A REPUTATION, for an hour at least, was lost in New Zealand today.
The All Blacks are through to the semi-final of a World Cup held in their own back yard but they will have to examine their future in the 2011 tournament closely - and fast.
Graham Henry’s men have been humbled by their flattering 33-10 victory over Argentina and by the Puma’s power, which came to fruition in Auckland this morning.
The ship is creaking it has to be said, and the challenge ahead in the shape of Australia - a semi-final reunion that goes back eight years - leaves the world compelled to see how the all conquering All Blacks will fair when tested for a full 80 minutes.
The end of the line for Dan Carter, New Zealand’s all-time record points-scorer who was injured in training last week, still looms in the consciousness.
There seems to be an eagerness in the New Zealand ranks to avoid falling into a lull of worry in the absence of their leading-light. It was noticeable today that the hangover is still lingering.
Colin Slade stepped in, but only for 20 minutes before he was withdrawn through injury. One was scary, but two out is petrifying.
A nation now holds its breath to see if third-stringer Aaron Cruden, the 22-year-old who instead now holds the weight of expection pressed down on his shoulders, can bring an end to 24 years of wait.
Argentina will be disappointed. No one expected them to compete with the might of the All Blacks but the fact is they have and proved further they should join, at last, a four-way tournament played below the north-south divide.
The Australian outfit are again strong contenders for the World Cup after misery in the Pool stages. Their defeat to Ireland hurt deeply but they deserved to lose that game.
Their win over South Africa, however, has shown the glimmers of a revival, and continues an age-old tradition: no side defending their crown has yet to do so successfully.
Like France, Australia are still breathing. That’s what counts. The Springboks, 1995 and 2007 World Champions, are out in contrast.
The battle of the openside flankers, Richie McCaw of New Zealand and David Pocock of Australia, will be an interesting contest in Auckland next Sunday.
As will the tussle between Sam Warburton of Wales and Thierry Dusautoir of France, both captains for their respected nations, but will deliver a very different kind of conflict.
Gamesmanship at ground level has continued to confuse officials, frustrating the flow of rugby in the latter stages of the tournament and has rendered it almost impossible to follow.
Pocock and McCaw, both scrappers themselves, have the vision to play tight and loose.
Warburton and Dusautoir have these facets too, but, on examination, the Welsh captain is far more courageous on the floor while his French counterpart plays more on the fringe; a link man to his team’s improving but still disjointed backline.
This will go in favour of Wales at least. The world will be hoping for a try-filled weekend to come and although that will most certainly be the case, the team to proceed to the final won't be the one with the guts in attack but the street-smarts in defence.
Ball retention is vital and containing the opposition is just as important at this stage.
Only Wales and Australia have been able to demonstrate this consistently, while New Zealand and France have been suceptible with ball.
If Wales continue to remain brazen at the breakdown, the red could well meet the the green and gold for the first time this year.
Sunday 9 October 2011
Saturday 8 October 2011
Wales won't fear whatever comes their way
WALES would be smiling whatever the result in Auckland today.
France’s win in the Anglo-Franco conquest at Eden Park will do nothing to derail Wales’ preparations for their first World Cup semi-final since 1987 – and nor should it.
Sam Warburton and his men showed they are not only credible tournament finalists in Wellington this morning, but have the appetite and rugby prowess to win the whole thing.
Now, when have we ever said that about a side under Warren Gatland’s rein?
Money was on Ireland – but only because they triumphed Tri-Nations champions Australia.
You wouldn’t have been blamed for placing your hard-earned cash on them but Wales were in no way underdogs.
They have stamped their authority on this year’s tournament, not once, but from its outset, and are well placed to face a team, yet to-be-decided, for the final back in Auckland on October 23.
Their 22-10 victory over the Irish was hard-fought. Sixteen tackles in the first 35 minutes from Luke Charteris alone set the bar, consolidating Wales’ destruction in defence, and crediting them in attack.
Tries came from Wales’ record try-scorer Shane Williams to open proceedings early on, and then from recovering Mike Phillips before Jonathan Davies to cap the win off.
Meanwhile, Ireland threw away possession too easily while Wales disrupted whatever chances their opponents could conjure. Three times Ireland met with Wales’ try line in the first forty but not to any prevail.
Ireland's forwards won the battle against the Aussies a month ago but Wales were warriors from the front of its pack to its back and couldn't be matched and sent Ireland packing back to Dublin, who know more was expected from them.
Elsewhere, England’s defeat at the hands of the fruitless French was confirmed the moment head coach Martin Johnson put pen to paper.
Analysis following England’s last-gasp points-scrap over Scotland last week should have made it black and white for him.
A team who can’t win set piece ball cannot play the wide rugby they practice on the training paddock and nor can it feed the half backs to direct it. England have the wing-power but not once were they released.
For starters, yes, Steve Thompson has years of experience ahead of his former Northampton Saints’ protégée, but there is no question Dylan Hartley is England's on-form hooker at present.
And Matt Stevens, who was given a chance to redeem himself for his dismal display seven-days earlier, failed, while England’s other muscle-men James Haskell and Courtney Lawes were left to stew on the sidelines.
The halfback combination should have been a no-brainer also.
Where there is faith in England’s golden boy Jonny Wilkinson, on the back of England's tribulations off the field and concerns of Mike Tindall’s fitness on it, Toby Flood has already proved his worth at standoff, but, unnaturally, had to settle for 12, a position he has never filled.
England hadn’t set the tournament alight but basic selection errors have cost them dearly.
France, however, have had room to grow from the moment they kicked their tournament off against Japan.
