All Blacks' players come to terms with their early World Cup exit. Photo / Getty Images
Chokers. That is what international media are labelling the All Blacks after they crashed out of the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals against France this morning.
Sports writers were left in as much disbelief as All Blacks fans after New Zealand let a 10-point halftime lead turn into 18-20
loss in Cardiff - their worst ever World Cup performance.
"You've got to choking, it's a new world order" said the Sydney Morning Herald's, while "End of the world for the All Blacks" was brandished across Britain's Telegraph website.
"They said it could not happen again. They said that New Zealand could not botch another World Cup. They said that there would not be a repeat of 1999 at Twickenham when France, from nowhere, humbled the seemingly invincible All Blacks," wrote the Telegraph's Steve James.
"Well, revise your opinions. New Zealand have yet another long wait and France are through to face England in an intruiging semi-final in Paris next Saturday (Sunday NZ time)."
Writing for Britain's Timesonline website, journalist Peter O'Reilly said the result confirmed New Zealand's status as "world-class chokers" while also singing the Northern Hemisphere's praises after England's surprise win over Australia in the first quarter-final earlier in the day.
"Unfamiliar shirts, unfamiliar setting, but a cracking occasion and a brilliant advertisement for the Rugby World Cup," he said.
"Typically, it was Frederic Michalak, coming off the bench, who provided the critical pass for Yan-nick Jauzion's match-winning try, thus confirming New Zealand's status as world-class chokers and completing a magnificent day and highly improbable day for the northern hemisphere."
Meanwhile, The Observer's Michael Aylwin praised this World Cup as the best we've seen and began talking up France's tournament chances.
"Somehow, somehow France did it again," he said.
"This was not quite 1999, but the party that raged on in Cardiff was no less sweet for that. France are coming home. Their World Cup, already the best we've ever seen, surely, is alive and jumping."
- NZ HERALD STAFF
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