All Blacks run away from French with seven-try second-half explosion

MARC HINTON21:43, Jun 09 2018 With the teams tied, New Zealand turn the match on its head with France down to 14 players in Auckland. It took 40 minutes, and a little help from English referee Luke Pearce, for the All Blacks to shake off their rust and launch what is hoped will be their bold new era of attacking play. As promising starts go, this is a peach. In the end an exhilarating seven-try second 40 minutes on Eden Park indicates Steve Hansen's All Blacks have started their 2018 campaign mightily impressively, powering to a 52-11 victory over a French side which faded badly after leading 11-8 at halftime. But this scoreline should come with an asterisk. It should note that the All Blacks' second-spell explosion was ignited by a highly dubious yellow card call by Pearce on French lock Paul Gabrillagues in the 51st minute. At that stage it was 11-11, and replays showed his highish hit on Ryan Crotty, which might have bounced up off the ball, probably deserved just a penalty. Of course the All Blacks needed no second invitation from there. They scored twice while the big lock was in the bin, and from there the floodgates opened, French heads dropped and that highly touted defence turned from best in the world to decidedly turnstile. Pearce's decision was further exacerbated shortly afterwards when All Blacks flanker Sam Cane escaped with just a penalty after collecting French wing Remy Grosso high with his arm in what appeared a far more dangerous incident. For all that the All Blacks were hugely impressive when they got their game going in the second half. They may have needed some luck, but they were very much good enough to seize it and turn it to their advantage. Ryan Crotty is tackled high by France's Paul Gabrillagues in the second half at Eden Park Hooker Codie Taylor had a mighty game for the All Blacks up front, scoring one try and popping up all over the place on a busy night. Luke Whitelock fared well at No 8, Scott Barrett likewise at lock and skipper Sam Whitelock went the distance in a gutsy display. Anton Lienert-Brown shook off a couple of early errors to post an impressive shift in midfield, Ryan Crotty was excellent alongside, and Ben Smith and Rieko Ioane showed their class when things opened up. Jordie Barrett would be happy with his night's work too. The New Zealand bench was nothing short of fabulous, from big Karl Tu'inukuafe big impact at scrum on debut to a showcase display off the pine from Damian McKenzie. They took the game to another level, as they so often do. A lot of what had been talked about in the leadup came to pass in a tight first 40 minutes that saw the French take an 11-8 lead into the sheds. Yes, the visitors' defence was very good; yes, the All Blacks were decidedly rusty; and, yes, this was not the one-way traffic that some had predicted. It shouldn't surprise us, but still does. The All Blacks get together six days before their opening test of the year. It takes time – in this case 40 minutes – to shake off the rust. Through the first 40 the New Zealanders committed a half-dozen handling errors, missed 10 tackles and failed to turn 65 percent possession and 63 percent territory into anything better than eight points, and a single try. The French brought plenty to the opening exchanges and were not only well organised on defence but occasionally inventive enough to offer some hope. Wing Grosso had them out to a 5-0 lead in the seventh minute when he swooped on a Ben Smith pop-up pass from a ruck turnover and dashed clear. Slowly but surely the All Blacks worked their way back. Penalties were exchanged, then the Barrett brothers celebrated their historic night as the first trio of siblings ever to start a test for New Zealand by featuring in their side's opening try. Scott slipped a nice pass to Jordie for the initial break and when Ryan Crotty went to deck, Beauden's beautifully timed run to the blind netted a key five-pointer. The All Blacks should have had another soon after when Crotty and Anton Lienert-Brown unlocked that tight defence on the shadow of halftime, but Aaron Smith's support line was found to obstruct a defender under TMO scrutiny. That meant Morgan Parra's 54-metre monster penalty four minutes from the break had given the visitors an unlikely lead, and this test a real shot in the arm as a legitimate contest. Then this thing got turned on its head. Gabrillagues got his yellow card 10 minutes into the second spell and, of course, the All Blacks punished them, with two tries while the lock was cooling his heels. The first went to Codie Taylor, out wide from a peach of a left-footed grubber kick from Beauden Barrett, and the second to Ben Smith when the All Blacks took a quick throw and quick hands and some stellar play from Crotty and Taylor down the right touch put the wing over. From there it was a procession. Ioane (twice), McKenzie, Ngani Laumape and Ardie Savea all crossed as the All Blacks ran riot. As an opening statement, very very impressive. All Blacks 52 (Beauden Barrett, Codie Taylor, Ben Smith, Rieko Ioane 2, Damian McKenzie, Ngani Laumape, Ardie Savea tries; Beauden Barrett 2 pens, 3 cons ) France 11 ( Remi Grosso try; Morgan Parra 2 pens). Ht: 8-11.

