RWC: Fans toot horns and scream with elation after All Blacks win

All Blacks fans perform a haka on Queen street, Customs street intersection, after the All Blacks defeat Australia in the 2015 Rugby World Cup final. Photo / Nick Reed

Elated All Blacks fans screaming and tooting horns have made Auckland come alive this morning with the knowledge the team have won back-to-back world cups.

Cars drove through the central city with men hung out the windows holding New Zealand and silver fern flags.

All Blacks fans celebrate and march up Queen street after the All Blacks defeat Australia in the 2015 Rugby World Cup final. Photo / Nick Reed

Runners participating in the Auckland Marathon, which coincided with the Rugby World Cup final, were greeted with hundreds of All Blacks fans as they came through the Viaduct.

Auckland Marathon winner Aaron Pulford crossed the line with a strong finish at 2 hours 27 minutes.

Pulford is a three-time 10,000m New Zealand champion and has won his debut marathon.

Jonathan Jackson came second, followed by Dougal Thorburn in third place.

Katie Kemp won the woman's marathon with a personal best time of 2 hours 42 minutes.

"I've worked so hard, I'm so thrilled," Kemp said.

Her race "went to plan exactly," she said.

"My plan is to always race myself... The crowds lifted me hugely... it was a real adrenaline rush."

Kemp was racing as part of the ASB Run Down Your Rate team, which means her mortgage rate will be dropped to 2.42 per cent.

"I can't find my husband he is probably on the calculator somewhere," she said.

This was Kemp's third marathon, and she shaved seven minutes off her Taupo Marathon time.

Runners wearing All Blacks jerseys were cheered on with extra force and shouts of "go the All Blacks".

Some runners shouted their support back, "go the ABs".

One half-marathon finisher crossed the line this morning wearing a full All Blacks kit and a silent fern flag tied around his shoulders like a cape.

The Fox sports bar in the Viaduct was full of screaming fans, tears on the cheeks of some, hugging each other as the game came to a close.

Among the crowd was Neil Bassett, who didn't have many words to describe his emotions except "amazing, brilliant".

"Under the pressure in the middle of the second half they held their own and played brilliantly. The really had the mental game," he said.

Mr Bassett said he had watched Richie McCaw play since day one and couldn't really believe he wouldn't see him pull on the black jersey again.

"He has got to be the best captain we've ever had."

Bars in the Viaduct filled from 4am and a queue of about 100 people outside sports bar The Fox in the Viaduct remained in place as the anthems began.

Fans line up outside The Fox in downtown Auckland. Photo / Simon Plumb

One man had gotten up early to watch the game in the bar and was frustrated he wouldn't be able to get in to see the game.

"I don't know why the council didn't put some screens up in The Cloud," he said.
Many worse for wear fans in black said they had been celebrating the event through the night.

Before the game kicked off All Blacks supporter Sam Ogilvie said he was "excited as".

"It was a hard hour to get up, but it's worth it for Richie," he said.

He was in The Fox with two friends, having a few drinks, but the bar was serving a lot of coffees and big breakfasts for hungry fans.

In a sea of black jerseys any Australian supporters who may have braved the crowd at The Fox didn't made themselves known.

Dan Carter put the first points on the board for the All Blacks with a penalty at 7 minutes and fans jumped up and down with delight.

The crowd erupted with cheers, applause and hugs as Nehe Milner-Skudder crossed the try line a minute before half-time.

Max Cannell has been coming the The Fox with a group of seven friends and had had the same table since the Rugby World Cup began.

At half time he was feeling "apprehensive".

"It's been a total team performance, but it's Australia," he said.

The atmosphere was positive at The Fox, where supporters were mostly confident the All Blacks would come away victorious.

Reg Sparrey has been getting his friends along to The Fox for every game.

"They fought to get the bars open for the games so that's why I choose to support them," he said.

He thought the All Blacks would "go all the way" and Australia was "looking tired".

Marathon runners celebrate an All Black win as they gathered in Devonport to watch the 2015 Rugby World Cup final before the run they've trained all year for. Photo / Greg Bowker