Mailbox: 'Au Revoir' All Blacks

The All Blacks, favourites to lift the Webb Ellis trophy at the Rugby World Cup in France, will have to wait yet another four long years to do so after crashing out 18-20 to Les Bleus over the weekend.

With New Zealand in mourning and referee Wayne Barnes set to enter the witness protection programme after a few dubious calls with the whistle - this is what you had to say about the thrilling quarter-final encounter in Cardiff...

"Certainly France put in a spectacular disciplined defensive effort to deny the All Blacks in the weekend but thought the game review could have done with a mention of the 16th man on the French team.

"In particular, the Luke McAlister sin binning was pretty dubious and harsh (It's not tiddlywinks you know - warning and/or penalty anyone?), the missed blatant forward pass leading to the winning try, the myriad of French hands in the ruck particularly towards the end (Imanol Harinordoquy anyone) and failure to award the penalty when drop goal attempted 2 minutes to end while playing advantage.

"Shame that a game of this magnitude is blighted by some questionable decisions that had a significant influence on the outcome of the game.

"The questions are:

- Why was a show piece game handed to an inexperienced referee while having the vastly experienced Jonathan Kaplan and Tony Spreadbury running the touchlines (albeit with their sunglasses on?)?

- When is rugby going to be the winner again rather than the officials?

"Sigh!"

- Peter Annand (Greytown, New Zealand)

New Zealand had everything on a plate: time away from proper league action in cotton wool while they bulked up, no injury problems, pastiche opposition whom they didn't take seriously. In their heads they simply assumed they would win - not just the quarters but the whole shooting match. What's more the stats showed they absolutely stuffed France everywhere but the scoreboard.

They have been given a lesson in real mental strength in this WC from the likes of England, France, Argentina and Fiji. They should be ashamed of themselves.

The perennial arrogance of NZ and their often truculent supporters is utterly misplaced. The evidence has been before the rugby world for (now) a whole generation (20 years). They are a decent side who can beat some of the best teams sometimes. They are not God's gift to Rugby and when they realise that they might actually win something that matters.

Enjoy the flight.

- Nicholas Cox

On Friday night Mr Barnes showed us the highest possible level of incompetence, ineptitude and one-sided refereeing in World Cup history, he turned tournament into farce. Credit to France, but the ABs were robbed!

- Daniele Bandini

France needed everything to go there way, play out of their skins, the all blacks play poorly, injuries, the bounce of the ball and the ref. Stranger than fiction it happened. The French are ecstatic, the IRB is happy the hosts are progressing the bookies have made $$$, Barnes no doubt has a gold watch.

I would hope they will have a review of the match officials. I would hope this combined both objective and public. I turned of 35 minutes into the first half, feeling we were going to lose. The All Blacks would have had to have been 20 points and the better side to win this game. You can't beat the ref. All teams face this at times. It's a pity it happened to happen in a World Cup. Probably, the worst officiating of the tournament so far.

I suspect the debate is going to be whether Barnes was either: Incompetent, biased or bought.

- Miffed Kiwi

PS: I hope the French go on and win the tournament. I think it would be good for rugby. I hate to say it but an England victory would be the worst possible outcome for the game.

This response is from a HUGE Springbok supporter - it's ridiculous to fire Graham Henry. The All Blacks dominated that game against France, and got completely screwed by 2 crucially bad calls. The pass the Michalak for the French second try was AT LEAST one yard forward, and then when the All Blacks were attacking at the end, there was a blatant hand in the ruck which caused the French to win the ball and get out of trouble 5 yards from their line.

How in the world a ref and a touch judge missed those, only they would know. On the positive side, this makes me feel great - we will crush the French in the final because they are not nearly as good as this bogus result seems to want to show.

- Stephen

The most striking point about the semi-finalists at the RWC is that all four of them have come from the two most closely contested Groups at the Pool stage, Groups A and D. Crucial Pool matches gave them the chance to develop the mental toughness needed for the knock-out stages of the competition. England clearly benefited from coming through the challenge of two "must-win" games against Samoa and Tonga; South Africa got a real scare from Tonga and had to come from behind to win; France battled back in their Group from the early loss to Argentina; and Argentina themselves had to face down the dual challenges from France and Ireland. All four teams had to cope with real pressure and learn how to win.

