47 games down, just 80 short minutes (and a bit more if needed) to go.
The world’s two finest teams come from the other side of the globe, but they’ve kindly moved their Bledisloe rivalry closer to our neck of the woods so we can watch it at a sociable hour of the day.
It’s New Zealand, it’s Australia and we’re bringing you every minute live.
Let us know your pre-match predictions and your thoughts during the game. Comment below, join us on Facebook or tweet us @Rugby_ie.
The fans who were lucky / rich enough to get to Twickenham for today’s decider are already out whipping up a bit of an atmosphere.
The green and gold clad Aussies are, obviously, going hopping mad in some sort of Kangroo contraption — see how the men work their magnificent machines here.
The Kiwis are using less technology and more skin to make their presence felt.
It’s a fine sunny day in London, perfect conditions for both teams to come out and play the style of rugby that has brought them here, to the pinnacle of the sport.
Here are the teams reigning champion Steve Hansen and his late-arriving rival Michael Cheika have named for today.
New Zealand
15. Ben Smith
14. Nehe Milner-Skudder
13. Conrad Smith
12. Ma’a Nonu
11. Julian Savea
10. Daniel Carter
9. Aaron Smith
1. Joe Moody
2. Dane Coles
3. Owen Franks
4. Brodie Retallick
5. Sam Whitelock
6. Jerome Kaino
7. Richie McCaw (captain)
8. Kieran Read
Replacements:
16. Keven Mealamu
17. Ben Franks
18. Charlie Faumuina
19. Victor Vito
20. Sam Cane
21. Tawera Kerr-Barlow
22. Beauden Barrett
23. Sonny Bill Williams
Australia
15. Israel Folau
14. Adam Ashley-Cooper
13. Tevita Kuridrani
12. Matt Giteau
11. Drew Mitchell
10. Bernard Foley
9. Will Genia
1. Scott Sio
2. Stephen Moore (captain)
3. Sekope Kepu
4. Kane Douglas
5. Rob Simmons
6. Scott Fardy
7. Michael Hooper
8. David Pocock
Replacements:
16. Tatafu Polota-Nau
17. James Slipper
18. Greg Holmes
19. Dean Mumm
20. Ben McCalman
21. Nick Phipps
22. Matt Toomua
23. Kurtley Beale
Right, the bets have been laid and we’ve settled on a prediction.
New Zealand will find a way to win. I can’t help but feel they’ll have to squeeze the life out of the game to do it, but they’ll retain the Webb Ellis Cup.
As for sneaky bets, I’ve gone slightly against my own logic and taken the All Blacks to win by 10 points at 2/1.
The nice dry pitch also suckered me in to betting that there will be more than 41.5 points score today. #PrayForThe42
These England fans are clearly paying homage to their long-dead hopes of having a skin in this World Cup final.
The teams are on the field. Let’s do this.
That’s the anthems, get your thighs out for the Haka.
One last big hiss from Ma’a Nonu to start the Haka as the ABs go in to Kapo O Pango.
Truth.
KICK-OFF: We’re off!
Double Boom! New Zealand are making sure to take on some rattling responsibilities of their own. First, Folau is hit on the way down from claiming a high ball. As the Wallabies move right, Conrad Smith smashed Michael Hooper behind the gainline.
Advantage: black.
Brilliant Nonu carry takes NZ in to the 22, but Aaron Smith is a little over eager to spin the pass wide and he hits Sam Whitelock in the chest.
Fortunately for NZ, Genia knocks on and the scrum is coming 10 metres from the try-line.
Smith peels off that scrum and grubbers through the line. Drew Mitchell has it read like a pop up book though. Clinical sweep in behind and they clear beyond the 22.
Brilliant intent and pressure from NZ, but they’re being met at every turn by gold shirts. Ben Smith makes a half break and gets a pass away to NMS, but it’s slightly behind the wing and he’s caught.
NZ go the other way, but Savea elects to go himself rather than give McCaw a one on one on the outside (a wise enough choice). The penalty comes when he’s tackled and Carter can open the scoring here.
PENALTY! New Zealand 3 Australia (Carter ’8)
Nailed it.
Now we’re getting physical. Folau manages to bump off Savea (one of a handful of backs capable of such a thing) but Retallick soon gets in over the ball and makes himself a nuisance. He wins the turnover and gets drilled in the ribs by a clear out.
As Stu Barnes rightly points out, NZ are spreading the breakdown responsibility far beyond the back row. Retallick and Conrad Smith with the turnovers so far.
That. Is. An. Absolute howler from Ben Smith. A long speculative bouncing clearance kick hit the fullback on the arm and he knocked on.
Gold scrum 23-24 metres out.
And the error is punished as Scott Sio wins a penalty from Owen Franks.
NZ going well in open play and the line-out, but Australia’s rejuvenated scrum is still the business.
PENALTY! New Zealand 3 Australia 3 (Foley ’14)
Pocock lays a marker on Savea, stretching to take down the powerful wing after NZ went wide left nice and early.
Kane Douglas is down and looking in bad shape. Looks like his left leg bore the brunt of a very heavy landing.
We had a minor office argument over which Minogue this was in Twickenham, but #TeamKylie takes the spoils.
No way Danni would be given tickets this big.
Wow!
Huge moment in this game. NZ win a penalty on the five metre line. It’s a gimme three-points, but they go for a quick tap and move right, but bam!
Michael Hooper gets his feet planted and comes up with a massive steal before Owens blows for a gold penalty.
BAM!
Kepu races out of the line and smashes Dan Carter. It looks pretty damn late on the slow motion replay.
DC is fairly rattled after it.
