Part 5 in a 10 Part Series celebrating the upsets and classic matches at Rugby World Cups.

This installment: 2003 – the tournament stolen by dingoes – on so many levels.

As stated previously this was written almost entirely from memory – which makes it difficult given I have no memory of the match that makes up this entire report – and therefore some “facts” may not have been properly researched.

2003
Australia 22 v New Zealand 10

Nup.

Blank.

Nothing.

All right, all right.

Former All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick was quoted in the lead up to this match as saying he would not pick a single Wallaby in a combined ANZAC side.  I’m sure those words have been shoved down his throat by indignant Aussies ever since, but perplexingly given the result, he was pretty much right.  Given the form they had shown in 2003 and the early Cup games, with the exception of Stirling Mortlock and George Smith, not one of that Wallaby team could have been considered possibilities for an ANZAC XV.  Mortlock’s selection would have been by default as the All Blacks were forced to play a fullback out of position (not that Stirling’s bad or anything), and Smith was suffering from the Australian obsession with Phil Waugh and was out of position – so would not really be picked as a blindside flanker.

On proper examination of the facts this is a bigger upset than the New Zealand v France semi-final four years earlier.

New Zealand came into the tournament on the back of some sublime form.  During their away leg of the Tri-Nations they had racked up over 50 points against both South Africa and Australia.  They had returned to New Zealand and defeated the Springboks with a “rotated “ forward pack and held out a late Wallaby comeback to regain the Bledisloe Cup. 

Earlier they had dropped their first test of the season against raging hot World Cup favourites England by a measly 2 points – and the minimal margin was despite the side looking a little experimental (Umaga-Nonu midfield, Howlett at fullback, So’oialo at number 8). 

In spite of losing, this match showed they were more than a match for the England touted forwards, matching up for size and weight, as they took the honours in the forward battle.  (Should anybody ask about the supposed “victory” of England’s 6 man scrum – itself a result of their repeated cynical cheating – please remember that the All Blacks won that battle: securing first a penalty from scrum time, then a penalty try – I’m looking at you Ben Kay. Unfortunately referee Stuart Dickenson, who has had the odd random moment in his career, could not see the plainly obvious.  But I digress.).

Australia meanwhile, in addition to dropping both Tri-Nations/Bledisloe matches to the ABs, got past Wales & Ireland early in the season, but was monstered by England and split the two games with South Africa – at no stage looking comfortable.  In early tournament games Australia managed wins but was far from fluent against Argentina, and looked distinctly vulnerable against Ireland and Scotland in the quarter final.

New Zealand breezed through their early matches and had been expected to blow past Wales with no problems.  Wales however gave them a little tickle up, but a three try final quarter saw the All Blacks home.

New Zealand’s forwards returned to form in the quarter final against South Africa – with the only worrying aspect being the lack of finishing of the many chances created.

The theme common across their most impressive games in 2003 leading into the semi-final (i.e., the quarter final, the two away Tri-Nations games, and the England test) was the forward tactics employed.  Much of the All Black play in these games looked to punch holes close the breakdown, using one-off and inside runners, pick-and-go’s and mauls to make ground.

Many Australian analysts would suggest that defensive lapses in the New Zealand backline won them the match.  However the abandonment of the forward tactics previously employed to such good effect was in my opinion the deciding factor.  Switching tactics to using runners two-out and wider of the breakdown fell right into the teeth  of the Australian defence, and suited their two-open side flanker combination.  This was compounded by the early loss of Justin Marshall, who reveled in this game plan.  Marshall has suggested that the shot by Smith that took him out was premeditated, which is difficult to prove.

Had the All Blacks been able to capitalise on the possession they gained as the match wore on they could have subdued the Wallabies forwards and clawed back the early lead. 

Regardless of the whys, Eddie Jones out-coached John Mitchell, and the Wallabies, written off by so many, deserved their victory by passionately implementing their game plan.

The match could easily have gone the “right” way if two early incidents favoured the All Black’s.

The first of these was when Mils Muliaina was put over in the right hand corner from an excellently worked backline move.  The try was (correctly) referred to the Television Match Official who ruled “no try”.  I have been surprised by the lack of comment on this decision as I believe that there was a strong case for awarding the try (even under the old rules requiring “downward pressure” – it should certainly have been awarded under the “control” ruling now in force – I’m not sure when this law changed). Perhaps New Zealanders are more gracious in defeat than some like to paint us?

The second was the famous Mortlock 14 point try.  With the line open Carlos Spencer floated a pass that would have had any one of about three All Black backs under the bar.  Mortlock, showing great anticipation, took the only option available to him and flashed in for the intercept – streaking 90m to register seven for his team – a 14 point turn around that was effectively the winning of the match.

The All Blacks showed some signs of making a comeback – skipper Reuben Thorne crashing over before the break – but the Australian defence was stifling in the second half.

I’m convinced that New Zealand had the beating of England, and perhaps their minds were not entirely on the job at hand.  But that point is completely moot – and does not sufficiently acknowledge Australia’s part in this match.  Australia outplayed the All Blacks on that hot Sydney night and now they have had to wait “four more years, boys, four more years” to have another crack at the William Webb Ellis Trophy.

That coach John Mitchell lost his job following this match was pounced on by the World rugby media and fans as “proof” of how vicious New Zealand are towards their failed coaches, and just how desparate they are to win back Bill.  As with all good legends there is a smidge of truth, but also massive amounts of making the facts fit the story. 

Mitchell’s job was lost as a result of his off-field rather than on-field performance – stories of his treatment of sponsors, fellow employees and media abound.  All New Zealanders would recall the frustration of getting any sense from the coach on the few occasions he communicated with the public and the real lack of interaction with  the team in 2003.

Keith Quinn relates an anecdote (which may or may not be true) in his “World Cup Diary” about how as stories of Micthell’s impending demise were circulating before the final, a NZRU official, when asked what would happen if the All Blacks won, replied “that would make things … errr … awkward”. 

Even so, stories circulate that Mitchell was held in high regard as a coach with a future by the NZRU and was in fact given a high profile job by the Union when he lost out to Graham Henry.  One of the great shames of the fall-out from the Mitchell era is that the most successful coach in SANZAR rugby, Robbie Deans, remains an outsider for the head job due in large part to his commendable loyalty to his erstwhile boss.  Deans, who shoulders much of the blame for the loss from some quarters, did not apply for the head-coaches job – preferring to stand again as assistant to Mitchell.

There is little doubt in All Blacks supporters mind that they have the right guys steering the ship now, and regardless of the outcome in France that they have done everything possible, and have given us back our All Blacks.

Australia went on from here and nearly pulled off the upset of the century (given that the century was only 3 years old) in taking England deep into extra time before Johnny Wilkinson’s droppy was able to able to break the deadlock in an epic final – probably the best of the five World Cup finals to date.  This is of course dealt with in the upcoming “Classics” series.

Please watch this space as our series will move to examine all the other matches that caught our imagination – perhaps through the sublime quality of the rugby, the try for try thrillers, the almosts and the outright thrashings.