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The heartbreakingly simple truth of the Rugby World Cup

By Sam Roberts
England players look on in abject misery in Yokohama

That’s the thing with sport, it doesn’t have much of a memory. However much we’d like to think it cares about what has come before, it doesn’t. You earn what you get. In the moment, the brow-splitting, heart-pumping, sinew-shredding moment, sport is honest. It will find your truth and lay it bare.

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That’s not to say last week was untrue. Rugby relies on so many moving and contributing parts, wins of that magnitude are never false. But, because of the intricate nature of the oval ball game, no two weeks are the same, and indeed, just because you can beat one team, it doesn’t mean you can beat another. If Jones knew the multi-digit code to the All Black safe last week, he was perhaps one or two numbers out this. And being that short of knowledge is akin to knowing nothing. In its most basic terms, sport is binary; you either do or you don’t: it’s heartbreakingly simple.

And yet, of course, the players have memory. A World Cup final is played almost completely on ingrained instinct and deep-seated game plan. England were reaching for theirs. It was in there somewhere; they had it only last week. Balls bounced off the turf, sailed high over disbelieving faces, hands grasped thick Yokohama air; this was England’s increasingly desperate search. The more frantic the hunt, the less likely the find.

Which would suggest England lost this game, instead of South Africa winning it. You could make a case for that. England can be a poorly disciplined side. From as early as the ninth minute, when Courtney Lawes pushed himself back to his feet and metaphorically threw the kicking tee Handre Pollard’s way, England were acquiescing to the Boks’ proposal. If last week had been forensically clean, referee Garces kept finding fingerprints and pointing skywards.

But that would also take something large away from the new World Champions. This was a clever performance. One which knew its strengths, understood how best to hinder their opponents and, most importantly, had learnt from recent history. Jerome Garces had conducted the Springboks’ opening loss to New Zealand and then again their semi-final against Wales. In the final, the Springboks quickly recognised the beat of his stick. As much as England appeared out of rhythm, South Africa looked utterly in unison with the breakdown. As much as the scrums were a dominant area, the debilitating work on Curry and Underhill was arguably the most important. Kolisi and Vermeulen were brilliant, but I cannot think of a better blindside performance than that of the man wearing the ‘Bok No.7 shirt. There must be some sort of dire, lasting effect of coming into contact with Pieter Steph du Toit at the breakdown. No doubt some clever soul will come up with a witty acronym.

They had learnt from older history too. This is a country who had felled rugby’s grandest giant. No one could stop Jonah Lomu in 1995 and yet, in the final, under the watchful eye of Madiba, James Small and South Africa did. It was not a dissimilar feat against England. For Kruger, Pienaar and Andrews read Kolisi, Du Toit and Vermeulen; for van der Westhuizen and Stransky, read de Klerk and Pollard. The difference, notably, twenty-four years later came in the black-skinned hands and feet of their wingers. Lukhanyo Am found Makozole Mapimpi sumptuously, Cheslin Kolbe found space to eviscerate his covering defender and suddenly the men in green were untouchable. This was not just a big, bruising, defensive outfit; light had been added to the shade, the colour had been given a chance to shine.

And on top of it all, there is a special kind of courage in Erasmus’ men. Embodied brilliantly by the way their captain sings his national anthem. Throaty, deep, out of key but unashamedly and unmistakably proud. Rassie has harnessed pride so effortlessly. It can be a tricky beast. One that can buck in overzealous prediction and underestimation. In a country where people’s conceit has led to egregious inequality, Erasmus quickly recognised how dangerous a mount it could be. The former Munster head coach never looked it fully in the eye, just whispered reassurances by its side. Because, ridden courageously, pride can take you anywhere. It can certainly take you home.

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And for the next four years, the William Web Ellis Cup will call South Africa home. Foster parents as regular as any other. And yet it is they, rather than the trophy, that will need the care. Under the scrutiny of a World Cup win, you hope that South Africa can get the help it needs. It was Siya Kolisi’s first thought post-match: “We have so many problems in our country… Since I’ve been alive, I’ve never seen South Africa like this,” he said, “…We love you South Africa, and we can achieve anything if we work together as one.”

You earn what you get in sport. And South Africa have earned their place in sporting history. The only team to get beaten in a group game to then go on and lift the trophy. An unusual record, a proud record. Proof that winning isn’t everything. It’s what you do with it that counts. South Africa are our champions, let’s hope we can all get behind them.

Post-match press conference with England head coach Eddie Jones, captain Owen Farrell and coach Steve Borthwick, after England are defeated by South Africa in the Rugby World Cup final in Yokohama, Japan. Credit World Rugby.

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Jon 2 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 5 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

21 Go to comments
A
Adrian 7 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

21 Go to comments
T
Trevor 10 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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