World Cup winners question crucial All Blacks decision against South Africa
In a match that finished with a 12-11 scoreline, the World Cup final came down to fine margins and crucial moments- a successful pass here or an accurate kick there and the All Blacks could have come away victorious, or equally South Africa could have won more comfortably.
As far as crucial moments go, they do not get any bigger than the All Blacks’ decision to kick to the corner in the 51st minute. Trailling 12-6 at the time, but critically with 14 players against 14 as Siya Kolisi was yellow carded, New Zealand decided to turn down a likely three points from Richie Mo’unga for a potential five or seven. A few phases later and Will Jordan was knocking the ball on and the Springboks had repelled the All Blacks.
On such moments are matches won and loss, and as a result they are much discussed once the final whistle blows. Former World Cup winners Conrad Smith and Jean de Villiers, and former England wing Ugo Monye went over that decision on the Official Rugby World Cup 2023 Podcast, and questioned whether it was the right call, albeit with the luxury of hindsight.
While it did not turn out to be the correct call, the former All Black Smith said that there are no right or wrong decisions, and moments like that are one of the “beautiful parts” of rugby.
“As a spectator, I don’t like drilling onto those decisions, but I would love to ask that,” the Smith said about understanding the reasoning behind the decision to kick for the corner.
“I had Thierry Dusatoir and Matt Giteau next to me and I was really confused. Part of me thought, maybe they knew Siya was only goint to get a yellow, so they had ten minutes to capitalise on 14 on 14. But, as far as I could see, I just thought ‘take those three, man. You’re in a final.’
Monye countered by quoting England fly-half George Ford, who talked about the feel of a game that players have that coaches and fans do not have. “George Ford said to me,” he said. ‘Coaches in the stands, they see things that we don’t see on the pitch as players, but players feel different things that coaches never feel.’ So that was a feel decision, and you never want to take the feel away from players.”
Smith agreed with Monye, and added that there’s never a right decision. He said: “Look, and Jean you’re been the same, I’ve been captain and there are those moments in a game that I love. They’re beautiful parts of the game because there are no right decisions. You’ll go for the line and score and they’ll be like ‘that was it,’ or then you’ll go and miss the lineout and they’re like ‘you should have taken the three points.’ There’s never a right decision, but they took the punt there and I just questioned it, but you can do that with every decision in the game.”
Former Springboks captain de Villiers was a man of few words in this discussion, but added: “I thought it was the right decision… for us.”
Comments on RugbyPass
This is the most exciting game of the summer imo, as we really won’t know in advance how both teams are going to play. - Will Robertson just reproduce his Crusaders tactics from last year, or will there be a conscious effort to borrow from the Hurricanes and Blues, and from the aspects of the ABs world cup strategy that worked well? - England under Borthwick have put in some good performances playing attacking rugby, and some good performances playing kick-oriented defensive rugby. Will Borthwick try to merge them together into a single all-court game, or will he continue switching between different approaches depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition?
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
6 Go to commentsFinals are always tense affairs for the players so I do not expect this to be a spectacle of running rugby unfortunately.
1 Go to commentsBulls***': Ex-England international calls out Eben Etzebeth… Not to his face but from very far away… after he’d left. Checked to make sure he wasn’t in the building.
86 Go to commentsHopefully this will mean a new Auckland league team to support in the west. Big Warriors fan but it’s very, very stale on that front and I’d like the option of another team if it was to watch league again. League needs to step up BIG time if its to get anywhere, another AK team and something from the capitol or south is a must for the game.
3 Go to commentsGood, deep interview, nice job Frankie!
1 Go to commentsNRL players don’t have anywhere near the number of Tests. Some people would be happy having Rest Homes full if 40 yo ex-players walking, or hobbling more like it, into walls. It’s just a game!
4 Go to commentsNOW Razor is worried about ABs getting injured or overplayed! Didn’t bother him last year. He happily played his AB Crusaders.
4 Go to commentsWhat is the World Rugby U20 players born year.
2 Go to commentsMuch like the Chiefs finally gave up waiting for Atu Moli to ever not be injured, you have to wonder if the Chiefs and Crusaders will let Josh Lord and Ethan Blackadder go next season. They’re being well paid to sit in the injury ward every year. Better off putting those funds towards someone who might actually play.
7 Go to commentsShowed better basic skills than some nz Super sides, who probably would have botched some of those backline moves. This tournament really is too short though. Needs more teams, or have them play two rounds to properly prepare them for the near full-time NH U20 sides.
4 Go to commentsGood grief it’s only six months. Probably just upset it’s not an established kiwi entering their prime they can “project” into green to join the rest.
2 Go to commentsGood player but far from being best in the world. That's an exaggeration. Perhaps Best in world by Northern Hemisphere standards and biasis but certainly not Southern Hemi standards
3 Go to commentsWell one thing about World Cup knock out rounds and Ireland is very clear: they won’t be getting ahead of themselves in ‘27! Because making it beyond the QF is well and truly ‘IN THEIR HEADS’ now…😉
86 Go to commentsHas this guy been dope tested? Sounds like a case of “roid rage”.
1 Go to commentsI would like to see him say that to Eben face to face in a dark alley.
86 Go to commentsYep, lost in translation. There are arrogant people in Ireland, yes. As there are arrogant people in every country, but as a nation, arrogance is not a general characteristic in Ireland. There has not really had a strong representation for any global sport over the years, and hence arrogance is not endemic to Irish people in this regard. I seriously doubt that was said or meant by 12 or 13 players. If it was said, it would have been said in jest and to pay Etzebeth and the Springboks a compliment for how hard fought the game was.
86 Go to commentsOne of the few Bidwell articles I can agree with. If coaches played their players through niggles and consistently played them 80mins then you could make an argument for resting protocols - they obviously don’t and are incredibly responsible, let’s give up the resting nonsense and let the boys play.
4 Go to commentsDaniel Gallan, please for the love of all that is holy, stop writing about rugby. Or at the very least stop telling people you are South African.
21 Go to comments