All Blacks run away from French with seven-try second-half explosion

MARC HINTON21:43, Jun 09 2018 With the teams tied, New Zealand turn the match on its head with France down to 14 players in Auckland. It took 40 minutes, and a little help from English referee Luke Pearce, for the All Blacks to shake off their rust and launch what is hoped will be their bold new era of attacking play. As promising starts go, this is a peach. In the end an exhilarating seven-try second 40 minutes on Eden Park indicates Steve Hansen's All Blacks have started their 2018 campaign mightily impressively, powering to a 52-11 victory over a French side which faded badly after leading 11-8 at halftime. But this scoreline should come with an asterisk. It should note that the All Blacks' second-spell explosion was ignited by a highly dubious yellow card call by Pearce on French lock Paul Gabrillagues in the 51st minute. At that stage it was 11-11, and replays showed his highish hit on Ryan Crotty, which might have bounced up off the ball, probably deserved just a penalty. Of course the All Blacks needed no second invitation from there. They scored twice while the big lock was in the bin, and from there the floodgates opened, French heads dropped and that highly touted defence turned from best in the world to decidedly turnstile. Pearce's decision was further exacerbated shortly afterwards when All Blacks flanker Sam Cane escaped with just a penalty after collecting French wing Remy Grosso high with his arm in what appeared a far more dangerous incident. For all that the All Blacks were hugely impressive when they got their game going in the second half. They may have needed some luck, but they were very much good enough to seize it and turn it to their advantage. ANDREW CORNAGA / WWW.PHOTOSPORT. Ryan Crotty is tackled high by France's Paul Gabrillagues in the second half at Eden Park Hooker Codie Taylor had a mighty game for the All Blacks up front, scoring one try and popping up all over the place on a busy night. Luke Whitelock fared well at No 8, Scott Barrett likewise at lock and skipper Sam Whitelock went the distance in a gutsy display. Anton Lienert-Brown shook off a couple of early errors to post an impressive shift in midfield, Ryan Crotty was excellent alongside, and Ben Smith and Rieko Ioane showed their class when things opened up. Jordie Barrett would be happy with his night's work too. The New Zealand bench was nothing short of fabulous, from big Karl Tu'inukuafe big impact at scrum on debut to a showcase display off the pine from Damian McKenzie. They took the game to another level, as they so often do. A lot of what had been talked about in the leadup came to pass in a tight first 40 minutes that saw the French take an 11-8 lead into the sheds. Yes, the visitors' defence was very good; yes, the All Blacks were decidedly rusty; and, yes, this was not the one-way traffic that some had predicted. It shouldn't surprise us, but still does. The All Blacks get together six days before their opening test of the year. It takes time – in this case 40 minutes – to shake off the rust. Through the first 40 the New Zealanders committed a half-dozen handling errors, missed 10 tackles and failed to turn 65 percent possession and 63 percent territory into anything better than eight points, and a single try. The French brought plenty to the opening exchanges and were not only well organised on defence but occasionally inventive enough to offer some hope. Wing Grosso had them out to a 5-0 lead in the seventh minute when he swooped on a Ben Smith pop-up pass from a ruck turnover and dashed clear. Slowly but surely the All Blacks worked their way back. Penalties were exchanged, then the Barrett brothers celebrated their historic night as the first trio of siblings ever to start a test for New Zealand by featuring in their side's opening try. Scott slipped a nice pass to Jordie for the initial break and when Ryan Crotty went to deck, Beauden's beautifully timed run to the blind netted a key five-pointer. The All Blacks should have had another soon after when Crotty and Anton Lienert-Brown unlocked that tight defence on the shadow of halftime, but Aaron Smith's support line was found to obstruct a defender under TMO scrutiny. That meant Morgan Parra's 54-metre monster penalty four minutes from the break had given the visitors an unlikely lead, and this test a real shot in the arm as a legitimate contest. Then this thing got turned on its head. Gabrillagues got his yellow card 10 minutes into the second spell and, of course, the All Blacks punished them, with two tries while the lock was cooling his heels. The first went to Codie Taylor, out wide from a peach of a left-footed grubber kick from Beauden Barrett, and the second to Ben Smith when the All Blacks took a quick throw and quick hands and some stellar play from Crotty and Taylor down the right touch put the wing over. From there it was a procession. Ioane (twice), McKenzie, Ngani Laumape and Ardie Savea all crossed as the All Blacks ran riot. As an opening statement, very very impressive. All Blacks 52 (Beauden Barrett, Codie Taylor, Ben Smith, Rieko Ioane 2, Damian McKenzie, Ngani Laumape, Ardie Savea tries; Beauden Barrett 2 pens, 3 cons ) France 11 ( Remi Grosso try; Morgan Parra 2 pens). Ht: 8-11. PHOTOSPORT Rieko Ioane fends off Teddy Thomas during the first test between the All Blacks and France.

