DAN CARTER’S COMPOSURE helped New Zealand to their second consecutive World Cup trophy in a 34-17 win over Michael Cheika’s Australia.
Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
The 33-year-old ended his Test career with a man-of-the-match, 19-point performance that oozed class and told a story of the experience of Steve Hansen’s All Blacks, one of the greatest teams of all time.
Captain Richie McCaw similarly signed off in glory – if retirement does follow – as he showed typical grit around the pitch and provided important leadership when the Wallabies mounted a second-half revival that came up short.
Ma’a Nonu is another who moves on from the All Blacks now, his searing second-half try playing an important part in New Zealand’s success. In truth, they were dominant but for a second-half period when they were down to 14 men thanks to Ben Smith’s yellow card.
The Wallabies were hugely dangerous with ball in hand throughout, but they couldn’t live with the Kiwis’ handling skills, their simple draw and pass, their footwork, their offloading and rucking on other occasions.
The best World Cup of them all ended with a brilliant final. It also ended with the best team in the world as winners.
New Zealand’s start to the game was ferocious, with Brodie Retallick, Jerome Kaino and Conrad Smith delivering tone-setting hits. The footwork of Nonu saw him bamboozle Tevita Kuridrani for a third-minute bust but the Wallabies recovered.
The Kiwis’ handling was sharp at important times, the brilliant draw and pass from Carter, Conrad Smith and Ben Smith helping to lure Matt Giteau off his feet at a ruck with the Australians on the back foot. Carter smoothly opened the scoring from the tee.
Three New Zealand steals in as many minutes following that penalty – Retallick, Conrad Smith and McCaw the thieves – suggested Hansen’s men would rule the breakdown and contact zones, but Australia responded brilliantly.
Advertisement
Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
Michael Hooper led the charge, while David Pocock and Scott Fardy weren’t far behind. A rare Ben Smith knock-on provided the scrum from which Australia earned their first three points, Owen Franks binding on the arm of the returning Scott Sio.
Bernard Foley levelled the game with three points. The Wallabies lost lock Kane Douglas to injury with only 15 minutes gone, and suffered another blow when Matt Giteau had to exit with concussion.
The Toulon man’s departure came with Australia 6-3 down, Carter having punished Sekope Kepu’s high tackle on him with a second penalty. That incident came only moments after Kepu had been penalised for a late hit on the Kiwi out-half. Referee Nigel Owens kept his yellow card in his pocket on both occasions, but had an error approaching half-time.
A pass from Nehe Milner-Skudder travelled forward to Jerome Kaino wide on the right, but Owens and assistant referee Wayne Barnes missed it (Owens asked Barnes if it had been legit), allowing the Kiwis to win another penalty for the composed Carter to kick.
A 9-3 scoreline at the break would have been acceptable for the Wallabies considering the Kiwis’ utter domination of possession and territory in the first 40 minutes, but Hansen’s side struck clinically for the opening try.
Inside the Wallabies’ 22, sublime scrum-half Aaron Smith picked out Conrad Smith running a brilliant line in between defenders. For the umpteenth time, the veteran centre drew in defenders before returning his pass to Smith running a looping line to his outside.
The scrum-half drew another would-be tackle and hit captain McCaw, who did the same to send Milner-Skudder over in the right corner for his sixth try of the tournament. Carter made it an even greater blow with a brilliant touchline conversion for a 16-3 half-time lead.
Conrad Smith didn’t emerge after the break, but in his place New Zealand were able to send on Sonny Bill Williams. Within two minutes the freakish offloading giant had made a telling impact.
Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
First he offloaded out the back of the hand to Milner-Skudder and then just phases later in the same attack, he dropped an even more ridiculous offload back inside to Nonu running a hugely intelligent switch line.
Nonu beat replacement Kurtley Beale all ends up and showed his pace at the age of 33 for a remarkable try from 25 metres out. Carter’s conversion put the Kiwis 21-3 to the good and that appeared to be the death knell sounding for the Wallabies.
But Michael Cheika’s group are a resilient bunch. The Kiwis obliterated the Australian scrum and should have had a penalty but the Wallabies recovered and countered back at the holders.
A big Israel Folau carry and a sharp half-break from out-half Foley took them within metres of the Kiwi tryline, where Ben Smith lifted the left leg of Drew Mitchell in the tackle. On review, Owens felt it no more than a penalty, but TMO Shaun Veldsman insisted.
The yellow card swung the momentum. From the resulting close-range lineout, the Wallabies mauled over the line with Pocock the man to score, allowing Foley’s conversion to bring them back to 21-10.
Before Smith was back on the pitch, the Wallabies had a second. It began with Williams attacking down the right in the Australian 22 and ended with Foley somehow gathering in a kick ahead, turning and offloading to the supporting Kuridrani.