By contrast, both New Zealand and Australia had it far too easy in their Pool matches, and found themselves unable to raise their game when faced with battle-hardened opponents in the quarter-finals. Other things being equal (as they pretty much are at this level of the game), only by experience can teams learn how to win tight matches under pressure.

- John Grint (Sevenoaks, UK)

They were cheated out of it! First, Jauzion deliberately runs into McAllister and gets him sent off. Secondly, the so blatant forward pass to Michalak for France's second "try" plus the numerous times that France got away with "spoiling" in the rucks. Just watch out England cause it's arranged for France to be in the final!

- Dermot Whelan

France just outplayed us in the second half. First half we edged it but France had their chances and blew the penalties.

DON'T please let us blame the forward pass, our midfield pass for McAlister's try looked suspect and we got away with a few other marginal forward passes

No excuses - we weren't good enough. Let's not over-hype our team again.

France have great players too and have been building for the World Cup for years too.

That kid Dusautoir looks quite tasty, great game I thought. Kelleher lacked mobility (probably too muscular) and faded more as the game went on, whereas his opposite Ellisade began to shine.

We will win 2011!

- AUCK

Dear all NZ supporters,

You have my sincere sympathy. Your side is still great - bit of bad luck on a dark night I'd say... bloody sorry to see you out.

- Joe Kridge (Springbok supporter)

As for the AB's, I have to say I feel for them. To me they're still the best team in the world and the one I like to watch the most. I'm sure the repercussions will be felt far and wide - not least with the sacking of Graham Henry. But you have to ask yourselves, with international matches won and lost on such small margins how can any of the AB's coaching team possibly prepare and allow for what was in my opinion an absolutely shocking decision by the ref to sin bin McCallister - I didn't even think it was a penalty and in my view it totally changed the game.

- Gareth

First mistake was to do the haka right in the face of the opponents. Doing the haka right in the face of the opponent definitely triggers something big in the opponents. The opponents don't get intimidated but rather motivated. New Zealand relied on technical brilliance where as France outplayed them with passion. Psychology is everything.

- Jannie Barwise

The All Blacks played some of the best rugby I've seem from any team at the World Cup - I don't believe there is another team who can play the way they did. Their forwards were magnificent and completely controlled the game. But, this was always going to be a close match, and the French did their bit to ensure that the All Blacks did not run away with the game. However, the referee made some dubious calls which ensured the All Blacks' well deserved lead was wiped out. These included the yellow carding of McAllister, and allowing the second try which came from a forward pass. If the referee had ruled differently on these two incidents we would have been hailing the All Blacks as the greatest team on the planet.

- Evan

I am sorry for my English which is not good.I will make grammar and orthography mistakes but I am sure that you will understand what I have to say. OK, France defend well, All Blacks do not play so well as expected. But between those teams the distance is not so big, so that is why refereeing is so important. Both French tries are scored after forward passes, but what about that advantage in the final minute which IS OVER with the ball in the air...

You know that France are penalised twice in the entire match!? I watch rugby for 35 years and this have to be an world RECORD!!! Refereeing was one sided and for all the impartials it was obvious to see. I wonder why?

Maybe Barnes want to see England play France in the semis, it will be easier, no?

For sure rugby became more like soccer, with so much money involved...

But what a SHAME, what a PITY!!!

You know, I am not a Kiwir,I am a so-called 'Minnows', but in 35 years I had not seen something like this before!

Gentlemen, I will be very surprised if you let the world to see my message.

- Dan (A minnow from Romania)

Form, combinations, rotation policy, conditions, tactics, home venue, size and simply just skills are all contributions to a result, but the biggest factor of all is the referee's judgement -- and that is as uncontrollable/influenced as all others put together.

I am not suggesting the referee was the reason for the All Blacks losing, but I must admit that Wayne Barnes was heavily influenced and it was very obvious during this match. I don't think the AB's got a penalty in the whole 2nd half because Wayne Barnes was not looking for one to award NZ. There was evidence of hands in the ruck and off sides against France just like he blew so targetingly against NZ, only the ref was on the wrong side. I also might have let the 'forward' pass go, but I noticed he had a scientific eye out on a few AB passes that killed off 1 or 2 promising moves. He also took Richie McCaw out of the game early through tunnel-focused refereeing (again perhaps correct but don't tell me it wasn't premeditated). The interpretation of 'wheeling a scrum' is still fuzzy and was also taken out of the game early as a tactic for the AB's. The questionable yellow card could have gone either way, but there were too many 'one-way' signs pointing or not pointing to Wayne Barnes' whistle and I feel sorry for the All Blacks.

