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 All Blacks left blue New Zealand will have to play way into next World Cup
Posted: Tuesday November 09, 1999 06:01 PM
By Leora Blumberg, CNN/SI ATLANTA (CNN/SI) --The biggest surprise of the World Cup was not so much that Australia won. The shocker was that because New Zealand did not qualify for the final, then lost its playoff match against the Springboks, the pre-tournament favorite All Blacks will suffer the ignominy of having to qualify for the 2003 World Cup. This is because only the top three teams automatically qualify for the next World Cup, with the remaining squads forced to qualify for the tournament on the field, advancing through various stages. The New Zealand team and coach John Hart had been roasted by both the foreign and local press in New Zealand for their loss to France. That defeat and the All Blacks' following loss to South Africa resulted in Hart resigning his post as coach. Still, the All Blacks were cheered up when on their return they found Prime Minister Jenny Shipley and many loyal fans awaiting them at the airport. Australia's five-week quest for the World Cup championship came to a successful end on Saturday when the Wallabies dismissed France 35-12 at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff to become the first country to win two World Cups. The French, although game, failed to deliver the sort of performance that had ousted New Zealand only a week before. As time slipped by and the French saw the match and their Cup hopes dissolving, they appeared to lose heart and become desperate. That resulted in loose play and poor handling of the ball, which allowed the Australians to cross the line twice late in the match. On Sunday, a panel of 12 judges unanimously picked Tim Horan of Australia as their player of the tournament. Horan had earlier in the tournament picked up a prize from Guiness for the first try scored in less time that it takes to pour the perfect pint. Only 92 seconds into the Wallabies' game against Romania, Horan had crossed the tryline. The Australian team had dubbed its campaign "Bring back Bill" in honor of its first title, won in 1991 at Twickenham. An exhausted Australian team arrived in Sydney to a rousing rendition of "Waltzing Matilda" from several hundred waiting fans Monday night, less than 48 hours after the final. Horan was the only Australian team member who remained in England, but will join the team back home in time for formal celebrations. Even the French were by no means regarded as losers, as about 10,000 fans turned out to celebrate their heroes on the team's return to Paris. French fans truly appeared to appreciate the fact that their team, which had finished last in the 1999 Five Nations, had not even been regarded as a serious contender for the trophy. Although the final went much as expected, the playoff between South Africa and New Zealand was somewhat of a surprise. The All Blacks had beaten the Springboks both times the two teams played in the Tri-Nations earlier this year.
Quote of the weekend"People back home were baying for my blood. They have got it," said John Hart on announcing his retirement as New Zealand coach following back-to-back losses to Franc and South Africa.
Quote of the tournament"We have to play a lot better against New Zealand. If we play badly, they will beat us and the French press will decapitate us like Marie Antoinette," said Jo Maso, the French general manager.
Man of the weekendAustralia's diminutive scrumhalf George Gregan, who appeared to be everywhere at once, rarely erring and never failing to face down even the biggest of opponents.
Man of the tournamentArgentina's Gonzalo Quesada, whose 102 points were the highest score of the tournament. It was his kicking that ensured his team a quarterfinal spot against France.
The last wordPhil Kearns, Australia's recently retired hooker, said Monday that Australia could learn "a million lessons" on what not to do at the 2003 tournament.Kearns was apparently dissatisfied with what he felt was an almost non-existent promotion of the World Cup, the lack of a consistent standard of refereeing and the poor service provided by the host television broadcaster.
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