The outside centre showed Nonu-esque pace to seal the score, with Foley’s extras bringing the Wallabies within four point at 21-17 and with fifteen minutes to go.
Cometh the pressure, cometh the man. Heading into the final 10 minutes of the World Cup final and with the Kiwis surely beginning to feel the pressure, Dan Carter showed his enduring class.
Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
From 40 metres out and with little time on the ball, the Kiwi out-half switched back onto his left foot and fired over the most glorious of drop goals to give his side a little more breathing room.
Then when James Slipper – on at loosehead for Sio – went to ground at scrum time, Carter slammed over a 48-metres penalty with utter conviction.
The Wallabies tried again with desperation to drag themselves back into the game in the closing minutes, but Kiwis struck with ruthlessness on the counter-attack from inside their own 22, replacement Beauden Barrett showing good control to kick ahead and then gather for the Kiwis’ third try.
Carter finished the scoring and ensured some of the all-time greats ended their careers with a win that underlined their world-class excellence.
NEW ZEALAND: Ben Smith (yellow card ’53 to ’63); Nehe Milner-Skudder (Beauden Barrett ’64), Conrad Smith (Sonny Bill Williams ’40), Ma’a Nonu, Julian Savea; Daniel Carter, Aaron Smith (Tawera Kerr-Barlow ’71); Joe Moody (Ben Franks ’59), Dane Coles (Keven Mealamu ’65), Owen Franks (Charlie Faumuina ’54); Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock; Jerome Kaino (Victor Vito ’71), Richie McCaw (capt.) (Sam Cane ’80), Kieran Read.
AUSTRALIA: Israel Folau; Adam Ashley-Cooper, Tevita Kuridrani, Matt Giteau (Kurtley Beale ’27), Drew Mitchell (Matt Toomua ’66 to ’71); Bernard Foley, Will Genia (Nick Phipps ’70); Scott Sio (James Slipper ’59), Stephen Moore (capt.) (Tatafu Polota-Nau ’55), Sekope Kepu (Greg Holmes ’59); Kane Douglas (Dean Mumm ’15), Rob Simmons; Scott Fardy (Ben McCalman ’60), Michael Hooper, David Pocock
Brilliant Carter guides New Zealand to World Cup victory over Chieka's Wallabies
New Zealand 34
Australia 17
Murray Kinsella reports from Twickenham
DAN CARTER’S COMPOSURE helped New Zealand to their second consecutive World Cup trophy in a 34-17 win over Michael Cheika’s Australia.
The 33-year-old ended his Test career with a man-of-the-match, 19-point performance that oozed class and told a story of the experience of Steve Hansen’s All Blacks, one of the greatest teams of all time.
Captain Richie McCaw similarly signed off in glory – if retirement does follow – as he showed typical grit around the pitch and provided important leadership when the Wallabies mounted a second-half revival that came up short.
Ma’a Nonu is another who moves on from the All Blacks now, his searing second-half try playing an important part in New Zealand’s success. In truth, they were dominant but for a second-half period when they were down to 14 men thanks to Ben Smith’s yellow card.
The Wallabies were hugely dangerous with ball in hand throughout, but they couldn’t live with the Kiwis’ handling skills, their simple draw and pass, their footwork, their offloading and rucking on other occasions.
The best World Cup of them all ended with a brilliant final. It also ended with the best team in the world as winners.
New Zealand’s start to the game was ferocious, with Brodie Retallick, Jerome Kaino and Conrad Smith delivering tone-setting hits. The footwork of Nonu saw him bamboozle Tevita Kuridrani for a third-minute bust but the Wallabies recovered.
The Kiwis’ handling was sharp at important times, the brilliant draw and pass from Carter, Conrad Smith and Ben Smith helping to lure Matt Giteau off his feet at a ruck with the Australians on the back foot. Carter smoothly opened the scoring from the tee.
Three New Zealand steals in as many minutes following that penalty – Retallick, Conrad Smith and McCaw the thieves – suggested Hansen’s men would rule the breakdown and contact zones, but Australia responded brilliantly.
Michael Hooper led the charge, while David Pocock and Scott Fardy weren’t far behind. A rare Ben Smith knock-on provided the scrum from which Australia earned their first three points, Owen Franks binding on the arm of the returning Scott Sio.
Bernard Foley levelled the game with three points. The Wallabies lost lock Kane Douglas to injury with only 15 minutes gone, and suffered another blow when Matt Giteau had to exit with concussion.
The Toulon man’s departure came with Australia 6-3 down, Carter having punished Sekope Kepu’s high tackle on him with a second penalty. That incident came only moments after Kepu had been penalised for a late hit on the Kiwi out-half. Referee Nigel Owens kept his yellow card in his pocket on both occasions, but had an error approaching half-time.