Sensible refereeing from Owens: “In my opinion there was a split second where you could have eased up” he said before awarding a penalty rather than the yellow card the black jerseys were hoping for.
Remember early in the game where we said the Kiwis were on top in the breakdown? Yeah, that’s pretty much reversed now.
Scott Fardy comes up with the turnover this time to further frustrate the All Blacks.
Matt Giteau is gone for HIA after coming off the worse for wear from a run-in with Retallick’s shoulder.
Kepu is done for another shot on Carter. He ain’t rattled though
PENALTY! New Zealand 6 Australia 3 (Carter ’26)
Australia are going in to Ireland mode a bit as they count the cost of injured men. Dean Mumm replaced Kane Douglas that time and Kurtley Beale is in for Giteau.
The results of Giteau’s HIA are in and…. the system works.
This game is simmering along beautifully now. Carter is strolling around the field dictating play, NMS is throwing passes that are very *flat* and Will Genia is diving from offside to slap the ball from Smith’s hands.
DC, unflappable.
PENALTY! New Zealand 9 Australia 3 (Carter ’35)
TRY! New Zealand 14 Australia 3 (NMS ’39)
That… was just sublime.
On the very biggest of stages, the All Blacks prove they’re the best. First the switch pass puts Conrad Smith into space and he waits to tempt a defender in before flicking the ball back to Aaron Smith. he gives it to McCaw, McCaw draws Kepu and allows Nehe Milner Skudder slide in for his eighth Test try.
Australia have been pretty good, but all the stuff they needed to malfunction in the All Black machine is running smoothly. Carter sends another kick sailing through the posts on the stroke of half-time.
HALF-TIME: New Zealand 16 Australia 3)
Ah, American sportsisms. A never-ending source of amusement and with rugby growing over in the schtates we can look forward to much more of this sort of thing.
Sonny Bill Williams is on the field in place of Conrad Smith, the career of one of the world’s best ever centres ended – fittingly – with a key part in a crucial try.
Here comes the second half.
TRY! New Zealand 21 Australia 3 (Nonu ’42)
Yeow!
Absolutely sensational score of a completely different ilk. SBW got two sublime offloads away in three phases, the second of them went to Nonu who broke through in midfield, stepped to leave a Wallaby grounded and had too much power and pace to be troubled by Drew Mitchell.
The All Blacks are in full flight here. Enjoy it.
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Though the other two ain’t been bad either.
Australia, as Seal would say, are never gonna survive unless they get a little crazy.
They gold scrum crumbles and NZ look ready to pounce until a pass goes behind NMS. The second best offloader in the southern hemisphere fails to get a good pass away and Kurtley Beale steals the ball in the air.
He’s off… but caught and there are not enough gold shirts to aid him. The breakdown arrives and it’s a gold penalty.
Ben Smith is in trouble after lifting the leg of Drew Mitchell. Nigel Owens is deliberating over a spear tackle…
SIN BIN: Ben Smith
TRY! New Zealand 21 Australia 8 (Pocock ’52)
The Wallabies waste absolutely no time in getting on the board against 14 black jerseys. The skipper crashes over on the back of a maul.
Game on.
Bernard Foley’s conversion just squeaked in to make it an 11-point game.
How will NZ react to this speed-bump just as they looked ready for cruise control?
The replacements benches are being emptied. There’s an all new front row for Australia and Franks is in for Moody.
Jerome Kaino not afraid to get a bit nasty when the situation calls for it. He tries to clear out AAC, but spends most of his energy begging Owens for the whistle. He gets it and gives Adam Ashley three big slaps on the arse to celebrate.
Just a matter of seconds before Smith comes back from the sin-bin. Aside from the instant seven points, the ABs have been brilliant as ever in killing the penalty.
And just as I open my big fat mouth…
TRY! New Zealand 21 Australia 15 (Kuridrani ‘ 63)
Foley adds the extras too and we’re down to a four-point game.
The try came from some good pressurising on NMS and the wing couldn’t get his kick to touch. Had he done so, NZ would have been back to the full compliment of players, but instead Aus put in another kick behind and AAC claims it to offload to Kuridrani who needs bigger men to stop him.
New Zealand 21 Australia 17
Beaudy Barrett is in the game for Milner-Skudder. So Ben Smith will go to the right wing and Barrett to fullback.
We’re deep in the melting pot now folks, NZ press and press and press, but when Carter calls the drop-goal, he means it.
Sublime strike from 35 meters plus from the world’s leading Test points scorer.
DROP-GOAL! New Zealand 24 Australia 17 (Carter’ 69)
Steve Hansen has called Aaron Smith ashore for Tawera Kerr-Barlow. That, to me, seems a bit premature. There is a huge gap between Smith and every other SH on the planet, never mind the Kiwi back-ups.
PENALTY! New Zealand 27 Australia 17 (Carter ’74)
Australia attempt to go wide and keep these feint hopes alive, but it’s dropped and Vito crashes in to the loose pass. NZ’s clearance is poor again though and the gold shirts come back.
TRY! New Zealand 32 Australia 17 (Barrett ‘ 78)
FULL-TIME: New Zealand are World Champions!
That last try was the beautiful sweet icing on a majestic All Black cake.
Ben Smith collected the turnover, broke, checked, kicked and nobody on the field had the gas to chase the loose ball. Nobody except Beaudy Barrett. He sailed past the gold shirts, touched the ball on with the boot and claimed it beyond the try-line.
That’s it, the World Cup is over and done with. New Zealand are the champions and champions in tremendous style.
We’ll have much more news, opinion and insight coming from Twickenham tonight so stay tuned.
Until we get something filed, just lie back and think of how brilliant Richie, Dan, Conrad, Ma’a and Beauden were today.
