No end in sight to All Blacks鈥 domination
Print Edition
NEWLY-CROWNED world champion New Zealand has already been installed as evens favorite to win a third successive title in Japan in four years and the northern hemisphere nations woke up yesterday knowing the gap is a big as ever.
Saturday’s 34-17 victory over Australia in a memorable final secured back-to-back titles for the superpower, which has now won 14 successive World Cup matches since its shock 2007 quarterfinal defeat by France.
“The greatest team ever? Possibly. For the moment let’s just all agree that this is the best team in World Cup history,” former All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick wrote in the Sunday Times.
“This is the most meticulous, best-prepared team in rugby. This is not just about skills but game management, which told in the last 15 minutes when they snuffed out any chances of what would have been a remarkable Aussie fightback.
“The world, particularly the northern hemisphere, will now be wondering how they can close the gap — I wouldn’t be getting your hopes up.”
Although a core group of six players boasting over 700 caps between them are retiring — or in captain Richie McCaw’s case — expected to be retiring, New Zealand’s strength in depth means it is unlikely to suffer any sort of major dip.
Sonny Bill Williams would walk into any team in the world but has had to be content to spend most of his career on the bench behind stellar centers Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith, who are both now leaving the stage.
Beauden Barrett also looks well equipped, if, as is expected, to take up the flyhalf duties from Dan Carter, who signed off his 112-cap career with a man of the match performance at Twickenham on Saturday.
The country’s remarkable production line of hard-running, high-paced wingers doesn’t show any signs of drying up soon and Saturday’s victory can only spur the dreams of the next generation.
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