it - it was only one game....
Hang on a minute - that was a game 2 years ago and Ex AB Fan is still going on about it....I'd have thought, being an EX AB fan he'd be reading the soccer, netball or cricket stories rather than commenting on a team he hates and that he enjoyed watching them play on the weekend. Methinks he may actually be an Ex Ex All Black Fan.
Delighted by the win , the AB's have got their mojo back. Not so keen on the coaches going bak to origional positions. The re-shuffel worked a treat , Henry please stay as fowards coach. Hopefully the AB's can counter the one dimension play of SA next year , Ireland and France both figured it out . How long can the SARFU keep with DeViliers is anyones guess.
great article toby...just keep sucking up to the all blacks and rugby union, and you'll get all the interviews you desire.
Is anyone else sick of hearing Ex All Black Fan moan and groan. Go away! If your an Ex Fan then why continuously read and comment on AB stories. Time to change the record mate and perhaps come up with something new (could be positive - just an idea).
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@ Ban the RWC: you're the one who doesn't get it. Rankings DON'T mean anything. Look at Senegal (currently ranked below the All Whites) beating reigning world champions France in 2002. What matters is competitions, not meaningless end-of-season or pre-season warm up games. Here's another one for your world rankings: in October, France were ranked 4th, England were 7th. Yet in the last Six Nations, England finished above France and it was their fourth win over France in a row. So, by your logic, Ireland should give back the Six Nations crown because France were ranked above them by the IRB the next month? Think about it mate! France are rubbish and the latest AB win means nothing. France lost THREE games at the last world cup, finished third in the last 2 Six Nations, and even England scored 5 tries against them in February, and England are crap!