This is not the first time we have discussed such an issue. Marcelo Loffreda had to 'beg' Paddy O'Brien for just a little bit of equality -- what does that tell you? I hope France go on to win, but this entire World Rugby ordeal resembles a few authors (on and off the field) that have pre-scripted the big stage and all who that will be at it.

- The Balls

Firstly the game could have gone either way. France showed great defence at the end to hold on.

McAlister's yellow card was a poor decision by the ref - that ended up costing the All Blacks 10 points while he was off.....

I am an All Black supporter and what disappointed me mainly was the All Blacks took the "play it safe" approach. They obviously thought that's

all they needed to do to win this game - wrong... They clearly lacked respect for the French. The All Blacks with this tactic of keeping it with the forwards and hardly ever giving their backs the opportunity (the All Blacks strengths) cost them. In these knock-out games you have to take some risks, throw it around a little and trust & hope things come off. The All Blacks error in their approach was not to risk much at all. This in the end has cost them the opportunity to win a World Cup.

Finally, who decided they should have 1987 World Cup winners stitched on their sleeves...? That's just embarrassing.

- Mark Robson

Feel really sorry for the Kiwi's as each World Cup goes by the "choker" tag hangs exponentially heavier around the All Black neck. The pressure on the home team come 2011 in New Zealand will be enormous.

But why why why on about the 75th minute when the All Blacks were 2 points behind and they were in the French 22 area didn't they go for the "no brainer" drop goal which even a lock forward could have put over...

- Graham Baker

Cough! Cough! Cough!

Sorry, just choked on that World Cup.

Regards,

Graham Henry

Seriously though, a shame for the NZ team - quality rugby players throughout. However, France played cleverer rugby than NZ. 9-man rugby with pick-and-drive perhaps made sense while McAlistair was off, but not later. Each time the ball was spread wide they looked dangerous, the French midfield defence was not up to scratch. NZ could still have cleaned them up in the last 10mins if they'd played to their own strengths.

McAlistair's comment that they 'never felt it slipping away, remaining calm right to the final whistle' beggars belief. Perhaps more urgency was exactly what was required and the lack of recent games with NZ requiring to close out a tight game inch by inch making the right choices was what made the difference.

- Glenn Christie

Choked again, unbelievable!

- David Turner

As an Englishman living in Australia I feel reasonably qualified to state objectively that the All Blacks were robbed by one of the most inconsistent refereeing performances I have seen. Who is to blame for selecting a 28 year old clearly out of his depth and responsible for depriving the RWC of its showpiece team. Strangely un-commented upon in your website?

- Mark Weenink

I'm a Frenchman but I was really uncommitted yesterday because I don't support my national team. What I've seen from my neutral point of view is that the ABs were dominant in every aspect of the game but probably not as dominant as expected. They were however superior for scrums as well as line-outs and attacking plays. I've been thinking all along that the ABs would prevail by a 10-15 point margin. But the decisive factor was to be the refereeing by Wayne Barnes. From the start he has overtly favoured the French side with some very mysterious calls. The forward pass (by a meter) between Traille and Michalak was the most blatant evidence of his pro-France bias but unfortunately not the only one. What about the sin-binning of McAlister if we consider that the French players did the same kind of obstruction at least two times ? What about so many advantages forgotten after so few phases of play by the ABs?

It is probably true that the ABs can't cope with the mental pressure of play-off games unlike the Frenchmen and true as well that the Kiwis were unlucky with so many players wounded. But I shall think that they have been robbed by the English referees. Why? Questions remain... unanswered.

- Cory (Brest, French Britanny)

Who in hell thought the snot nosed Pom ref could officiate a game of rugby - leastwise a game of tiddily winks, only the ole farts in the IRB and the kiwi moron Paddy O'Brien - paid lackey of the ole farts - knows the answer to that one. The NH countries can't genuinely compete with the ABs in fair play and exchange, so they proceed to play childish bloody mind games. Change their alternate Jerseys to clash with the Black of the ABs - as the Frogs, the Welsh and the Scots - again with the obvious consent of the ole farts. Even after MacAlister was - unfairly yellow carded - the ABs had the game won. However, the Whipper snapper snot nosed Pom ref awarded the Froggies a 'forward pass try' which he and his 'highly observant TJs' were disposed very kindly 'not to see'.

