AUSTRALIA lost the World Cup final for simple reasons; not the least of which was the fact they encountered a committed New Zealand team which played without the fear of losing.
They attacked Australia with an attitude that showed they held reputations in little regard and were committed to giving their all for the full 80 minutes.
Tactically they were smarter, too. They changed their game from playing to the edges of the field with repetitive decoy plays, like every other team in the world, to directing their best attacking plays back at the middle of the field around the goalposts, where Australia lacked size and mobility.
A speculative grubber kick to the posts early in the tackle count caught Australia by surprise and should have produced the opening try for Benji Marshall. They finally touched down when Jeremy Smith bullocked and stepped his way through flimsy goal-line defence under the uprights.
New Zealand's forwards also chanced their hand with some forced offloads in the early stages of the match. It was risky stuff, but it gave way to some second-phase play and prevented the Australians suffocating them with their wrestlemania-style gang tackling. Brilliant - they really put some thought into this one.
There's no doubt New Zealand also got the best of the luck; but when you are forcing the issue the way the Kiwis were, it's amazing how often things fall your way. They were ferocious and uninhibited. If there was any luck to be handed out, they were determined to grab it.
They forced countless errors from the Australians with some old-fashioned hustle and bustle. You don't need much more than this to win big games. Turnovers of possession are crucial. Most importantly, New Zealand saved their best for last. In the final 40 minutes of the final tie, the Kiwis produced their finest football of the tournament.
With all due respect to the emerging coaching talents of Stephen Kearney, I think we can attribute this impeccable timing and winning attitude to the big-occasion experience of Wayne Bennett. Like champion horse trainer Bart Cummings, Bennett gets his charges ready for the big race and doesn't wear them out getting there.
Remember, the half-time score in the final was 16-12 in favour of the Australians. Whatever happened in the two dressing rooms at the break certainly made a difference. New Zealand stormed home and won the second half 22-4. That's a belting in anyone's language.
Australia, on the other hand, saved their worst football for their biggest day. Ricky Stuart's post-match outburst at ARL officials and his ridiculous accusations of a conspiracy against his team were way out of line. Those who publicly protect Stuart put this emotional behaviour down to a competitive nature and passion for the game. Maybe, in part, this is true; although others will have a very different explanation.
There's no doubt he can coach. One must admire his strong work ethic, and he certainly instils discipline and steel into his troops. But like all coaches, he has his limits and until such time as he learns to be more comfortable in his own skin and more trusting of the talents of his players, he will continue to struggle with the fluctuating fortunes that are a feature of rugby league.
Like in most big-match preparations conducted by Stuart, his men were wound up so tight they exploded out of the barriers in the early stages, ran themselves ragged and saved little for the long run up the home straight.
The rehearsed set pieces that punished the likes of Fiji and Papua New Guinea faltered under the greater pressure exerted by Kiwi defenders. Australia ran sideways too often and the number of decoys and players involved in these set pieces was complete overkill. They were far better served when Jonathan Thurston and Darren Lockyer engaged the defence in their own styles.
We could also talk about the decision to go into a Test match of this importance with only two recognised front-row forwards. At a crucial time in the second half, a very tired-looking Petero Civoniceva was out there toiling away on his own while a frustrated Brent Kite was left sitting on the sidelines and an even more frustrated Josh Perry was watching from the grandstands. That allowed the Kiwi big men to run without fear and they totally dominated proceedings when the game was in the balance.
What makes New Zealand's success even more remarkable is the fact they were missing so many star players. One by one this season, key men such as Sonny Bill Williams, Roy Asotasi, Frank Pritchard, Steve Matai, Setaimata Sa, Sia Soliola and Brent Webb became unavailable. As November approached, many believed the Kiwis would not be competitive. But the fact is that they are now World Cup champions, and no one can ever take it away from them. They were outstanding.
So, too, was the tournament itself. It provided some great football and entertainment. It gave us a timely reminder that players love to play in their national colours and the fans responded to the passion shown on the field.
All in all, it was a great result for the game - everyone wins![/b]
