New Zealand are once again the Tri Nations Champions after today’s rugby test match against the Wallabies. The Tri Nations was no the only silver ware that was on offer for today’s winner. The Bledisloe Cup was also up for grabs.
The weather in New Zealand was not exactly the ideal weather for a rugby game. The heavens were open and the pitch was water soaked. However if you looked at how the Wallabies kept the ball in hand for the first half you would not have thought so. Amazingly the All blacks had zero put in’s to the scrums in the first half. The first half saw the Wallabies with most of the possession and the game was a true kicking contest. Just before the break the scores were equal thanks the boot of Carter and Mortlock with a drop kick from Giteau. However when Adam Ashley-Cooper deliberately made the ball unavailable for a quick throw in he was penalized and Dan Carter slotted the All Blacks into the lead at half time.
Graham Henry must have had a serious pep talk at half time because the second half saw the All Blacks take over the game and dominate the entire game with the exception of the line outs which troubled them all night. Tony Woodcock went over the line and scored the only try of the match. The Wallabies didn’t look like they were going to score at any time after the 46th min of the second half. Once again the All Blacks are the Tri Nations and Bledisloe Cup champions and in my opinion rightly so.
I was able to watch the Kiwis ice the Tri Nations and Bledisoe cups on Saturday, as well. Mat Dunning, the Wallaby prop, just had a nightmare second half in the scrums-for whatever reason he had a helluva time binding onto Hayman. I think for the Kiwis, the big prize still remains the World Cup. For all of New Zealand’s success in friendlies, and Tri Nations matches, it is still hard to believe that they have only been in two finals, and only won one-back in 1987. I’m an American Rugby fan and I am very curious if the All Blacks can overcome past cases of semi finals nerves like the most recent Rugby World Cup disappointments against Australia 4 years ago, and France in 1999.
The thing about the world cup is that it is such a long tournament. All teams have
off games while some teams have days where they are unstoppable. If your team happens to have an off day in lets say the semi finals then thats it. To win the cup you have have
such focus for all the games.
This could be the year of the all blacks however my money is on the Springboks.