My suggestion is that the SH should move out and away from the old farts club to reform a SH Rugby fed - embracing the South Pacific, the Nth & South American continent, and all points South of the Equator aside from the Subcontinent, central and eastern Asia. Get rid of the NH crap and boredom of stomping Rhinos playing a style of Rugby which died back in the days of Noah and the Ark.

- Ron Smith (Waikato, New Zealand)

The masters of politics have pulled it off again.

Who is it that should get the blame, the Rugby jersey manufacturers or the person responsible for ensuring there is no colour clash. Is that person going to step up when the colour clash happens again when South Africa meet France in the final.

Is it Paddy O'Brien who sent a boy into a mans world. If I was a New Zealander I would have to ask the question of their top man unable to influence his referees to be consistently officiate to international quality not just to a English premiership standard. Admittedly he let the game run, only 9 penalties is good for an Englishman but he had to work hard to get the required yellow card in.

The All Blacks being penalised 7-2 and having +60 per cent of the possession, a French team with self discipline erm yeah we will have to see what happens if Messer Kaplan, Dickinson or Walsh officiate the next one.

Who ever is to blame it is not the 40 foot soldiers that run out onto the pitch last night, as always the game was won and lost long before by the Old Boys club in their out of date smoking jackets.

- Disenchanted (Cumbria, UK)

The French stole the match with a forward pass going through a door left wide open by New Zealand.

- Hugo Frederick

Chokers, enough of the big talk now go home so we can forget about your supposed "greatness".

- Fergal Lynch

Good to see an English ref adjudicate in the Southern Hemisphere tradition of no off-side line in the rucks and missing forward passes. Manufactured a fantastic tournament result to fill the press pages for days to come. Never mind another 4 years of pick-and-go with up-and-unders to look forward to. Superb.

- Perry

Doug Howlett should have started. He would have offered variety, experience, cohesion and intelligence.

- Bruce Mitchell

I love this World Cup!

There are big surprises, look at England, Argentina or Fiji or Tonga. Maybe, the Scots will go to the semi-finals...

That's sport - it's not calculably :-).

And I will say, wouldn't it be boring to see the same teams in the semi-finals at every World Cup? So I'm glad with that situation.

And also the format is ok. 20 teams - not less! Give the growing up rugby nations also a chance to perform on the big level.

- Frank (Germany)

I have lost faith in international rugby after being an avid supporter for 35 years. Until the IRB sorts out rule interpretations, and supply truly objective refs the World Cup will mean nothing. I have never seen such domination over another team end with a loss. A southern hemisphere ref would have resulted in a 25-point margin to the All Blacks - and I am not even an All Blacks supporter. This years winner of the World Cup will not be the best team and the IRB are responsible!

- Craig Silbery

The facts are New Zealand played poorly. In the first half they spent too much time in a pointless ping-pong kicking duel with the equally weird French boot merchants, when they should have run,run,run: this being the thing they do best. Given the astonishing stats of French lineouts lost and French scrums stuffed, the ABs could not possibly have lost this game, except they conspired to play to their opponents strengths and not their own.

Just like the Ozzies, NZ had soft games in their pools. We who support SA can be thankful that SA, despite the supposedly "easy" path to the semis, in fact now look to have had the hardest path of all - they may have learned how to win the RWC, whilst the Antipodeans learned nothing from their soft wins and buckled at the first real challenge.Did you hear the astonishing stat that France made 178 tackles and NZ only 36 the whole game? That tells one who wanted it and who did not.

When Carter and Kelleher went off, the NZ writing was on the wall, particularly at No 9, as re-placement scrummie Lennon showed there is Super 14 style and then there is RWC rugby...and how different they are.

The ABs may complain about the forward pass to Michalak but in fairness, they throw lots of forward passes in loop moves, using the passer as a shield - it's almost an art form the ref can almost never pick up.

However, if they have to complain about a single forward pass as being the reason for defeat, they do not deserve to have won anyway. From a Bok perspective, if we ever get to the final I think we would stand a better chance against the AB's we saw today than the France that will be pumped up like Marion Jones on a turbo charged steroid drip tomorrow.

