The All Blacks have made history as back-to-back Rugby World Cup champions.
The All Blacks have made history as back-to-back Rugby World Cup champions.
Greatness excellence to deserve the accolade.
But the 2015 All Blacks will go down in history as one of the truly great rugby teams, after they won the Rugby World Cup in a pulsating 34-17 victory over Australia at Twickenham yesterday morning.
The All Blacks are the first team towin back-to-back Rugby World Cups and the first to hold aloft the golden Webb Ellis Cup three times. The record has been a long time coming for patient New Zealand supporters, who can now forget the agony of previous failed campaigns.
But there is so much more to this All Blacks team than cold, hard facts. The total commitment to free-flowing, 15-man rugby is to be commended. It is a style that brings joy to those watching and needs to be emulated in the Northern Hemisphere if the game is to make ground into football's dominance.
The All Blacks were clearly the dominant team in yesterday's final but great credit must go to the valiant Wallabies, who refused to give in. Typical of the fickle nature of sport, there were some nervous times before the final whistle. Fans watching at home or at various public settings in the Western Bay, would have started celebrating early as the All Blacks rushed out to a 21-3 lead early in the second spell.
But the sin-binning of Ben Smith gave the Australians a chance and they took full advantage of the extra man to score two tries and close the gap to just four points. But up stepped man of the match Dan Carter, in his final test for the All Blacks, to land two quite remarkable goals to give his team the respite they needed.
Carter, captain Richie McCaw, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu and Keven Mealamu all ended their test careers as winners. They will take some replacing. First-five Carter and openside flanker McCaw will be remembered as the best players to ever play for the All Blacks in their positions. It has been a privilege to watch them develop from precocious schoolboys to international legends.
What a wonderful legacy they leave for Reporoa's Sam Cane and others who will now take ownership of those jerseys.