All Blacks back to clinical best as they demolish Springboks by record margin

MARC HINTON

Last updated 07:38, September 17 2017

Steve Hansen, of course, saw this coming in his crystal ball. But surely not this soon, and not this decisively.

Earlier in the week the All Blacks coach had urged us to have patience, and promised that his hot-and-cold All Blacks would flip the form switch when it mattered. He nigh on guaranteed it.

Well, how about the first clash of the season against the old enemy Springboks at a full (30,021) QBE Stadium in Albany? This eight tries to nil, 57-0 clinical, record-breaking demolition of the South Africans was their best display of the season, without a shadow of doubt. More sustained than Sydney. More emphatic than the series opener against the British and Irish Lions.

It was sublime and scintillating and sensational. Rugby of the highest quality – from one team at least.

It was the All Blacks at their absolute best. The starters laid the platform superbly and the supersubs came on and finished the business, going right until the final hooter.   

It was also the New Zealanders' fifth straight victory over the South Africans, their eighth on the bounce at home and their 10th in the last 11 matchups. It puts them in a near unassailable position in the Rugby Championship, with their fourth straight victory taking them to 19 points, with the second-placed Boks stuck on 11. They can engrave the trophy now.

"We're  very, very proud of it," said Hansen of his team's biggest ever win over the Boks. "We're trying to get better all the time, and have been working on different things. We came in tonight pretty clear in how we wanted to play, and a lot of those things came off."

On a stellar night for many in black, was Rieko Ioane their best? The 20-year-old continued his brilliant play this season, adding another try and looking razor-sharp in all he did. His 12 carries yielded a game-high 171 metres, with 11 defenders beaten.

"He showed a lot of gas," observed Hansen afterwards. "He has become a crowd favourite and every time he touches the ball the whole place lights up. But he has got that ability to really scoot."

Aaron Smith and Beauden Barrett were both also up somewhere near their best, with Barrett's goalkicking accuracy (eight from nine) hopefully silencing his critics permanently, and his distribution spot-on. Nehe Milner-Skudder, with two tries, was also busy and dangerous in all he did.

Up front the scrum survived a few early anxious moments, the lineout smashed a wobbly Springbok one and Sam Cane, Brodie Retallick, Dane Coles and replacement Scott Barrett showcased their special abilities. The bench were on the money.

The All Blacks produced a magic first 40 as they pounced on practically every opportunity created, ran in four tries and raced out to a 31-0 lead.

The tries were all highlight reel stuff, too, with those instinctive halves Smith and Barrett all over them with their creativity.

The first, to Ioane (his seventh in seven tests) came when Smith reacted with lightning quickness from a penalty, took the tap and put in a pinpoint left-footed kick into space for the wing to race on to.

From there the catch-your-breath moments came regularly. Milner-Skudder snaffled an intercept, found Beauden Barrett, and then took a no-look, back-flick pass from the No 10 to finish what he started; Scott Barrett (on for Liam Squire who failed an HIA) scored when Coles and Milner-Skudder turned a short Barrett crosskick into a gilt-edged opportunity; and big Retallick finished the first-half scoring thundering down the middle to finish an opportunity created by Ioane's speed and dazzling feet and Coles' fabulous support play.

Of course, we wondered whether there would be a dialling off of the effort in the second half. It had happened before.

But this time they stayed on point, with their line intact, and adding four further tries over the second 40. Milner-Skudder dotted down for his second off Beauden Barrett's superb cutout pass and Ofa Tu'ungafasi came off the bench to produce a power score (his first in test footy) off the back of a short lineout.

Lima Sopoaga got on the board by finishing a blockbuster run from Anton Lienert-Brown (sitting Handre Pollard on his bum in the process) and Codie Taylor completed the rout off a  lineout drive.