England, you felt, had reached their potential, and couldn’t replicate it.
Marc Lievroment, the French head coach under pressure from home-press to deliver following their defeat to tournament minnows Tonga last Saturday, seems to have gone some way in relieving it for the time being at least.
France, for all their downfalls and squabbles behind the scenes, have that extra gear and although it may not have come to surface yet in this tournament, World Cup rugby is not about form but also attrition, and if you’re in it, then you’re definitely still in it.
2011 started by giving England confidence but has offered road blocks England have been unable to hurdle at its height. There has been a lot of promise for England but that has been taken away.
Johnson is confident England’s best days are ahead of them, however, following their defeat to France.
The team’s loss to South Africa in Paris in 1999 only made the team stronger under Clive Woodward, but the question should be: is Martin Johnson, the player who led England to World domination in 2003, the right man for the job today?
England looked desperate and confused; a team which seemed to find itself in the RBS 6 Nations back in March and April but lost its identity somewhere along the way to New Zealand.
Wales, on the other hand, are doing all the right things - and all just in time.
The world’s super powers Australia, South Africa, and tournament hosts, the All Blacks, have it all to play for, but on Wales’ performance today, world status doesn’t come into it.
The favourites remain in rugby’s arsenal below the equator – an antipodeans-axis of first-class football. Whichever team you pick, they have all been at the top of world rugby somewhere along the long road of rugby heroics.
For Wales, this may be unchartered territory. But as a nation waits in wonder, they have certainly set the wheels in motion.
France’s win in the Anglo-Franco conquest at Eden Park will do nothing to derail Wales’ preparations for their first World Cup semi-final since 1987 – and nor should it.
Sam Warburton and his men showed they are not only credible tournament finalists in Wellington this morning, but have the appetite and rugby prowess to win the whole thing.
Now, when have we ever said that about a side under Warren Gatland’s rein?
Money was on Ireland – but only because they triumphed Tri-Nations champions Australia.
You wouldn’t have been blamed for placing your hard-earned cash on them but Wales were in no way underdogs.
They have stamped their authority on this year’s tournament, not once, but from its outset, and are well placed to face a team, yet to-be-decided, for the final back in Auckland on October 23.
Their 22-10 victory over the Irish was hard-fought. Sixteen tackles in the first 35 minutes from Luke Charteris alone set the bar, consolidating Wales’ destruction in defence, and crediting them in attack.
Tries came from Wales’ record try-scorer Shane Williams to open proceedings early on, and then from recovering Mike Phillips before Jonathan Davies to cap the win off.
Meanwhile, Ireland threw away possession too easily while Wales disrupted whatever chances their opponents could conjure. Three times Ireland met with Wales’ try line in the first forty but not to any prevail.
Ireland's forwards won the battle against the Aussies a month ago but Wales were warriors from the front of its pack to its back and couldn't be matched and sent Ireland packing back to Dublin, who know more was expected from them.
Elsewhere, England’s defeat at the hands of the fruitless French was confirmed the moment head coach Martin Johnson put pen to paper.
Analysis following England’s last-gasp points-scrap over Scotland last week should have made it black and white for him.
A team who can’t win set piece ball cannot play the wide rugby they practice on the training paddock and nor can it feed the half backs to direct it. England have the wing-power but not once were they released.
For starters, yes, Steve Thompson has years of experience ahead of his former Northampton Saints’ protégée, but there is no question Dylan Hartley is England's on-form hooker at present.
And Matt Stevens, who was given a chance to redeem himself for his dismal display seven-days earlier, failed, while England’s other muscle-men James Haskell and Courtney Lawes were left to stew on the sidelines.
The halfback combination should have been a no-brainer also.
Where there is faith in England’s golden boy Jonny Wilkinson, on the back of England's tribulations off the field and concerns of Mike Tindall’s fitness on it, Toby Flood has already proved his worth at standoff, but, unnaturally, had to settle for 12, a position he has never filled.
England hadn’t set the tournament alight but basic selection errors have cost them dearly.
France, however, have had room to grow from the moment they kicked their tournament off against Japan.
England, you felt, had reached their potential, and couldn’t replicate it.
Marc Lievroment, the French head coach under pressure from home-press to deliver following their defeat to tournament minnows Tonga last Saturday, seems to have gone some way in relieving it for the time being at least.
France, for all their downfalls and squabbles behind the scenes, have that extra gear and although it may not have come to surface yet in this tournament, World Cup rugby is not about form but also attrition, and if you’re in it, then you’re definitely still in it.
2011 started by giving England confidence but has offered road blocks England have been unable to hurdle at its height. There has been a lot of promise for England but that has been taken away.
Johnson is confident England’s best days are ahead of them, however, following their defeat to France.
The team’s loss to South Africa in Paris in 1999 only made the team stronger under Clive Woodward, but the question should be: is Martin Johnson, the player who led England to World domination in 2003, the right man for the job today?
England looked desperate and confused; a team which seemed to find itself in the RBS 6 Nations back in March and April but lost its identity somewhere along the way to New Zealand.
Wales, on the other hand, are doing all the right things - and all just in time.
The world’s super powers Australia, South Africa, and tournament hosts, the All Blacks, have it all to play for, but on Wales’ performance today, world status doesn’t come into it.
The favourites remain in rugby’s arsenal below the equator – an antipodeans-axis of first-class football. Whichever team you pick, they have all been at the top of world rugby somewhere along the long road of rugby heroics.
For Wales, this may be unchartered territory. But as a nation waits in wonder, they have certainly set the wheels in motion.
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