- Peter Giraudo (Nairobi)

What a fantastic day of rugby. Who would have believed it? As an Ireland supporter living in France, the French Nation gave Les Bleus virtually no chance. But then...

For months we have had the likes of Sean Fitzpatrick, and other NZ pundits telling us that this is the best prepared All Black team, who would not choke because they are no longer complacent or arrogant. And they would not be choking!

In the second half the All Blacks resorted to forward play, pick-and-go, which if an England team had adopted these tactics, would have brought the usual puerile comments from Down Under.

The ABs seemed like rabbits caught in a spotlight in the second half. They froze and choked, again. The impression was that both the ABs, and Oz earlier, believed they would win their games simply by turning up. Both of these so called rugby giants were crap and got the result they deserved. The ABs may be the best rugby team on the planet, but when it matters, they... oh dear, oh dear.

For them I guess it is four more years of a choking handle.

The ABs and Aussie dumped out of the World Cup in the quarter-finals. What a great tournament. Let's hope Argentina can progress and before we have all the claims that they are Southern Hemisphere, remember, virtually all their top XV play in Europe.

Maybe, just maybe, Argentina will be allowed into the Tri- Nations or Six Nations tournaments with immediate effect.

Meanwhile, I hope the supermarkets in the antipodes have plenty of Kleenex for all those tears.

- Keith Charge

I watched the game, had hoped that New Zealand would take the game out.

In back my mind I had sour memories of the 1999 Rugby World when the French came back to win the game.....game taken right under the noses of the All Blacks.

The same thing happened this year - 13 point lead lost.

The French team was motivated, self-belief to win and they did it with style.

I have no complains about the All Blacks coaching staff. The best anyone, anywhere for offer and I strongly believe this panel should be retained, they need more support.

As for the players, a dream team! In today's game, I felt that the team leaked motivation and self believe in winning. The ruthless approach was not there in the team. The team seemed too confident to win and were lost under pressure with a lack of idea.

I strongly believe New Zealand rugby should bring in people with the likes of John Kirwan, Zinzan Brooke, Sean Fitzpatrick and Grant Fox. These guys can provide the edge that the AB's need. For instance look at the Japanese coached by John Kirwan - under him they did very well. Japan were a team that was motivated and played well and I think if Japan had players with the likes of All Blacks, these guys would a blast.

Overall the AB's leak the ruthless approach of the 80's & the 90's - something that is missing in the team - and the killer instinct to win and win big. I believe now it's time that NZ rugby sits down and finds a solution for this. Remember, 2011 will be in New Zealand...

- Avi

Its all over, four more years boys and all that!

The All Blacks played poorly and serious questions must be asked about rotation and conditioning but a World Cup of one game is just not a World Cup at all. It didn't take Einstein to see that we would have no competitive games in pool play, this exposed us to the huge risk of playing the fired up and match hardened runner up from the pool of death. Rotation meant the top team had hardly played together, the draw meant they would only get one chance. And so it was that on the not so level playing field of the sixth world cup that the All Blacks are out.

A World Cup is not an easy thing to win at all, surely we have learned that by now. It seems to me that we were still mucking around with selection up to the last minute, so called first choice players like Conrad Smith and Doug Howlett were dropped on basis of what? We needed experience at the death but the subbing policy couldn't be changed and Oliver, Kelleher, and Collins trudged off while Mauger and Thorne watched the whole game from the stands. The All Blacks had the least number of players over 30 years old of the top 10 teams at the cup.

See you in 2011.

- Rob

C' est deja vu, toujours nous avons le beau coup talent mais pas la meilleur equipe.

Unfortunately, we have once again proved to be the ultimate rugby chokers on the world stage or is it that our opposition just steps up to the plate on the big occasions? I really don't know. But I do know a country's dream has been lost and yet again a rugby mad nation weeps. Yes the fabulous French absolutely positively deserved their win. No refereeing excuses, no rugby rule interpretation manipulations nor the tedious jersey gate manifestations. Rugby is a simple game and we often forget that in peripheral of professionalism. Only the players and then the coaching staff have themselves to blame. Sadly, I can't help feeling that we still haven't learnt from our prior mistakes of the past and we continue to relive them.