At the end skipper Kieran Read, himself on top of his game, admitted the nil conceded was as satisfying as the 57 scored. "The Boks threw everything at us in that first half, and it was a pretty intense half. I don't know how we were up by so many points. We probably got four opportunities and took all four of them. Our defence stayed strong and to not let them in over the second half was a credit to that."

A final thought: how deliciously good was it to have a test controlled so expertly and efficiently, without a hint of controversy, by Nigel Owens who confirmed his status as the best referee in the business.

All Blacks 57 (Rieko Ioane, Nehe Milner-Skudder 2, Scott Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Ofa Tu'ungafasi, Lima Sopoaga, Codie Taylor tries; Beauden Barrett pen, 7 cons), South Africa 0. Ht: 31-0.

 - Stuff

All Blacks onslaught overwhelms Springboks in Rugby Championship Test at Albany

Sep. 16th, 2017

The Springboks, meanwhile, will lick their wounds after falling to their first Test defeat of 2017.

Stacking the breakdown early and denying the All Blacks time and space to run free, the burly South Africans appeared keen to start a war of attrition.

But their tactics didn't work for long, as the All Blacks shook off a slow start to spectacularly score twice within the space of four minutes.

Ahead 3-0 in the 17th minute, Smith took a quick-tap penalty and dinked a cute left-footed kick into the corner, where Ioane burned off his opposite to score.

Four minutes later, it was Barrett's turn to impress.

Winger Milner-Skudder pinched an intercept on the right edge, before playing a clever one-two with his first-five to score the All Blacks' second, suddenly putting the wind in their sails.

Further tries to Scott Barrett and Retallick - the latter a length-of-the-field effort - ensued, taking the All Blacks into the break 31-0 ahead, before second-half efforts to Tu'ungafasi, Milner-Skudder, Taylor and Lienert-Brown.

NZN/Newshub.

All Blacks thrash Springboks by record margin

16 Sep, 2017 9:30pm

 By: Gregor Paul

New Zealand 57 – 0 South Africa

THE RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP

KO

16 SEP 19:35

REF

NIGEL OWENS

AT

QBE STADIUM

This All Blacks team is certainly on to something. They'd hinted as much in the last few weeks but for the first time this year, they delivered the package they were after.

They put together a performance that will probably sit somewhere close to being the blueprint they want to use for the rest of the season and possibly beyond.

And for good reason. They were devastating. This was the All Blacks up against it apparently, struggling for cohesion and confidence against a side that is unbeaten this year and climbing the rankings fast.

It wasn't close. The scoreline ended up being ridiculous - the sort of number kids make up in the playground to reflect their imagined dominance and yet there it was: New Zealand 57, South Africa 0.

Who ever imagined that would be the final score. The 57 was crazy but the zero to South Africa was insanely difficult to take in. A record of course and with it a degree of humiliation that the Boks may struggle to live down or get over.

But it was reflective - a truly accurate representation of the game. The All Blacks had South Africa sussed from the start and there was never any issue putting them away and as the game developed, the gulf between the two became apparent.

South Africa were made to look ponderous, dated even. They appeared to be playing old rugby where they took so long to bash the ball up the middle of the field and recycle.

It was pedestrian, one dimensional and in stark contrast to the All Blacks who looked to be playing almost a different game. One that was light years ahead - as if it had arrived from a different planet.

The All Blacks played with precision and pace. They were controlled, thoughtful and yet instinctive in the sort of quantities the Boks couldn't read or defend.

The All Blacks gave nothing away on defence, reduced the Boks' lineout to a rabble, held their own in the scrum, drove the mauls as if they were old hands at it.

What the All Blacks essentially did was find the balance they needed: struck the sort of layered game that makes them impossible to contain and did it all with the sort of pace and intensity that befits their obsession with the basic skills.

All Blacks winger Rieko Ioane scores against South Africa during the Rugby Championship test match at North Harbour Stadium. Photo / Brett Phibbs

They didn't reinvent themselves by any means - the difference between the All Blacks in Albany and the All Blacks in New Plymouth was the injection of composure, patience, ruthlessness and a desire and an ability to stay at the top of their game for longer.

There was no lull, no bad patch where they drifted mentally or went away from their core roles and lost their cohesion. The attacking intent and excellence has been visible all year, just not in long enough sustained periods.

It all came out in Albany though. The bench came on and added plenty. What was truly fascinating was to see the Boks scrum being destroyed in the last quarter.

There was no being seduced by the scoreline as happened in Sydney. There was no getting ahead of themselves in the second half and trying to make it all happen by taking huge risks.

They held their shape, their structure and their vision. They remained accurate to the death and that's why they hammered the Boks.

