Todd Fuller at the Rugby World Cup: Week of nerves rewarded with total bliss

The All Blacks celebrate at the final whistle during the semifinal match. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Opinion

Wow, what a week. I swear I'm going into hibernation for six months after the tournament.

The tension during the week was so intense I felt physically sick twice, and not from the night-before's activities. Auckland's Viaduct was alive and kicking all week and by Saturday it was in full swing.

Our Welsh cousins were feeling extremely confident, but it was Lolo Ponceau of France who before the game told me, "France is like husband and wife, the best love-making is after a fight," and how right he was.

Though Wales made all the play after Sam Warburton's sending off, the French made it to the final.

We compared it to coming home early, doing the dishes and for once putting the toilet seat down. Marital bliss for our French friends.

Come Sunday, the nerves had surprisingly calmed down and the Aussie confidence had grown.

The fan trail was an emotional rollercoaster so by the time we arrived at the hallowed ground that is Eden Park, we were ready to release everything we had. I haven't heard the national anthem sung with such passion since the 1981 flour-bomb test.

We had the privilege of sitting next to Dr John Drake from Palmerston North. He delivered Aaron Cruden and a prouder doctor there is not.

The first 10 minutes set the tone - Cooper having a 'mare, Izzy playing out of his skin and a smashing defence. We were set for a big one.

The "four more years" chant at the end of the game and the outpouring of emotion will live in my memory for life. The pub crawl back to town was a joyous occasion.

The early hours of Monday morning were spent arm-in-arm with our Aussie brothers and we met Tony Shaw, an ex-Wallaby captain.

Strangely, he wanted to discuss his playing days, skirting around what had just happened. Then the Viaduct emptied and the first workers arrived. I crawled into bed at 9am, the happiest man on the planet. One more game, boys, one more game.