LONDON – The All Blacks have bid farewell to six of their veteran stars by winning the Rugby World Cup for a second consecutive time, taking the title with a 34-17 win over Australia in the World Cup Final at Twickenham on Saturday.
Tries to Nehe Milner Scudder, Ma’a Nonu and Beauden Barrett sealed the Rugby World Cup for a tournament-record third time in front of a sold out Twickenham as New Zealand exploded out of the blocks and never really looked back.
The result sends Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Ma’a Nonu, Conrad Smith, Keven Mealamu and the injured Tony Woodcock out winners in the very best possible way.
Leading virtually from start to finish, the result never really looked in doubt apart from an anxious 15 minute period in the second half after fullback Ben Smith was yellow carded for a tip tackle on Australian no.8 David Pocock.
Either side of that potentially match deciding decision, New Zealand looked relatively calm as they controlled the game with Man of the Match Dan Carter cool and collected at fly-half. Elsewhere, McCaw and fellow back-rower Jerome Kaino were supreme at the breakdown as their game plan virtually took Australia’s chief forward Pocock out of the game.
Solid and reliable in the set piece whilst giving the Wallabies very little room to move, the All Blacks vindicated their claim to the best of all and showed that it will have to be a very good team to stop them claiming the title for a third straight time in Japan in 2019.