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‘It wasn’t to be’: Ian Foster’s raw reaction to World Cup final loss
With just seven minutes to play in Saturday’s Rugby World Cup final, Jordie Barrett lined up a shot at goal that would’ve given the All Blacks the lead.
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Two rugby-mad nations stood still as the sharp-shooting inside centre paused after propping the ball up onto his goal-kicking tee. It was history in the making, and everyone knew it.
Barrett, 26, stepped forward and struck through the ball towards the uprights, but the attempt hooked left in a moment of heartbreak. South Africa still led by one point as time continued to run out for the New Zealanders, and eventually, it did.
South Africa completed their quest for back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles – becoming just the second nation, after New Zealand, to achieve the feat. The Springboks were world champions once again.
But along with Barrett’s kick, the All Blacks have been left to rue what could’ve been. Playmaker Richie Mo’unga missed another tough shot at goal during the second term, and the Kiwis had some golden try-scoring opportunities.
In the end, it just wasn’t to be for the All Blacks.
“It would be wrong to say we had all the chances, they had some chances too. There was a pressure cooker environment. You could see players from both teams making a few errors they wouldn’t normally do,” coach Ian Foster said after the final.
“To get ourselves back, score that try, it’s disallowed and we get another try. was pretty cool and got us in the game. We gave ourselves every chance, but it wasn’t to be. We are all gutted.
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“We so desperately wanted to win this but I am equally proud. The attitude to play there against a mighty team. Every weeks ago the score was a very different score against them. We contributed massively to a very special final full of drama and two teams that put everything on the line.”
The All Blacks started the decider with a disastrous yellow card. Flanker Shannon Frizell was sent to the sin bin after just two-and-a-half minutes.
It was just the second card in Rugby World Cup final history – after Ben Smith’s yellow card in 2015 against Australia. But another card was shown about 25 minutes later.
Captain Sam Cane was shown a yellow following a high shot on Boks centre Jesse Kriel. But after an anxious wait and an off-field review, the incident was upgraded to a red.
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The All Blacks played 65 minutes of a Rugby World Cup final with 14 men including the brief absence of Frizell, but they managed to stay in the fight.
Coach Foster, who was visibly hurting, emotional and distraught as he frotned the press, summed it up perfectly by saying it was a “heck of a final.”
“Always high emotion both sides of the fence this will be no different. 12-11, I want to congratulate South Africa for what they’ve achieved. they’ve shown a lot of character and tenacity throughout this tournament,” Foster told reporters.
“That’s three close games they have come out the right side so they are doing something right.
“For us it’s heartbreaking and I look at the effort of our team, the way we played and came back and gave ourselves a really good crack at that, the second half, particularly after the red card in the first half and the damage that decision made Overall, incredibly proud of our team but we’ve got a disappointed shed.”
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*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
29 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
226 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
226 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to commentsCan’t wait for the article that talks about misogyny in Ireland. Somehow.
16 Go to commentsI would like to see a rule change, when the attacking team is held up over the try line, by allowing the defensive team to restart a goal line drop out releases the pressure for the defensive team, but what if the attacking team had to restart a tap 5m out from the defensive team it gives the attacking team to apply more pressure, there are endless options for the attacking side and it will keep the fans in suspence.
2 Go to commentsLess modern South African males predictably triggered.
16 Go to commentsMy heart is with Quins, but the head is convinced Toulouse have too much. Ntamack is back, his timing and wisdom has been missed.
1 Go to commentsWow, what a starting line up for the Sharks) Tasty up front,kremer vs Tshituka or venter …fiery ,,Lavannini ,,will he knobble etzebeth? Biggest game for belleau?
1 Go to commentsIt was rubbish to watch, Blues weren’t even present. Did what they had to do, nothing more. Should be better next week against canes.
1 Go to commentsI’ve just noticed that this match has an all-French refereeing team. Surely a game like this ought to have a neutral ref? Although looking at the BBC preview of the Saints game, Raynal is also down as reffing that - so there may be some confusion about who is reffing what.
1 Go to commentsIf Havili can play anywhere in the back line, why not first 5. #10.
11 Go to commentsThe dressing room had already left for their summer break before they ran out in Dublin that year, and that’s on the coach. Franco Smith has undoubtedly made progress, particularly their maul, developing squad players and increasing squad depth. And against a very tight budget too. That said they were too lightweight last year and got found out against both Toulon and Munster in consecutive games. Better this season so far but they’ve developed something of a slow start habit occasionally, most notably losing at home to Northampton who played them at their own game. Play offs will ultimately show whether there has been tangible progress on last year, or not…!
2 Go to commentsAustralian Rugby has been a disaster, by not incorporating learning from previous successful campaigns. QLD Reds 2011 - Waratahs 2014. Players, coaches and administrators appoint there representatives for scheduled meetings, organisation’s agreement’s assessments and correspondence. This why a unified Rugby Union under one entity works. Every Rugby nation has taken that path. Was most difficult in the Northern hemisphere with over 100 years of club rugby before the game become professional. Took a lot of humility for those unions to eventually work together.
7 Go to commentsThough Wilson’s sacking was pretty brutal, it wasn’t just down to that Leinster game; Glasgow had a lot of 2nd half collapses that season, in the URC and Europe, and only just scraped into the playoffs. Franco Smith has definitely been an improvement, some players are delivering far more than they did under Wilson.
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