If heroism wins World Cups, Australia will wrap this one up next on Saturday. Phil Waugh, Justin Harrison, George Smith … England salutes you.
Until the final next week, hopefully.
For 80 minutes, in front of a World Cup record crowd of 82 444 including a huge Barmy Army presence, the once-wobbly Wallabies were never less than heroic against their old foe from across the Tasman Sea.
And the mighty All Blacks, the hot favourites who took over the number-one spot in the world rankings from England this week, were caught stone cold. Carlos Spencer’s genius was exposed as recklessess, their line-out was simply exposed.
Kicker Leon MacDonald did a passable impression of his comical cousin Ronald, and for all the mighty efforts of magnificent flanker Richie McCaw, those pretty boy backs, Doug Howlett and Joe Rokocoko barely got a hand on the ball.
Incredible.
The Sydney Telegraph accused the old enemy of choking in 1991, 1995 and 1999. They were at it again last night, but only because Australia had them firmly around the throat.
The intensity of Chris Jones’s under-pressure troops was a lesson in professionalism. Roundly written off after beating Ireland by a point and struggling against Scotland, they dredged this performance out of nowhere.
Kicker Elton Flatley only missed one penalty, fly-half Steve Larkham only made one mistake, Rugby League import Lote Tuqiri made none.
This result won’t please the purists, hoping to see Howlett, Rokocoko and Mils Muliaina weave their pretty patterns with Spencer.
But it will please the organisers and the fans. The next seven days in Sydney will be tinged with gold. We can only pray it’s England who lies in wait next Saturday.
And who do you put your money on then?
Not Australia. Not after this. Their guts were spilled in the nation’s cause last night. I can’t believe they’d have anything left to give.
The All Blacks didn’t get a touch for the first five minutes as Australia successfully retained phase after phase — but it all came to nothing when Larkham tried a mid-range drop goal which drifted wide. Oops, two mistakes.
Five minutes in, Stirling Mortlock broke away but English ref Chris White from Cheltenham pulled him up, rightly, for obstruction.
The Kiwis enjoyed their first possession in the sixth minute and they immediately threatened.
It needed a huge challenge from the much-maligned Wendell Sailor to stop Joe Rokocoko right on the touchline. The ball switched back across the line and this time, in the other corner, Lote Tuqiri swept the ball from Mils Muliaina’s try-scoring hands — but only after a television replay.
Then, pandemonium. With the All Blacks threatening, Kiwi Carlos Spencer, reputedly the world’s finest fly-half, threw his pass to Aussie centre Stirling Mortlock and he scampered the length of the field with the pacey All Blacks at his heels.
The noise as he went over the line was reminiscent of the din when Cathy Freeman won the 400m at the 2000 Olympics. Magic.
Elton Flatley converted and incredibly the home side were 7-0 up after 10 minutes. To make matters worse for the outnumbered New Zealanders in the 80 000-strong crowd, MacDonald then missed his first penalty. Badly.
In 110 trans-Tasman Tests, New Zealand have won 78, Australia 35. Despite the Aussie lead, that difference was apparent as the All Black line gobbled them up and spat them out.
But to score through their superb back three, the All Blacks needed the ball. When they got in in the 21st minute, Spencer kicked it away and Tuqiri led the counter.
The movement ended with a huge hit from number eight Jerry Collins on Wallaby lock Nathan Sharpe with White rightly deemed dangerous. He deserved the sin bin. All he got was a talking to from ref White.
Still, Flatley landed the 25-yard penalty and it was 10-0 after 22 minutes as Sharpe wandered off in a daze to be replaced by David Giffin.
With Justin Harrison dominating the line-out and Larkham breaking better than he has for months, the All Blacks had their backs against the wall.
They were in trouble again until scrum-half Justin Marshall ripped the ball out of man mountain Ben Darwin’s arms to kick the ball clear of the New Zealand line. George Smith took revenge for that with a late tackle on Marshall seconds later, then MacDonald missed another easy penalty from the 22 to leave the All Blacks scoreless after half an hour.
While the Kiwis struggled, the Wallabies were thriving. Tuqiri produced a magnificent take-and-run. Phil Waugh stole possession. Mortlock another break. Gregan, prompting, pointing, passing, forced the All Blacks back until they were caught off-side leaving Flatley to add a second penalty for 13-0.
But it was too good to be true.
Seconds later, a sluggish Larkham was caught in possession, Marshall found Spencer who danced through to provide captain Reuben Thorne with the try, converted by MacDonald to make it 13-7 four minutes before the break — what a time for Larkham to cough one up.
But it was Australia who started the second half the stronger, Mortlock, Larkham and Tuqiri gaining hard yards before Collins was caught lying on the ball. Flatley point-blank penalty, 16-7.
England’s vast Barmy Army were singing Swing Low Sweet Chariot to wind everybody up, but the Aussies couldn’t care less. Nine points up against New Zealand was all that mattered.
For 10 minutes, the Wallabies defended their line against wave after wave of All Black offence. Then 10 full minutes of inaction as 12 medics were brought on before prop Ben Darwin was driven away with what looked like a serious neck injury after a collapsed scrum.
From the restart, Australia took control with Larkham’s break past Spencer ending in a fourth Flatley penalty for off-side to make it 19-7 with 53 minutes on the clock.
From the kick-off we saw Howlett and Rokocoko at pace for the first time … and it ended with a MacDonald penalty for off-side, 19-10.
Australia hit back through Flatley after another solid period of possession had eaten up vital time, 22-10 with 20 to play. Anyone’s game, but there’s a golden tinge to proceedings.
Howlett made an immediate attempt to put New Zealand back in the game but Flatley flattened him, one of any number of heroic hits in 80 awesome minutes.
The All Blacks just couldn’t find the big break. Spencer was missing passes and his opposite number Larkham, the tackles were flying and Aussie Rogers was finding touch with distance and ended up theatrically floored late by Thorne.
Ten minutes left. Still 22-10 to the Wallabies. Centre Mortlock, Man of the Match limped off with cramp. Howlett, once the perfect example of a wing, knocked on to give up possession. Oh dear.
With eight to go, replacement Brian Kelleher put his hands in the scrum to gift Flatley three more points from the 10m line. But he missed. The All Blacks are still alive.
But Australia are pushing, Howlett just avoiding disaster, chasing back to deny Tuqiri.
Time up. Stadium erupts. Yes!
Bring on England … or France.