Timing is everything
IF EVER THERE was a year to shake the belief that the All Blacks are bottlers on the World Cup stage, this is it. The earthquakes in Christchurch devastated the rugby-obsessed nation and, while a victory will never erase the memory of last February’s tragedy, it will certainly boost the spirit of a country that has gone through its share of heartbreak.
The opportunity to show off their country to the world has already provided a boon to a country that has not won the sport’s biggest competition since its inception in 1987 and there has been a feeling since the start of the tournament that this will be their year.
Finally, the All Blacks have found a way to combine power, skill and athleticism with the common sense needed to outsmart the other heavy hitters of world rugby. The attacking trio of Israel Dagg, Cory Jane and Richard Kahui were brilliant against the Wallabies and a repeat showing will certainly show up the inferior French.
Star players
The margin of victory over Australia would have been even greater had scrum-half Piri Weepu managed a better than 50% success rate with his boot. Weepu may have only dispatched four kicks from eight but he was suffering the ill effects of a cold. With a week between matches, he can be expected to have shaken off the illness and be back to his confident best.
The All Blacks are, of course, built around talisman Richie McCaw. While the losses of Dan Carter and Colin Slade proved a blow for Graham Henry and company, they at least had youngster Aaron Cruden to come in and show that a new star was born.
No such replacement exists for McCaw, who recovered from the hamstring strain he suffered against South Africa to put in a brilliant performance against Australia. He’s the best player in the world and at the top of his form, his ability to anticipate play setting him apart from his team-mates and opponents.
They’re playing France
While none of the All Blacks will expect to phone in a performance before being handed the Webb Ellis trophy 80 minutes, there’s no denying that they’re playing a French team in disarray.
Marc Lievremont’s branding of his group of ‘spoilt brats’ speaks to the divisions with the Europeans’ camp. They were abject in losing their final group game to Tonga, and beat the Welsh by the tiniest of margins.
The deft kicking of Morgan Parra and Dimitri Yachvili – as well as a brilliant 20 minutes that saw off the equally dishevelled England – do provide some cause for French optimism, but New Zealand have not only a unified squad but the weight of an entire country behind them.
