World Cup Final match thread

Crucial

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="voodoo" data-cid="537912" data-time="1446355971">my take on the Smith yellow was that Owens REALLY didn't want to bin anyone today, but having seen the replay, he had absolutely no choice. Totally correect decision, dunno why we're still discussing it. Kafe just got caught up in a little of the Kearns coolade.</blockquote>
 
The refs have a clear edict on these just like the challenges in the air (finally). Land on side = penalty 
Shoulder = YC 
Head or neck = RC 
Agree that Owens really didn't want to go to the cards all game but once it was pointed out with the camera angle that it was a shoulder landing he did what he was expected to. 
No issue with it.

Dan54

Well after a few hours of enjoying the feeling of the result I really believe it will make test rugby easier for me to watch/enjoy for a couple of years. All the comments about ABs not being able to win away, choke etc etc will be buried, there really is no doubt that this is the most dominant team in my lifetime anyway, so if we lose a test or 2 over the next couple of years I know I won't catch too much crap from rugby mates, or if I do I will point out the facts etc that we have before us!! Hell I may even get back to enjoying chatting about rugby on other rugby boreds again!!

NTA

<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.news.com.au/sport/rugby/rugby-world-cup-will-genia-fulfils-goal-of-restoring-wallabies-rugby-reputation/story-fndpt9s1-1227589980992?sv=9f6e2352110d20d71e79494cacecdc97'>http://www.news.com.au/sport/rugby/rugby-world-cup-will-genia-fulfils-goal-of-restoring-wallabies-rugby-reputation/story-fndpt9s1-1227589980992?sv=9f6e2352110d20d71e79494cacecdc97</a>
 
<div style="margin:0px;font-family:LiberationSerifRegular, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;font-size:19px;color:rgb(41,41,41);">
AT the start of the World Cup Will Genia sat in a cafe in Bath and revealed one of the main goals in the time he had left was to help restore the Wallabiesâ€™ reputation back home in Australia.
</div>
â€œFor me, Iâ€™ve been around for a little while now and it hurts every time guys kick you when youâ€™re down and bag you,â€ Genia said. â€œThis is a good opportunity for us to get people behind us again.â€
Six weeks later and though the Wallabies were unable to make history by winning a third World Cup, the strides made in Geniaâ€™s quest at tournament at least left the departing halfback â€” and many of his teammates â€” somewhat fulfilled.
Their brief from Michael Cheika was to make the country proud, and â€œguttedâ€ players lined up in their disappointment to express gratitude for the warm support they received from a nation that embraced the side again during a redemptive campaign.
Genia, who is moving to France this week and says he doesnâ€™t expect to play for the Wallabies again despite being eligible under â€œGiteauâ€™s Lawâ€, said his fondest memories of a seven-year Test career had come in the last six weeks.
â€œThis group has been part of changing the perception of the Wallabies, in transforming it into the team now that everyone is so proud of,â€ Genia said. â€œFor me, my lasting memory is that I was part of the change.
 
â€œIt is still being built. It is based on the foundation of wanting to make the Australian public proud of the way we play the game, and the way we carry ourselves. The big thing is it has to be an ongoing thing. You canâ€™t just leave it be, you have to continue to build. And knowing this group of players and coaches, I think they will.â€
The Wallabiesâ€™ character in defeat â€” rallying from 21-3 down to get back to 21-17 â€” continued to win new fans, with All Blacks coach Steve Hansen starting his post-victory press conference with some praise for Australia on behalf of his team.
â€œI thought were magnificent in the way they approached the game,â€ Hansen said.
Veteran winger Adam Ashley-Cooper said the Wallabies sheds was a sombre place.
â€œIt hurts. It hurts a lot,â€ he said.
â€œTo come so close yet so far is extremely disappointing. more than anything Iâ€™m just disappointed for all the Australians back home because everyone got behind us tonight and throughout this campaign we received a lot of support from the rugby community and from a lot of Australians. Itâ€™s just disappointing knowing we couldnâ€™t do it for them.
 
