The All Blacks managed to salvage something from their disappointing 2003 Rugby World Cup campaign when they beat a sub-standard French team 40-13 at the Telstra Stadium in Sydney -- securing themselves third-place at the RWC.
It was the most-often repeated statement before the game and it proved true, this useless third/fourth-place play-off contest is a game nobody wants. The French certainly looked disinterested, with the Kiwis' focus were more geared towards displaying their individual brilliance than their capabilities as a unit.
But to their credit, the All Blacks were the more willing team on the day and it showed on the scoreboard -- as they won by six tries to one.
All Black captain Reuben Thorne probably summed it up best afterwards when he said he was just happy that the guys managed to pick themselves up from the disappointment of having lost to Australia in the semi-final last week.
France's New Zealand-born centre Tony March also touched on the subject of how difficult it is for players to get motivated for this game, saying: "We struggled to get going or get any continuity."
The lack of purpose in this French team showed in some of the match statistics.
The French missed 43 first-time tackles, which in itself ask some questions about the All Blacks' ability to finish opportunities they created.
And then there is the fact that the Kiwis had a major share of the possession, dominating the ruck-and-maul count by 93-53.
From the outset it was clear there would be less structure to this match than either of the semi-finals, with the Kiwis, in particular, keen on throwing the ball around.
With no pressure on either team, and the French looking rather lackadaisical at times, it allowed All Black first five-eighth Carlos Spencer all the time and space he would never enjoy in a game of any real meaning.
Ironically the French enjoyed the best of the early exchanges, but with no reward, as fly-half Gérald Merceron pushed a 10th minute penalty attempt wide.
Two minutes later All Black lock Chris Jack strolled over for the first try, following a brilliant counter from deep inside their own half when fullback Mils Muliaina launched the attack from a poor French kick.
The decisive break came when Spencer flicked a typical inside pass to winger Doug Howlett. With the French scrambling back, the Kiwis set up quick ruck ball just outside the French 22 and then Jack found the gap. Leon MacDonald added the conversion.
A minute later, French scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili, taking over the kicking from an out-of-sorts Merceron, kicked a penalty.
But the second Kiwi try was equally as impressive as the first, with Howlett slipping over in the 20th minute after a brilliant break from Muliaina -- following yet another aimless kick by France. Young Daniel Carter, on for the injured McDonald, slotted the conversion.
Yachvili slotted a drop-goal in the 34th minute to complete the first-half scoring.
The French looked as if they would make a game of it at the start of the second half as they began playing with a bit more purpose. In fact, winger Pepito Elhorga, one of their few outstanding players on the night, strolled over after some brilliant angled running.
The try came after the All Blacks, whose handling had not always been as secure as it should have been, turned over ball while trying to run out of their own 22. Yachvili's conversion narrowed the gap to 14-13, but that was to be Les Blues' last score for the day.
And, in a 10-minute spell, starting in the 50th minute, the Kiwis scored three quick tries to kill off any French hopes.
Joe Rokocoko started the rout when he finished off a move started after yet another shocking Merceron kick and the Kiwis countered from deep inside their own territory. The final sweeping move down the left included a typical off-the-cuff Spencer pass.
Next up was replacement lock Brad Thorn, after a quick line-out throw which didn't travel the required five metres -- but was not picked up by the match officials, who seemed to have fallen asleep along with the entire French team.
The third try in this blitzkrieg came when fullback Muliaina went over in the 57th minute and the French seemed to lose interest altogether.
The sixth try came in the 73rd minute only, with replacement flanker Marty Holah scoring after some good rucking and driving from the Kiwi forwards.
Man of the match: French winger Pepito Elhorga tried desperately and scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili also looked sharper than the rest of his team-mates. For the Kiwis the back three of Mils Muliaina, Doug Howlett and Joe Rokocoko were always going to revel in a game like this, while fly-half Carlos Spencer was another who enjoyed the extra time and space. But our vote goes to tireless openside flanker Richie McCaw, who again managed numerous turnovers, heaps of tackles and was almost everywhere on the day. WORLD-CLASS is the best way to describe McCaw.
Moment of the match: Any one of the six All Black tries, as well as the sole French try could qualify. But we are going for New Zealand's first try in the 12th minute, which set the tome for the day. With French fly-half Gérald Merceron launching one of his numerous aimless kicks down field, the dangerous Kiwi backs launched a blistering counter-attack. And it was a cheeky inside pass from Spencer to Howlett, which allowed the winger to cut through the scattered French defence -- before they set up the ruck from where Chris Jack scored.
Villain of the match: The French were never keen enough to even start a fight and the Kiwis also were more interested in flair than fists. No villains.
The scorers:
For France:
Try: Elhorga
Con: Yachvili
Pen: Yachvili
Drop: Yachvili
For New Zealand:
Tries: Muliaina, Howlett, Rokocoko, Jack, Thorn, Holah
Cons: MacDonald, Carter 4
The teams:
France: 1 Sylvain Marconnet, 2 Yannick Bru (c), 3 Jean-Baptiste Poux, 4 David Auradou, 5 Thibault Privat, 6 Sebastien Chabal, 7 Patrick Tabacco, 8 Christian Labit, 9 Dimitri Yachvili, 10 Gerald Merceron, 11 David Bory, 12 Tony Marsh, 13 Damien Traille, 14 Pepito Elhorga, 15 Clement Poitreneaud
Reserves: Nicolas Brusque, Jean-Jacques Crenca, Raphael Ibanez, Olivier Magne, Fabien Pelous, Brian Liebenberg, Frederic Michalak
New Zealand: 1 David Hewett, 2 Keven Mealamu, 3 Greg Somerville, 4 Chris Jack, 5 Ali Williams, 6 Richie McCaw, 7 Reuben Thorne (c), 8 Jerry Collins, 9 Steve Devine, 10 Carlos Spencer, 11 Doug Howlett, 12 Leon MacDonald, 13 Aaron Mauger, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 15 Mils Muliaina
Reserves: Daniel Carter, Marty Holah, Brad Thorn, Mark Hammett, Carl Hoeft, Caleb Ralph
Unused: Byron Kelleher
Attendance: 62712
Referee: White c.
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