IT was not the 96-0 trouncing France handed Namibia or South Africa’s silencing of Romania’s fans by beating them 76 points to zero that raised eyebrows in the 10th Rugby World Cup, now in full swing in France. Or that New Zealand lost to the host nation 13-17 in the opening match.
For a hardcore fan like me, the All Blacks’ loss is tantamount to a giddying sense of utter disbelief.
The team are, after all, the undisputed kings of the rugby universe. Manchester United and Liverpool fans can accept losing to better teams from time to time but in the world of rugby, the All Blacks are invincible. It is sacrilegious to even think they can lose.
Yet, they did. They have won three World Cups (1987, 2011 and 2015) and were runners-up once (1993). All Blacks have played 56 matches in nine Rugby World Cup tournaments from 1987 to 2019.
They always qualified in first place from every group since the first World Cup, reaching the semi-finals eight times. In 2007, they did not even reach the semi-finals, losing humiliatingly to the French 18-20 at Millenium Stadium in Cardiff. That was their worst performance so far in the World Cup.
The most shocking thing at the World Cup in France is Australia’s imminent exit in the first round. They beat Romania 35-15 in Pool C, but shockingly lost to Fiji 15-22 on Sept 16. It was the first time the Wallabies were beaten by Fiji.
The last time the Pacific Islanders won a match against Australia was in 1954. To add salt to injury, Australia lost again on Sunday, this time to Wales, 6-40.
How could that happen? Many are not aware the Australian team were not in the best of shape coming to France. This year alone, they lost six of seven Test matches they played.
But Australia are also one of the rugby superpowers in the world. They have been champions twice (1991 and 1999), reached the semis six times – the third most number among the nations after New Zealand and France.
Only four countries have won the Webb Ellis Cup, the official name of the World Cup – New Zealand, South Africa (both thrice), Australia (twice) and England.
England remains the only country from the Northern Hemisphere to have won the Cup, winning the fifth edition in 2003 in Sydney, Australia.
That was largely because of the legendary Jonny Wilkinson. He holds the record for the most points scored in a total of four World Cup Finals (277), the most number of penalties converted (58) and the most drop goals (14), including the one that won England their sole victory.
This time, out of 20 countries fighting for a berth in the quarter-finals, only half are top rugby nations. I have nothing against Namibia, Romania, Georgia, Portugal, Tonga, Samoa, Chile, Italy, Uruguay and Fiji. But look at Fiji. Who would have imagined they could spring a surprise by beating Australia? Had there been better refereeing in the Wales-Fiji game, Fiji could have edged that too.
And look at how Japan have improved since the last World Cup which they hosted. They are now in the league of great rugby nations. Japan are the only Asian side in France.
This is the climax of all things rugby, which is becoming very popular. At the last Rugby World Cup, some 240,000 visitors flocked to Japan. It was the first time it was held in Asia and the most profitable, raking in a staggering RM24.8bil for the host nation.
The cumulative live audience in 2019 was almost half a billion, and at least another 2.5 billion social media views.
I wanted my favourite team to win, and badly. All Blacks were the favourites (they always are). They beat South Africa in Yokohama 23-13, taught a lesson in rugby to Canada (63-0), won 71-9 against Namibia and later subdued Ireland 46 -14 in the knockout stage.
They were perhaps too confident at bulldozing their opponents that they under-rated the English team in the semis. They lost 19-7.
They won the bronze after defeating Wales 40-17 in Tokyo. (God punished the English by losing to South Africa in the finals anyway, a score of 12-32).
Rugby is a hard game played by hard men in a gentlemanly manner.
Unlike football, there is no Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger or Jose Mourinho – noisy losers who are preposterously conceited when their teams win.
For 51 days, France will forget the problems in the banlieues, the crippling strikes, the perennial demonstrations and the weakening economy. After all, the opening of the 10th Rugby World Cup was held at the Stade de France, in a neighbourhood known for deprivation and roughness. Luckily, the ever sceptical populace was ignited by the nation’s team win over All Blacks.
My bet this time is on France, probably the most tactical and confident team in the tournament so far. They were runners-up thrice (1987, 1999, 2011), took third place in 1995, fourth place twice (2003, 2007) and reached the quarter-finals twice in 2015 and 2016.
My prediction is a final between France and Ireland.
Oh, what a thing to say for a hardcore All Blacks fan! Sorry folks, it is not that I don’t love All Blacks, but the best teams this time are France and Ireland.
Johan Jaaffar watches only rugby. The last full football game he watched was 25 years ago. As for being an ardent All Blacks fan, he reluctantly agrees with a screaming headline in one of the sport pieces in The Economist – “New Zealand’s rugby supremacy is over. Good”.
