BEAUDEN BARRETT CLINCHES WORLD CUP VICTORY FOR THE ALL BLACKS
The New Zealand international burst out of the line to score a winning try in the dying moments of the 2015 Rugby World Cup Final
I’d been called on to play full-back for the last 15 minutes of the game, but as the clock ticked down toward the final whistle it felt like I’d already been on the pitch for an hour. We were 10 points up with just two minutes to go and Australia were pushing hard with an attack out wide. But when the Aussie winger Drew Mitchell couldn’t gather a pass, Ben Smith swooped on the loose ball and picked his head up. I came screaming from the back field in support, hoping that he’d read my mind and put in a kick for me to chase. Fortunately he did, and I emerged from a crowd of yellow shirts to see the pitch open up in front of me. Feeling a burst of energy and determination, I sprinted downfield praying that I would get a favourable bounce. Running at full tilt, I gave the ball the deftest touch with my foot that I could manage, and it sat up beautifully for me to catch. I ran on to score the try and barely had time to celebrate before Julian Savea and my other teammates bundled on top of me.
The three years that had passed since getting my first call up for the All Blacks felt like preparation for that one moment. Any sense of expectation and anxiety left my body, replaced with pure elation, pride and adrenaline. Listening to the Twickenham crowd erupt was a moment I’ll remember for the rest of my life.