Probably no side in world rugby could have done much better faced with an attacking onslaught like that.

The future has arrived and it looks considerably brighter for the All Blacks than it does for the Springboks.

New Zealand 57 (R. Ioane, N. Milner-Skudder (2), S. Barrett, B. Retallick, O. Tu'ungafasi, L. Sopoaga, C. Taylor tries; B. Barrett 7 cons, pens)
South Africa 0

World media hail All Blacks' killer instincts as they hang tough to beat Boks

It was labelled an "ugly win" but the All Blacks' killer instincts weren't lost on the global media as they covered off New Zealand's dogged World Cup semifinal victory over South Africa.

Having lapped up the scintillating try-scoring spree against France last week, the media found praise for the All Blacks' ability to eke out a win in contrasting circumstances at Twickenham.

"It was typical of the British weather to arrive after the European teams had been knocked out of the World Cup," The Guardian's Paul Rees noted.

"The result was a hard, uncompromising wrestling bout that was more Six Nations than Rugby Championship, the holders finding a way of winning ugly and keeping alive their ambition of becoming the first side to retain the trophy."

DAVID ROGERS/GETTY IMAGES

All Blacks halfback Aaron Smith gets the ball away during Sunday's gritty 20-18 Rugby World Cup semifinal win over the Springboks in London.

Rees praised the way the All Blacks had solved their first half problems to fight their way back into the game and eventually the final.

Stable mate Dan Lucas' conclusion was similar: "New Zealand claimed a hard-fought, tense, but deserved win. The key period was at the start of the second half, when Carter slotted a cool drop-goal to reduce South Africa's lead in spite of their man advantage, before Barrett crossed for the second, ultimately match-winning try," he wrote to sum up The Guardian's live coverage of the match.

"South Africa deserve credit for a big defensive performance, winning the battles of the scrum and breakdown largely thanks to their immense power. But they brought little else to the match, in truth, and didn't deserve it."

The Independent described the clash as "a tight and nervy affair" with New Zealand holding their composure.

The Telegraph labelled the match "tight, gruelling and engrossing", befitting the greatest rivalry in the sport.

They were impressed by the All Blacks' continued ability to "turn the screws when it matters most".

GETTY IMAGES

Dan Carter's left boot was hugely influential in the World Cup semifinal win over the Springboks in London.

"New Zealand once again showed their ability to raise their game and maintain their composure just when their opponents should have been able to go in for the kill by actually reducing their deficit while Jerome Kano was in the sin bin.

"In fact it was the All Blacks who dominated those 10 minutes, with Dan Carter landing a sweetly-struck dropped goal to cut the deficit to two points.

"The psychological edge it gave the All Blacks inflicted serious damage to the Springboks, and it was little surprise that New Zealand were able to take the lead moments after Kano's return when Beauden Barrett crossed for a try. Dan Carter's conversion ensured there had been a critical 10-point swing in a contest of such small margins."

But The Telegraph noted there were problems for both sides in a match of huge intensity.

"The ending summed up the match. South Africa desperately attempted to run the ball from their own line, predictable and physical, bashing into contact at every opportunity, but lashing out at the reality, just as they had been throughout the match. There was no way through. Eventually a knock-on came and New Zealand were through to the Rugby World Cup final.

"The favourites and reigning champions had, though, been seriously rattled by the South Africans, whose physicality at the breakdown, powerful driving maul and scrummage had caused huge problems."

The Times reported that the All Blacks' victory was delivered on the back of "a commanding second half performance".

"South Africa did not have enough field position to build any consistent pressure and they wasted two attacking opportunities as New Zealand closed out the game expertly at the death," The Times said.

They also noted how close the game was and pointed out a crucial moment that ultimately proved hugely costly.

"The difference on the scoreboard was the re-taken conversion that Dan Carter was granted after Bryan Habana had prematurely charged him down as he lined up the kick following Jerome Kaino's try. Carter missed the first effort but landed the second."

Respected South African rugby writer Gavin Rich was generous in defeat.

"The All Blacks overcame the levelling effect of the wet weather and a determined Springbok defensive effort to take what looked like an inexorable step towards a third World Cup title," Rich wrote for Supersport.com.

"Make no mistake, the New Zealanders deserved to win. They scored two tries to nil, they won virtually all the statistical counts that are meaningful with the exception of the penalties, and camped for most of the match deep in South African territory. They also won the big points, and four crucial steals at lineout time helped them prevent the Boks from exerting the sustained pressure that was needed.

