To beat Jordie Barrett in a worst haircut competition takes some doing. Finlay Bealham, of Ireland, achieved that feat in resounding fashion. One can only ask the question, what was he thinking? Some questions are best left unanswered.
Best moment
Portugal winning their first World Cup match was as good as it gets. The composure they displayed when they went behind by six points – to then score a wonderful try with Samuel Marques’ conversion taking them ahead showed proper nerve. The celebrations after the ball was hoofed into the stands at full time and their reception at the airport when they returned home from France is why we love this funny old game. Jordie Barrett again is narrowly beaten for an award, his 71st-minute try-saving effort on Ireland’s Ronan Kelleher as he seemed destined to score showed just how fine the margins are at World Cups.
Best substitution
The Springboks’ decision to substitute the traditional head and assistant coach model for a director of rugby, head coach and assistant coaches model aka “RassNaber”. Throw in their 7-1 bench split of forwards and backs and you could dub the South Africans not only as world champions but champions of the sub.
Best quotes
“Playing rugby in Spain is like being a bullfighter in Japan.” – Hollywood star and rugby fan Javier Bardem.
“The only reason is because I don’t have any clippers and I don’t really trust anyone else’s.” – New Zealand lock Brodie Retallick on why he shaved his moustache.
“Like the penguins from Madagascar, we come out smiling and wave at the boys and get on with the job.” – Australian flanker Tom Hooper on bouncing back from the Wales defeat.
“To a red?!” - New Zealand’s Ardie Savea when referee Wayne Barnes told him Sam Cane’s yellow card was being upgraded.
“After the match in Lille, we had seven days to put the All Blacks players back into a classic rotation. This is the team we fielded the day after the Uruguay match. Our method is based on adaptability. We adapt and read according to the deadlines. It’s Darwin’s theory: the most intelligent species adapts.” – France head coach Fabien Galthie’s unique take on squad rotation.
“My dad did try to help me when I was younger with my goal-kicking, even though he probably didn’t know what he was talking about.” – Italy back Tommaso Allan admits he probably inherited his rugby skills from his international winger mum rather than his dad, who played hooker.
“History is yesterday’s newspaper, not tomorrow’s.” – All Blacks head coach Ian Foster.
Worst refereeing call
Matthew Carley in the Wales v Fiji match.
In the words of Chris Rattue: “Fiji’s stirring comeback brought the tournament alive, and Wales were magnificently brave if ham-fisted in the face of the late onslaught. It was rugby at its best. But Wales had help.
“English referee Matthew Carley allowed them to repeatedly defend illegally without a yellow-card sanction, leaving Fiji just short of time to complete their comeback victory in the Pool C game. By the time he did go beyond penalties and card a Welsh player, it was getting too late.”
Best scrum
Fiji against Australia. Time is up, Fiji leads by seven with the Wallabies feeding the scrum and needing to travel 60-odd metres to tie the game. Fiji obliterated the Australian pack, won the penalty and the match. Honourable mention for ‘Most talked about scrum’ goes to the final play of the England v South Africa semifinal.
Worst fans
England rugby supporters often cop a bit of flack for their ‘unsavoury’ backing of their team, be it the controversial singing of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot or over-indulgence in the local beverages.
A few of them did their reputation no favours this World Cup with a video circulating on social media showing a group of fans, some clad in what appears to be Lord Nelson or Napoleon-esque military garb, fighting in the stands – apparently before the match had kicked off.
It’s unclear what caused the brawl, but two groups were seen throwing punches and one was thrown overhead towards fans below in a poor advertisement for English rugby fans.
Worst lineouts
Early in the second half of the England-South Africa semifinal, Jamie George throws possibly the worst professional lineout attempt ever.
Jac Morgan makes the most of a Wallabies brain explosion with the Wales captain winning the lineout and thumps the ball downfield for a 50-22. He’s taken away Australia’s attacking lineout and put them on defence in a matter of seconds.
Best Pool A match
France against Uruguay was a genuine contest up until the 72nd minute. In fact, Uruguay were just a point behind France up until the 52nd where a lapse in concentration from halfback Carlos Deus in box-kicking directly into the back of his own player, allowing France to gather and score, finally saw them begin to pull away. During the first half, Uruguay looked a serious chance to upset the tournament hosts.
Saltiest exit
Directed not at their team, but at their support. After France’s quarter-final exit at the hands of the Springboks, not only did the local support for the tournament dip (which in fairness could be expected, imagine if the All Blacks had lost in the quarters in 2011?) but the constant boos and jeers directed toward referee Ben O’Keeffe were a poor reflection on the French. The French players continued their nation’s disinterest when not one of them turned up to the World Rugby awards in Paris, the day after the final despite being nominated for various awards.
Best tournament
Emerging from a pool in second place after facing the likes of Australia and Wales is an achievement in itself for Fiji, but the manner in which they did it is to be commended. Yes, they lost their opener to Wales and eventually became the first nation to lose a World Cup match to Portugal – but their performance against Australia will live long in the memory. They put away the Fijian flair for large portions of the match and got their hands dirty. The scrum was dominant, their breakdown work was accurate and they kicked goals on offer. The Fiji result told us Portugal are no longer here to simply make up the numbers.
Biggest disappointment
The Wallabies themselves surely couldn’t argue with this. Coming third in a pool that featured Wales, Fiji, Portugal and Georgia is inexcusable for Australia and made even worse with the recent resignation of coach Eddie Jones. To have picked the side they did, foregoing senior experienced players like Michael Hooper and Quade Cooper, under the pretence of looking toward the 2027 tournament has aged more and more poorly as the days go by. The 40-6 pantsing at the hands of Wales is one of the darkest days in Australian rugby.
Luke Kirkness is an Online Sports Editor for the NZ Herald. He previously covered consumer affairs for the Herald and was an assistant news director in the Bay of Plenty. He won Student Journalist of the Year in 2019.
Will Toogood is an Online Sports Editor for the NZ Herald. He has previously worked for Newstalk ZB’s digital team and at Waiheke’s Gulf News, covering sport and events.