â€œI donâ€™t know if the pride is back, thatâ€™s for the rugby public to decide. Thatâ€™s what itâ€™s all about, when you run out there as a player you know youâ€™re representing every young kid who loves their rugby and dreams of one day pulling on the green and gold. Weâ€™ve worked really hard and have loved our time together, cherished the opportunities as a group to represent all of those people. But we couldnâ€™t get the job done unfortunately.â€
It is the lot of the beaten finalist to not be happy with being runners-up, despite many athletes being overjoyed with winning an Olympic silver medal.
Wallabies flanker Michael Hooper said the Australian side had only achieved half their goals at the World Cup.
â€œNo, we didnâ€™t come here for a silver medal,â€ he said.
â€œThere were two objectives of this tournament, to come here and get a gold medal and secondly make people enjoy rugby and make people proud of where we come from and our great nation.
â€œTo a certain extent we did one part of it and couldnâ€™t do the other. Most importantly we loved that people got around the team, got around our country and were proud to wear the green and gold which is something that this team holds do dear.â€

NTA

Presentation of the silver medals came up again on the Fox feed just now - when Cheika got his medal you could see he was shattered, but the Aussies in the crowd gave a roar.
 
Fucking miracle worker disguised as a Lebanese brickie.
 
<img src="http://resources1.news.com.au/images/2015/11/01/1227589/864033-ff875a4a-8030-11e5-a5c8-de3ffc01720c.jpg" alt="864033-ff875a4a-8030-11e5-a5c8-de3ffc017">

NTA

And doesn't he punch above his fucking weight!
 
<img src="http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2015/10/07/1227560/692086-303cd00e-6ca7-11e5-9669-789af2e63052.jpg" alt="692086-303cd00e-6ca7-11e5-9669-789af2e63">

hurricane

I remember thinking we might win this when Kane Douglas got injured. Douglas is one of those "depth" players. I will define what I mean. Just when you figure you have seen off the contributions and most you can expect from your Folau's, Beales, Mitchells, AACs, and the back row boys and you figure what else can they hurt you with - wham you get smashed in a tackle by Douglas. He is a real asset on the field for their team and extends the depth and number of players who can make plays on the field or more importantly who won't fuck up.
 
When he went off and I saw Mumm come on I didn't know for sure but I suspected that he would make some errors. It was towards the end of the match in the end. Dean Mumm knocked it on with 69 minutes showing on the clock and Aussie down by 7. When they next touched the ball there were 5 minutes left and down by 10. Basically they were up the boohai.
 
Some of our boys knocked it on too, e.g. Moody - but that particular knock on by Mumm virtually sealed the match.
 
I did feel sorry for Australia when the forward pass wasn't called and we ended up kicking a 3 point penalty shortly thereafter and perhaps the game ends up closer than 4 points at one stage.
 
But like everyone has said there were swings and round abouts.
 
I didn't really come here to post that detailed point about Douglas and Mumm - what I really wanted to say is that the reality of all of this sank in around 2 or 3 o'clock today. 
 
All those years of lost WC knock out matches weren't wasted. We put all our lessons into action today and we lifted into another gear when Australia came storming back. Without all that heart ache and advanced preparations for different scenarios maybe the game ends a lot closer.
 
But just as another poster said, or a couple of you said, it was that long raking kick by Carter and more importantly the emotion afterwards. He let rip on the forwards and told them to lift. DC wanted it.
 
Someone said they did quiet fist bumps around the house. I was just elated as I was driving the car this afternoon. Winning a world cup doesn't happen every day of the week. And with all these retirements we may not get up next time in 2019 as players like DC and McCaw don't grow on trees.
 
I have watched the game twice so far.

hurricane

Some more random points
 
* Thanks to the injury gods. Where ever you are. Maybe this tournament ends differently if one or two of our key players went down.
 
