Cheers to the friggin All Blacks, I'll drink to that!!

On sunday midday SA time, it was more relief than elation that i felt when the final whistle sounded to put an end to one of the best RWC tournaments I have viewed (1995, being the other). It was relief more than elation because the mighty All Blacks, who have earned the right to be called the Mighty All Blacks over the last decade or 2 because they boast arguable the best record of any international sporting team on earth, yet have failed to capture the World Cup since 1987. My relief was for the players, their management staff and their little nation of rugby mad people.

I thorougly enjoyed this tournament because of the excitement it produced to the very last minute of the very last game. It showed that with a bit of exposure even the most unlikely of teams can be competitive. The impact of professionalism can now be seen with the likes of Tonga, Samoa and Japan all showing some vast improvement this is a result of their big and lucrative domestic tournaments that attract people from all walks...players and coaches, whose knowledge gets passed onto players of lesser nations who in turn pass it on into their international setups. The 3rd and 4th play off was quite a tense affair and even though the final whistle only showed a points difference of 3, there was no doubt in anyones mind who the top team on the day was. Australia were all over them, Wales had plenty ball, but they couldnt kick their penalties nor could they find creative ways to breach the Aussie defence. I felt really bleak for QC, because he looked like he was in the mood but alas his night was cut short with a torn ACL! It was a tough old afternoon, but the deserved winners on the day prevailed. Same cant be said about the finals though. From the Haka i knew it was game on, that arrow formation followed by the bowl like engulfing of the ABs by the French had them properly rattled. Ma'a lost his nut so much so that he came up with his own version of the Haka, Piri was more animated than ever, the guys were rattled properly and credit to the French. We were lucky to get away with that game because there was a scrum about 10...15min before the end of the game where the ABs were going backwards and Hore popped up, he was penalised earlier for the same offence a few minutes earlier but by the grace of Craig and maybe the ball spilling out from the base of the scrum, we were let off the hook. In as much as the French had our number, I believe we gave it to them in many ways. Had Piri kicked his 8 points on offer, it would have been a different ball game because it would have been 13-0 or something which is very different from 5-3. The French belief grew as the game wore on and that kick pass from Piri to clear a bumbling ball, would have been genius if it had come off but it didnt and it cost the ABs 7pts and from then i was like same script different cast, but the discipline of the ABs and their composure in the dying minutes of the game carried them through. People were telling me the French would be obliterated, i was not convinced in the slightest, because they are a great side and the ability to bring their A-game at any time, it so happened was that the 23/10/2011 was that time! They didnt deserve to be there they said. The 2 games they lost were against the ABs which was always going to be and Tonga, a game they didnt have to win to qualify. They had to beat England....and they did. They had to beat Wales, and they did, it wasnt their fault that the Welsh were down to 14 players. In the finals they were the slightly better team, through tactics and psyche! And to them I say Alles Le Bleu!! The boys in Black deserved this win, not only because they won it, but because of the amount of work they put in and the learnings they took from past failures. They were smart enough to say to the world we can play durr rugby and win this yellow cup and thats all i wanted to see. Richie and GH and me as an AB supporter, can indeed now rest in peace because I was getting supper tired of hearing that choker tag and this that and the next, now there will have to be another label for them, I guess World Champs will have to do for now. The ABs deserved this because they prepared well. They had depth aplenty and players who knew the team dynamic and set up. Who would have thunk that without DC and down to their 4th choice No. 10 they would have been able to pull this off? It was a massive effort and one deserving of its reward. Congrats to the Kapa O Pango, now you can just go out there and play your game and not worry about this yellow cup for another 24 yrs :) mad respect to my French froggies too. Well done to all 20 teams that took part, now if my dear Lions will just win this Currie Cup to cap off a good year of rugby viewing for me :) Take care boys and girls