"However, the jubilation and clear sense of relief with which the All Blacks greeted the final whistle told the story of how nervous the Boks made them when they simply refused to go away and were still in with a chance of winning the game in the final five minutes."

South African website Sport24 lamented the Springboks' lack of flair.

"It was a nail-biting encounter contested in wet conditions, but two tries from the Kiwis proved the difference in an intensely physical encounter. The All Blacks deserve plaudits for taking the game to the Boks, and in the end made 398m on attack compared to a meagre 146m from South Africa," noted writer Herman Mostert.

"As predicted, the Boks stood up physically, but their lack of invention on attack ultimately again proved their undoing."

The Australian media, waiting to see if the Wallabies can get past the Pumas in Monday's semifinal to join the All Blacks in the title match, lauded the tight Twickenham affair.

"The hype around this first World Cup matchup in 12 years between the teams that have combined to win four titles was exceeded as they wrestled in an atmosphere thick with tension," Fox Sports reported.

"Despite both teams enjoying advantages in key areas, they managed to cancel out each other's edge.

"The All Blacks enjoyed a majority of possession and territory, but the Springboks tackled to a standstill.

"The All Blacks scored two tries, but their ill-discipline gave the Springboks six kicked penalties.

"The All Blacks stole four lineouts, but the Springboks earned a scrum tight-head and vital scrum penalties."

The Sydney Morning Herald felt "New Zealand pushed through one of their sloppier first half performances and a halftime deficit to take the match.

"The usually clinical All Blacks gave away penalty after penalty.

"But it was a battle of two rugby heavyweights, despite the errors, and the winner of the second semifinal will have no easy task preparing to stop Steve Hansen's experienced side."

 - Stuff

Zinzan Brooke: All Blacks will keep getting better

Even when Australia rallied to come back into the game at 21-17, I was looking at their body language and they looked spent. There were situations where they were committing six or seven players to a ruck to deal with one All Black while the rest of New Zealand are spread out in a defensive line.

Some of that is to do with the brutal path that Australia have had to take to reach the final. To take on England, Wales, Scotland and Argentina in consecutive weeks was a mighty tall order. They deserve all our respect and admiration to fight the way they did.

You could see from the opening kick-off what New Zealand's intention was when Kieran Read smashed Israel Folau. A couple of phases later Conrad Smith did the same to Michael Hooper. It set the tone straight away. This is the intensity we are going to deliver.

It is not just physical pressure that the All Blacks exert. They do not give you any outs, any leeway. Every line-out, every kick-off, every breakdown is contested. It is an enveloping, suffocating pressure. Some teams can live with that for 50-60 minutes but rarely the full 80. That is why they pull away in that last quarter. It also helps that you have the experience of Dan Carter and Richie McCaw to call upon in those tight situations. When others are slipping because of physical and mental exhaustion, they raise their game.

ALL BLACK GREATS

All those guys who are moving on like Dan, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Tony Woodcock, Keven Mealamu and in all probability Richie will go down as All Black greats. I think in years to come, people will talk of the privilege of watching them live. Certainly, I count myself blessed to have been at Twickenham on Saturday to see their last games.

I feel uneasy with conversations about who is the greatest or what an all-time All Black XV would look like. First of all, it is difficult to compare different eras seeing as how much the game has evolved. More importantly, it goes against the grain of being an All Black to put one guy above another. The collective has always come first.

It is almost paradoxical but to become a great All Black you have to forget about your individual needs and desires. That is why I think it is unfair to compare Richie McCaw with say Josh Kronfeld. They are part of the same club.

That is why I was so impressed by the way Richie has delayed his decision about his retirement to stop making last week all about him. He has taken control of the situation and will make his decision on his own terms.

NO ONE IRREPLACEABLE

It goes without saying that the All Blacks are going to miss those guys. It is almost 700 caps worth of experience they will be losing, however in New Zealand you learn that no one, including Dan or Richie, is irreplaceable. The same conversations happened after Tana Umaga and Michael Jones retired, but they were replaced. Someone always comes along.

That is because the conveyor belt is always creating new superstars. I watched a lot of ITM Cup rugby and there were some ridiculous talent waiting to come through. Akira Iaone, the Auckland No.8, will be pushing Kieran Read for his shirt very soon. Ardie Savea, the brother of Julian, is also an openside with a huge future.

Steve Hansen has also planned for this moment. Sam Cane, who would be a starter for most other teams, has been groomed in Richie's shadow for the past three years. He is a part of their leadership group and will be ready to step up if he holds off the likes of Savea. Likewise, Beauden Barrett and Malakai Fekitoa have learnt the ropes from Carter and Nonu.

