Richie McCaw, left, and Dan Carter celebrate with the Webb Ellis Cup after yesterday's final.
Richie McCaw, left, and Dan Carter celebrate with the Webb Ellis Cup after yesterday's final.
The All Blacks' remarkable 34-17 victory over the Wallabies in the Rugby World Cup final has been rightly acclaimed as one of the finest victories of this or any other era.
The attention to detail and ability to take scoring opportunities given up by a very good Australian team madethe difference in the end for the All Blacks, who became the first team to win the Webb Ellis Cup three times and also to win the title back-to-back.
Once the farewells to Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Keven Mealamu, Conrad Smith and Ma'a Nonu from the winning team have faded, it will be hoped that the long-term impact of the All Blacks' success will be felt at the grassroots level of the game.
Craig Jeffries, coach of the Bay of Plenty Development and Te Puke Sports Premier teams, says the biggest learning from the unique culture within the All Blacks is the players' outstanding urgency.
"They do it from the first second of the game to the last seconds of the game. They want to be involved," Jeffries said. "If the boys watched that and got a little bit inspired about their work rate and their fitness, and not letting their mates down, then that is a definite positive. it is something you cannot coach. It comes from within the group and is special. That is the stuff that I love."
Jeffries was impressed with the All Blacks' approach from the opening kick-off to the expression of real joy at the sound of the final whistle.
"They were outstanding from the moment they started. It started in the first 20 seconds of the game when Israel Folau got flattened by Jerome Kaino. Even when Aussie came back into it, I thought the ABs were composed. They are a well-drilled outfit.
"Everyone talked up ( Wallabies flankers) Pocock and Hooper but I thought the loose trio for the All Blacks were outstanding. Kieran Read had his best game for a long time and come the moment, come the man. They all stepped up at the right moment."
While Carter, McCaw and Nonu rightly gained much of the post-match kudos after their final performances, Jeffries singled out the real workhorses in the forward pack.
"I thought the second row for the All Blacks of Sam Whitlock and Brodie Retallick were outstanding. Their work rate was just phenomenal and it is no coincidence that Whitlock made the tackle that led to the breakdown when Beauden Barrett scored at the end of the game."