A pass from Nehe Milner-Skudder travelled forward to Jerome Kaino wide on the right, but Owens and assistant referee Wayne Barnes missed it (Owens asked Barnes if it had been legit), allowing the Kiwis to win another penalty for the composed Carter to kick.
A 9-3 scoreline at the break would have been acceptable for the Wallabies considering the Kiwis’ utter domination of possession and territory in the first 40 minutes, but Hansen’s side struck clinically for the opening try.
Inside the Wallabies’ 22, sublime scrum-half Aaron Smith picked out Conrad Smith running a brilliant line in between defenders. For the umpteenth time, the veteran centre drew in defenders before returning his pass to Smith running a looping line to his outside.
The scrum-half drew another would-be tackle and hit captain McCaw, who did the same to send Milner-Skudder over in the right corner for his sixth try of the tournament. Carter made it an even greater blow with a brilliant touchline conversion for a 16-3 half-time lead.
Conrad Smith didn’t emerge after the break, but in his place New Zealand were able to send on Sonny Bill Williams. Within two minutes the freakish offloading giant had made a telling impact.
First he offloaded out the back of the hand to Milner-Skudder and then just phases later in the same attack, he dropped an even more ridiculous offload back inside to Nonu running a hugely intelligent switch line.
Nonu beat replacement Kurtley Beale all ends up and showed his pace at the age of 33 for a remarkable try from 25 metres out. Carter’s conversion put the Kiwis 21-3 to the good and that appeared to be the death knell sounding for the Wallabies.
But Michael Cheika’s group are a resilient bunch. The Kiwis obliterated the Australian scrum and should have had a penalty but the Wallabies recovered and countered back at the holders.
A big Israel Folau carry and a sharp half-break from out-half Foley took them within metres of the Kiwi tryline, where Ben Smith lifted the left leg of Drew Mitchell in the tackle. On review, Owens felt it no more than a penalty, but TMO Shaun Veldsman insisted.
The yellow card swung the momentum. From the resulting close-range lineout, the Wallabies mauled over the line with Pocock the man to score, allowing Foley’s conversion to bring them back to 21-10.
Before Smith was back on the pitch, the Wallabies had a second. It began with Williams attacking down the right in the Australian 22 and ended with Foley somehow gathering in a kick ahead, turning and offloading to the supporting Kuridrani.
The outside centre showed Nonu-esque pace to seal the score, with Foley’s extras bringing the Wallabies within four point at 21-17 and with fifteen minutes to go.
Cometh the pressure, cometh the man. Heading into the final 10 minutes of the World Cup final and with the Kiwis surely beginning to feel the pressure, Dan Carter showed his enduring class.
From 40 metres out and with little time on the ball, the Kiwi out-half switched back onto his left foot and fired over the most glorious of drop goals to give his side a little more breathing room.
Then when James Slipper – on at loosehead for Sio – went to ground at scrum time, Carter slammed over a 48-metres penalty with utter conviction.
The Wallabies tried again with desperation to drag themselves back into the game in the closing minutes, but Kiwis struck with ruthlessness on the counter-attack from inside their own 22, replacement Beauden Barrett showing good control to kick ahead and then gather for the Kiwis’ third try.
Carter finished the scoring and ensured some of the all-time greats ended their careers with a win that underlined their world-class excellence.
NEW ZEALAND: Ben Smith (yellow card ’53 to ’63); Nehe Milner-Skudder (Beauden Barrett ’64), Conrad Smith (Sonny Bill Williams ’40), Ma’a Nonu, Julian Savea; Daniel Carter, Aaron Smith (Tawera Kerr-Barlow ’71); Joe Moody (Ben Franks ’59), Dane Coles (Keven Mealamu ’65), Owen Franks (Charlie Faumuina ’54); Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock; Jerome Kaino (Victor Vito ’71), Richie McCaw (capt.) (Sam Cane ’80), Kieran Read.
AUSTRALIA: Israel Folau; Adam Ashley-Cooper, Tevita Kuridrani, Matt Giteau (Kurtley Beale ’27), Drew Mitchell (Matt Toomua ’66 to ’71); Bernard Foley, Will Genia (Nick Phipps ’70); Scott Sio (James Slipper ’59), Stephen Moore (capt.) (Tatafu Polota-Nau ’55), Sekope Kepu (Greg Holmes ’59); Kane Douglas (Dean Mumm ’15), Rob Simmons; Scott Fardy (Ben McCalman ’60), Michael Hooper, David Pocock
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales).
Attendance: 80,125.
Regan King joined in back-line by his son as Scarlets continue winning run
Munster claim the spoils from epic 9-try encounter with Ulster
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Final Kiwi Pride Match Report Rugby World Cup rwc 15 Australia New Zealand