CONGRATULATIONS

[megweya]

5 mins of NH rugby to close it.

Well done ABs

 

Megweya

[Barge]

Yep congrats and very well deserved.

Just so you know your France RWC hoodoo is still very much in effect. Any other venue besides Eden Park and you'd have been stuffed....

Hah, joking, well I am kind of.

Allez les bleus! Where the hell did that game come from?

[Teach]

.. France RWC hoodoo is still very much in effect...

No kidding Barge, it sure is. I'm happy to win, but why do we make so many stupid errors in KO games?

Why can France play at their absolute peak just when they really need to?

It's a good thing we were 25 points better than France, cos we still had a point to spare after subtracting a 24 point hoodoo. 

[gluck]

Absolutely I was wondering if I was gonna get pasted if I stated France should have won that game. We were at home at Eden Park at still went with an ace of defeat. Mind you Piri had a bad night with boot.

[Geeves]

Well the best team effort of the tournament won but the best side of the night lost the game.  NZ won Bill with a very gutsy effort.  However, I do believe that the tension, the nerves and the anguish of the spectators did not end until the ball was finally kicked into the stands and at the back of the mind in all kiwis would have been “Oh no.  Not again!”  The French were immense last night and for long passages in the second half were the better side.

As a grand finale it delivered.  Tight, hard rugby with the momentum clearly swinging throughout the game and with the les Bleus finishing strongly.  If there were two things I would have loved to see, it would have been far greater control of the breakdowns and the obstructions during the kick chase.  Yes the AB won but both those aspects could have been a curse with a different ref.  The lack of quick ball and the need to continually run around players not only slowed the French attack and their ability to chase the pill.  As they say, you play to the whistle.  So well done to the All Blacks and to all supporters saviour the victory. 

Now the race is on to see who is the first side to win Bill for the 3rd time.

[JJ]

Very well done AB's. An excellent final - had Dingo on the phone a few times a bit upset as the game seemed to be "slipping away" (to quote Max M). Anyway the monkey is off the back. Pressure (fear etc) is an interesting emotion in determining our behaviour. I did at one time play golf with quite a few pro golfers - it was interesting to note that "ball striking" & putting abilities were plentiful, but performing with the heat on was what separated the "best players" from the rest.   
                                          jj

[BallBoy]

Oh what a fitting final it was .
When AC got injured, I had this flashback to 2007 when DC got injured and all went pear shaped against the french. soon after AC's injury the french scored. I thought you guys tossed it. Glad you didn't  . Must be honest though and say that I wanted Trin Duc to slot the penalty from Halfway because I honestly was looking sooooo forward to the AB onslaught in last 10 mins to take lead again.
Well done NZ on hosting a spectacular event.

Now only waiting to hear who are retiring, quitting, getting fired in the rugby world. hear the Pom Captain - Moody - already hanging up his international boots. sure there will also be aplenty coaching jobs. There's Hope for Divvy