That is why people expecting New Zealand to dip will be disappointed. Just as the crossbar was raised after 2011 so Hansen and his other coaches will raise it again in 2016. Crucially, they can still call upon the power of the shirt.

All teams have pride in representing their country, but in New Zealand it means something more to pull on an All Black jersey. The expectation of wearing the black jersey places a significant value, meaning and responsibility for you as a player and for us as nation. When the All Blacks lose, it is not just the 23 players who hurt but the whole country.

For most New Zealanders it is not whether the All Blacks win or lose but how much they beat the other team by. That expectation would crush other teams but it lifts the All Blacks. So whoever eventually fills Richie's and Dan's shoes will be expected to live up to their standards straight away. The kings are dead, long live the kings.

 - The Telegraph, London

ALL Blacks World Champions  Again

Four years of absolute All Blacks dominance of world rugby was capped with the retention of the Rugby World Cup in a captivating 34-17 win over Australia at Twickenham on Sunday NZ time.

They scored three tries to two and overcame a loss of momentum midway through the second half to become the first side to win the Webb Ellis Trophy three times.

All the preparation, and exposure of players, during coach Steve Hansen's reign was brought to bear on an Australian team which had only 12 months in which to organise themselves from the rabble they had become. 

The Australians tried hard but the expertise developed by New Zealand paid reward with replacement back Beauden Barrett scoring the try which put it beyond all doubt with a length of the field run.

Australia had come back in the second half with two tries to get within four points, but a dropped goal by Dan Carter, the man of the match and player of a lifetime, with 11 minutes remaining gave New Zealand the space to push on. He landed a 49m penalty goal to push beyond the seven-point mark and finished with a right-footed conversion of Barrett's try for 19 points.

Then a turnover as Australia threw everything at them saw fullback Ben Smith, who had moved to the wing, kick the ball to wide open spaces and that allowed Barrett to apply the after-burners to out-pace the defence, see the ball sit up after he toed it ahead, and he was over for the try.

It was a fitting finale for Carter, but around the field throughout the game captain Richie McCaw met the expected challenge from Australia at the breakdown in his usual manner by unleashing an outstanding display of leadership to cap his career.

Up 16-3 at the half-time break, New Zealand replaced centre Conrad Smith with Sonny Bill Williams who made an immediate impact. After New Zealand turned over early Australian ball, Williams made ground and produced a superb off-load for Nehe Milner-Skudder. Then from the ruck Williams provided more ball, and second five-eighths Ma'a Nonu found the slightest gap and headed off on an angled run, stepped replacement Kurtley Beale and then set sail for the goal-line to score in wing Drew Mitchell's tackle and put the fullstop on his own brilliant career.

Two runs by Mitchell and Beale gave Australia attacking impetus for the first time in the game. In attempting to hold Australia out, fullback Ben Smith was ruled to have lifted Mitchell beyond the horizontal and was sin-binned. From the penalty it was No.8 David Pocock who was over on the back of a maul.

New Zealand failed to cover ball after Williams made a sideline break into the Wallabies 22m area and two kicks, one long and a short one into the box by halfback Will Genia made good use of Smith's absence and the ball was secured on the bounce by first five-eighths Bernard Foley with centre Tevita Kuridrani going in.

But Carter steadied the ship, New Zealand regained their composure and the pressure was applied to the Australians whose mistakes ensured the All Blacks finished the stronger.

New Zealand attacked at every chance throughout the first half, and while there were errors in that approach, they were undaunted and as the minutes ticked down the gaps began to appear.

The chance came after 38 minutes when a fine lineout drive by flanker Jerome Kaino set in motion a flowing movement which featured strong runs from lock Brodie Retallick and hooker Dane Coles. But at the crunch end the class of the All Blacks was seen as halfback Aaron Smith doubled around centre Conrad Smith, who moved infield, and then found McCaw. He drew the defence perfectly and provided wing Nehe Milner-Skudder with enough space to get over unchallenged in the corner.

It was a tough opening quarter with bodies lying everywhere, fortunately for New Zealand the attrition rate was nil with No.8 Kieran Read needing to have an ankle taped after landing badly from an early lineout take. Australian prop Sekope Kepu made two marginal tackles, was penalised for both, the second of which winded Carter.

Australia lost lock Kane Douglas after 14 minutes when he fell badly after securing a New Zealand re-start. Then later in the half second five-eighths Matt Giteau was concussed when attempting a tackle on Brodie Retallick.

