New Zealand - France.....

Unfortunately I do not possess the journalistic talent as Marcus Leach, but these words do need to be spread:

Cardiff played host to one of the great Rugby World Cup games on Saturday, regardless of your nationality. The events that unfolded in front of a sold-out Millennium Stadium will live long in the memory, for better or worse.

The overwhelming consensus is that New Zealand choked, and not for the first time in their World Cup history. That, I am afraid, is not the case.

The simple fact is France were the better team on the day. There will be a full inquest into why their coveted team lost in a World Cup quarter-final for the first time in their history, although it seems a futile exercise.

It seems it will only be done so people can hold somebody accountable for the defeat, although the departure of Graham Henry suggests that those in power are letting the blame rest firmly on his shoulders before the inquest has begun.

There comes a time however, no matter how hard it is, to put your hands up and admit you were outplayed. France may not be the better team but they played the best rugby when it counted, both with and without the ball.

Those who use 'choking' as a reason are failing to recognise the French effort and, in doing so, are casting them aside under the assumption that New Zealand only have themselves to blame for the defeat. Quite frankly that demonstrates a considerable degree of ignorance to both teams' efforts, never mind arrogance.

Admittedly a crucial decision went against them when Damien Traille slipped the ball forward to Frédéric Michalak in the build-up to the second French try. But that is not the point here, the point is that France, in the second half, played superior rugby. That is why New Zealand lost and that is what we should be focusing on, not an inquest into what went so spectacularly wrong from an All Black perspective.

Stats can often be misleading, but not in this instance. The tackle count was quite staggering, New Zealand made 36 where as France amassed a staggering 178 hits in defence. The defensive rearguard in the second half was simply amazing. On two separate occasions the French defended for at least twenty-five phases and still, somehow, kept their line in tact.

How anyone can not hail this effort, and simply dismiss it as the All Blacks choking, is unquestionably one-eyed. Add to it that for forty minutes France conceded a grand total of zero penalties and you start to appreciate the magnitude of what happened.

For the last four years we have been constantly reminded of how good the All Blacks are, or were, how they have done everything in their powers to give themselves the best possible chance of winning the World Cup. But ultimately it was not good enough on the day. For all their skill and muscle New Zealand could not match the French passion.

New Zealand played some scintillating rugby at times, showed incredible patience with the ball, but when push came to shove they were outclassed. When you give your all, every last ounce of effort, and come up short you know you have lost to the better side on the day.

To blame Wayne Barnes for their side's shortcomings is evidence enough that New Zealand fans do not want to admit they were not the best team in Cardiff on Saturday. Their record over the past four years shows us that they are the best team in the world, but it doesn't show us that France played a better game of rugby. Even the world's best teams can be beaten, as we witnessed here.

So rather than jump on the 'chokers' band-wagon, try and be realistic. It is easy to cast the All Blacks aside as chokers, but not as easy to hail the French.

Mainly because those bandying the 'chokers' tag around are bitter All Black fans, who cannot admit they were outplayed. But that is the truth, and whether you like it or not France won and rightly so.

By Marcus Leach

A truer could not be spoken.

I find ot funny however the way in which the public has had its outcry... take Mr Wayne "I can't see a forward pass" Barnes' new entry in wikipedia: http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/jpg/waynebarnes3.jpg

Just Amazing.

Fire!