Mighty McCaw ducks All Black axe to secure a World Cup double triumph
Brendan Gallagher continues his expert and authoritative look at the history of Rugby Union
THE history of rugby is littered with landmark achievements by teams and individuals but, if you take the broad picture, I suggest little tops Richie McCaw captaining the All Blacks to consecutive World Cups in 2011 and 2015. It was a monumental achievement, especially if you factor in what preceded those glory years.
McCaw was the world’s best openside flanker for a decade or more, no question of that, but like many Kiwis of his generation, had not enjoyed happy World Cup experiences.
In Australia in 2003 he was part of the highly-touted All Blacks side that lost to Australia of all people in the semi-final, the same Australia side they had put 50 points on in a TriNations match just a few months earlier. That was seen as an epic fail in New Zealand but nothing compared with slipping up against France four years later in that infamous quarterfinal in Cardiff when the Kiwis simply refused to do the obvious and pop over a dropped goal to nick a scrappy match in the final minute.
McCaw was captain that day and shouldered much of the responsibility and blame for defeat: “More than anything it was a failure to think, we had no plan at the end,” said the skipper afterwards, well aware that he was condemning his own captaincy. That New Zealand team of 2007 was essentially the world beating unit from 2005 who had humiliated the Lions and the World Cup seemed theirs for the taking. Defeat at the Millennium Stadium was a crushing blow, not least for the fans back home.
Coach Graham Henry didn’t expect to survive the anticipated cull, nor his assistant Steve Hansen and McCaw was convinced he would lose the captaincy, but for once New Zealand veered away from a knee-jerk reaction. Henry was a good coach, McCaw was learning the ropes as captain, why not get them go again on home soil at RWC2011? The pressure would be huge and perhaps a tried and battle-scarred combination would fare better than new fresh faces.
New Zealand had not won the World Cup since the inaugural competition in 1987 and their claims – boasts – of being the world’s greatest rugby nation were looking a little hollow. They were developing a nasty habit of freezing every four years when the really big match came along. The 2007 quarter-final; the 2003 semi-final; the 1999 semi-final; the 1995 final; the 1991 semi-final. Being ‘ballpark’ is not what the All Black are about. Winning is their raison d’etre.
Just to ramp up the pressure it was widely acknowledged that RWC2011 would be the last such tournament ever held in New Zealand. It just doesn’t have the big stadia, the infrastructure, that the IRB needed to maximise profits every four years to fund the world game and a New Zealand World Cup will always see those profits drop significantly.
This would be the final chance for New Zealand to play host and even that was shrouded with a little controversy with Japan alleging they were on course to win the vote until the Kiwi secretary of the Asia Union, who had voted among themselves to support Japan, cast Asia’s two votes in favour of New Zealand.
Come the competition, New Zealand did a fine job welcoming the world to their “Stadium of four million people” despite the dislocation of the Christchurch earthquake in February
2011 which killed 185 and decimated the Jade Stadium venue that was due to stage six of the bigger matches.
Amid the very human disaster affecting the area, a hasty rethink and reshuffle was needed by the World Cup organisers with Eden Park and Wellington picking up some of the higher profile games and others being taken out to popular rural venues. It was a tribute to all concerned that the logistics of the tournament worked perfectly.
As for the rugby itself, after making unduly hard work of their opening game against Tonga, you sensed the All Blacks were creaking just a little although they moved through their Pool easily enough. There was an opportunity to down them but was anybody good enough to grab it?
Wales looked very fit and lively, Ireland were impressive winners over Australia but possibly peaked too soon in that first game, France were a squabbling shambles who became the first team to reach the knockout stages after losing two Pool games, England won comfortably enough but were on the naughty step and under huge pressure after off-field antics at Queenstown shone a harsh media light on Martin Johnson’s squad. The Pacific Islands were not firing as in 2007 and the Boks looked uninspired if strong.
It was fiendishly difficult to call. Dan Carter ruptured a groin before the All Blacks’ quarter-final against Argentina and was out of the tournament, McCaw broke a small bone in his foot in that game but gritted his teeth and battled on. Had McCaw bailed out I rather doubt if New Zealand would have prevailed.
New Zealand fought their way past Australia to reach the final where to
their massive surprise – and frankly that of everybody else – they met France who after crawling out of their Pool stopped talking to their coach and started coaching themselves. They didn’t do so badly either with a decent win over England and a narrow semi-final win over Wales who were reduced to 14 men when skipper Sam Warburton was sent off.
So New Zealand against France it was and for the second time in a World Cup encounter Thierry Dusautoir produced a MOM performance in direct opposition to McCaw even though the Kiwi skipper also enjoyed a fine game himself. France should have won, they were the better side but fluffed their lines and it has to be said were on the wrong end of a number of poor decisions from the referee. New Zealand scraped home 8-7 and although the crowd, and indeed the country, went mad I always thought the players were a little subdued in the celebrations that followed. Being honest Kiwis they knew they had limped over the line a little.
Not so four years later. McCaw was still going strong; Carter was enjoying an Indian summer to a remarkable career and the veteran midfield combo of Ma’a
Nonu and Conrad
Smith was spelled occasionally by
Sonny Bill Williams.
Kieran Read was at his peak and Beauden Barrett was ripping teams to shreds.
Hansen was in sole charge and knew that if his side could relax a little they could leave the opposition for dead. The only team that could beat New Zealand in 2015 was New Zealand themselves. Only South Africa in the semi-final seriously extended them although Australia gave it a good rattle for an hour in the final before a brilliant dropped goal by Carter put daylight between the sides which the All Blacks steadily increased.
Numerically it was the biggest, most profitable World Cup ever, with well over 2.2m paying spectators, but for hosts England it was a bitter disappointment. The RFU had hoped – and planned for – an England triumph to relaunch the grassroots game and bring new spectators and sponsors into the professional club game but England were dreadfully lacklustre and finished a well-beaten third in their Pool behind Australia and Wales.
The occasion seemed too much for a youngish squad of players who looked over-trained and froze badly in the two big games while there was also a deal of controversy over the squad’s selection with Rugby League star Sam Burgess being brought in above other specialist union centres, and then being discarded just when he seemed to be contributing. Meanwhile the claims of Danny Cipriani for a squad place were ignored, to England’s detriment in a group lacking star dust, sparkle and the ability to think on the hoof.
That England failure hung over the tournament but there was plenty else to lift the spirits, topped off by a wonderfully inventive and exciting Japan side who pulled off the biggest upset win in World Cup history in their opening Pool game with a remarkable win over South Africa at Brighton.
Against a team like South Africa, Japan had to survive in the set piece and in the arm wrestles. After that courage, fitness and skill came into play, but nothing could happen without near parity up front. At scrum-time they packed down beautifully low and won all seven of their completed scrums without stress, indeed on a number of occasions they marched the Boks back.
And it was the same story in the lineouts where a return of 12 lineout wins – mostly good quality– out of 13 Japan throw-ins tells its own story. Ultra-efficient and quick witted, they retained possession at 81 of the 83 rucks they formed and four of the five driving mauls.
Meanwhile although their passing was excellent and fluent the official match stats record no off-loads whatsoever from Japan. The Boks didn’t know if they were coming or going. It was a glorious victory that gave hope for all the so called T2 Nations.
“McCaw broke a small bone in his foot but gritted his teeth and battled on”