But powerful from the outset, New Zealand marked the severity of the occasion with some emphatic first-up tackles with flanker Jerome Kaino and Nonu making some impressive statements.

Mistakes were more noticeable from Australia who were reeling at stages. Halfback Will Genia made two key mistakes, getting off-side at a ruck which Carter scored from, and in having a ruck clearance charged down.

New Zealand brought wing Julian Savea into play as often as possible with some strong running off short passes. 

Scorers: New Zealand 34 (Nehe Milner-Skudder, Ma'a Nonu, Beauden Barrett tries; Dan Carter 2 con, 4 pen, dropped goal) Australia 17 (David Pocock, Tevita Kuridrani tries; Bernard Foley 2 con, pen). HT: 16-3

Ten magnificent moments: NewZealand vFrance

ALLBLACKS.COM     18 OCT 2015     GETTY IMAGES

The intensity went up several notches as the All Blacks recorded the biggest ever Rugby World Cup knockout phase victory with a sublime 62-13 drubbing of France in Cardiff.

It was clear from the outset the All Blacks were intent on burying any Millennium Stadium demons and booking a semi-final showdown with South Africa at Twickenham. Ruthless and clinical across the park, the rampant All Blacks crossed for nine tries against a shell-shocked French side. Check out ten magnificent moments from #NZLvFRA

Brilliant Brodie

With the score locked up at 3-3, Brodie Retallick broke the early deadlock by charging down a Fredrick Michalak clearing kick. With no one in front, the towering lock gathered the bounce to run in for the first try. In a double blow for France, Michalak left the field with a hamstring injury to leave France without their key pivot.

Hurricanes combine
In a moment reminiscent of the Hurricanes blazing Super Rugby form, Conrad Smith and Ma’a Nonu united in midfield to draw three French defenders and put Nehe Milner-Skudder into space. From there it was a magical finish for the Manawatu speedster as he effortlessly stepped a French defender and ran away for his fifth Rugby World Cup try.

Carter creates
Dan Carter unleashed his bag of tricks as the All Blacks swung onto attack in the 28th minute. Running onto the ball at speed, Carter dummied and fended his way through a half gap before flicking a reverse pass to Julian Savea to coast in for the All Blacks third try.

Shades of Lomu

In a try that started with a piece of acrobatic brilliance from Ben Smith to regain a high ball, Savea was unleashed at pace down the side line. With three defenders between Savea and the try line, the giant wing bumped off all three in a try that brought back memories of Jonah Lomu’s blockbusting form at the 1995 Rugby World Cup. The try also brought up New Zealand’s 300th Rugby World Cup try.

Stretching the defence
With inspirational number eight Louis Picamoles off the field for a yellow card infringement, the All Blacks were clinical and patient in stretching the French defence from side to side before Jerome Kaino went over in the corner to extend the lead to 34-13 in the 49th minute.

Savea equals record
Dane Coles stymied a period of sustained French attack by ripping the ball loose from a French runner. Dan Carter was quick to pounce on the loose ball and shift to Savea who contrasted his previous bulldozing try with one that was all about pure pace. It was Savea’s third try in the match and eighth at the tournament – equalling the record of Bryan Habana and Jonah Lomu for eight tries at a World Cup.

Fabulous Faumuina
With the score at 41-13 in the 65th minute, replacement prop Charlie Faumuina encapsulated the All Blacks dynamic game plan by bursting through a gap and offloading perfectly to Kieran Read to run in the All Blacks seventh try. Dan Carter added the extras to extend the lead to an imposing 48-13.

Offload heaven

The All Blacks brought up 50 points courtesy of two spectacular off loads from Sonny Bill Williams and Ma’a Nonu. First in on the action was SBW with a trademark off load to Nonu who repeated the dose for replacement halfback Tawera Kerr-Barlow to score under the posts.

TKB double
With the All Blacks piercing the line at will, replacement prop Joe Moody found a gap and produced the off load of the game to Kerr-Barlow. The Chiefs halfback ran in his second try after just seven minutes on the field. In doing so he became the first ever replacement player to score two tries in a World Cup knockout match.

Almost Nonu

Just like he had done for his 100th test against Tonga, Ma’a Nonu produced another master performance and left his best play for the end. With time almost up on the clock, Nonu spied a gap and put the foot down. Showing incredible pace, Nonu dived for the line only to have the ball knocked free from his hands by the cover defence.

Force of Black