New Zealand won in 1987 because we selected a specific team to follow a specific 'bread and butter' strategy. All our later campaign failures have involved a pampered group of multi talented individuals. These failed stars continue to be enticed into a world that is not congregant with winning big match tournament rugby. The reality is that all the positive corporate stroking and the Super 14 format dampers their inner combative strength to win. They lack the 'right stuff' mentally when needed on the big occasions. These stardom distractions inhibit the gutsy traditional AIl Black synergy.

New Zealand Rugby historically has a proud heritage from the grass roots of ordinary blokes and gals. However nowadays it is played as a form of income entertainment by a few untouchables rather than those who represent a nation's passion and I lament that. New Zealand rugby players have not yet integrated well into the professional tournament format because the intrinsic motivation to win has waned under their lifestyle change of extrinsic rewards .

Selectors need to realise that it takes a motivated team work horses to win a Rugby World Cup campaign NOT a group of overpaid show ponies.

- Blair McEwen

What I made of the game was the Pom ref and linesman were pathetic and the French defended well but with 72 per cent of possession surely we should have had some penalties in the French 22 but it was like the French did not play cynical rugby like Luke McAlister did being yellow carded which gave the opportunity to the French, but hey thats how World rugby looks to beat the All Blacks is defend defend and defend and have a ref who in the second half just would not find fault in the French or knew what the offside line was. But hey thats life well have to have four more years of All Black dominance and hopefully they will win at home but it all depends on the rub of the green.

- Marvin Boyce

Congratulations to France.

However, even the most one eyed anti-All Black fan would probably concede that two crucial decisions by the rookie Ref cost the AB's victory.

McAlisters sending off for basically doing nothing was laughable and how the ref missed the huge forward pass that lead to the second French try we'll never know.

- Bryan

I have defended the All Blacks for years on end. Saying that some of their poor exits from previous World Cups were simply due a bad performance, something not clicking right but it is just clear now, the All Blacks choked. Everything was going right for them, they had an amazing squad, a superb 1st five, and most importantly a forward pack that had become more fearsome than any All Black team in the past few years. And what did that add up to, nothing. When it counted most they couldn't keep their composure. I don't exactly think that Wayne Barnes was up to the task and certainly should take a lot of heat for some questionable decisions, but it was the French who just let the All Blacks bash themselves into oblivion and came away the victors.

There are so many questions that arise. McAlister was unlucky perhaps to be sent off but why was he kicking that last conversion?, Evans is ten times the goal kicker. Why did the AB's play it just as safe as the French did. Why didn't they use that so called star studded backline instead of going 20 phases and knocking the ball on. I wish I could blame the team or the coach but its time to face facts, the All Blacks will never win the big one until they have actually won it.

- James Chellingworth (Brisbane, Australia)

It is evident that when you really have something to fight for rather than against then good Will always triumph over negativeness.(sic) Australia and New Zealand today both proved that by their lack of real belonging that they will always be vulnerable to defeat by the true home rugby nations.

Agincourt was the classic example of this...

Allez France England expects.

- Dominic Sheridan

I thought France deserved to win this game and good on them. The All Blacks showed little flair and were bereft of ideas, perhaps they believed their press. I thought back to the 1996 All Blacks and made a mental note of the large number of world class players they had. I look at the 2007 All Blacks and they would be lucky to have two or three... they were overrated for quite some time.

I have followed rugby in New Zealand since around 1967 - those days are gone and New Zealand is a much different country and rugby isn't the be all and end all. I was pleased to enjoy the game in those halcyon days.

- Kevin Houlihan (Dunedin, New Zealand)

I think what we have seen at this world cup is the new direction rugby is taking. It is now no longer enough just to be good with ball-in-hand; the real game is the contest at the breakdown, and with the new rules coming in next year we will see that much more. Argentina have been great at the break-down, and England showed it against Australia. No more standing off the breakdown hoping for quick ball boys! Get stuck in!

Argentina v France for the final!

- Gavin W. Smith

I am truly in shock of this one. I felt the Blacks were the superior team on the day. I also feel that France got every single break, bounce, and call (forward pass on the game winning try to put Freddie Michalak into space) that a team could get. Give credit on their defence but for me the World Cup is over.

I really could care less who wins at this point in time. Let Fiji take it home for all I care.

- Just another shattered AB fan

C