* Props to TKB - he came on with 10 minutes to go on a hiding to nothing. If he plays well he gets no kudos as there are 10 minutes left. He fucks up and we lost then he will be vilified from pillar to post. He faces his first scrum and it is a bit of a mess and he delays feeding it long enough that it gets reset. And on the next one we get a penalty. May have been a nothing play but the ref was egging him on to put it in. He didn't fuck up is all I am think I am trying to say. Pat on the back lad.

taniwharugby

yeah we had a pretty good run, not only with injuries plus 'peaking' given all the angst about the form in pool play.
 
So many of our players had buggar all minutes too: Taylor, Fekitoa, Messam, Romano, TJP, Slade, Naholo

Donsteppa

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="537975" data-time="1446362362">yeah we had a pretty good run, not only with injuries plus 'peaking' given all the angst about the form in pool play. 
 
So many of our players had buggar all minutes too: Taylor, Fekitoa, Messam, Romano, TJP, Slade, Naholo </blockquote>
 
Turns out you can get away with three games in a row at RWC knockout stage after all (so long as they are injury free)

taniwharugby

we didnt stay injury free last time, I guess they thought theyd run an uninjured one to see how that went?

taniwharugby

Typically good price by sumo.... 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://thespinoff.co.nz/01-11-2015/rugby-dan-carter-finally-gets-his-world-cup-moment/'>http://thespinoff.co.nz/01-11-2015/rugby-dan-carter-finally-gets-his-world-cup-moment/</a>

Antisonfire

Have to admit; I haven't been excited by rugby for a long time - but it was great to see the guys get over the line this morning. 
 
Nonu especially - still remember when he was being lambasted for not being able to hang onto the ball. What a game.

kiwiinmelb

A kiwi mate said today , 
 
All the people who have had great pleasure calling us chokers over the years , 
 
Will some time in the near future be hit with the reality , their worst nightmares could come true, we could go 3 in a row

junior

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="537953" data-time="1446359734">Presentation of the silver medals came up again on the Fox feed just now - when Cheika got his medal you could see he was shattered, but the Aussies in the crowd gave a roar. 
Fucking miracle worker disguised as a Lebanese brickie. <img src="http://resources1.news.com.au/images/2015/11/01/1227589/864033-ff875a4a-8030-11e5-a5c8-de3ffc01720c.jpg" alt="864033-ff875a4a-8030-11e5-a5c8-de3ffc017"></blockquote> The change in the team is evident in the way they are now talking. No bullshit, no egos, just honesty and sincerity.

canefan

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="junior" data-cid="537995" data-time="1446365938">
<div>
The change in the team is evident in the way they are now talking. No bullshit, no egos, just honesty and sincerity.
</div>
</blockquote>
The way he talks about the Wallabies, the love and respect he clearly has for the jersey and his need for his players to show same respect, Michael Cheika sounds very much like our own coach

Bovidae

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="537922" data-time="1446356647">
<div>
That defense in the last 10 minutes was awesome. Sat back, no penalties, and just hard hits at the gain line. Rinse and repeat.
</div>
</blockquote>
 
How many tackles did Carter and McCaw make between 75-78 mins? They seemed to be everywhere in that defensive stand. Good discipline from the ABs too.

Crash

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Bovidae" data-cid="538002" data-time="1446366789">
<div>
How many tackles did Carter and McCaw make between 75-78 mins? They seemed to be everywhere in that defensive stand. Good discipline from the ABs too.
</div>
</blockquote>
Yep, I thought our discipline was exemplary. We simply had to rein it in after conceding so many penalties against the Boks in the semi.
We really lifted the tempo afetr the Smith YC , and when we did, Aus couldn't live with us.

OzKiwi

Job. Done.

booboo

Heard Fox telling Veitch that DC topped the tackle count. 
Farking! He's a first five-eighth

OzKiwi

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Crucial" data-cid="537774" data-time="1446344593">I thought that was a big difference too. We could keep our big players on for longer. Subbing Fardy seemed weird.</blockquote>
Fardy was dropping off tackles. He dropped off three big ones... Then got subbed. He was playing well for the AB's at the time I thought.

The Silver Fern

World Cup Final match thread