World cup final edition

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Mourinho v Klopp
Manager aiming to kickstart
Chelsea revival against old foe
Page 8
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cYanmaGentaYellowblack
Graziano Pellè
‘My agent said I wasn’t hungry
ngry
for succe
success. I showed him’’
Page 11
Saturday ..
Today 4pm
New Zealand v Australia
theguardian.com/sport
Twickenham (Rugby World Cup final)
Final glimpse
of greatness
Carter and McCaw
bidding to bow out
on top of the world
Page 2
Bluff or blunder? Australia reveal their tactics
Wallaby training notes
captured on camera
Apparent plan to rile Read
and bombard Savea in air
12A
Michael Aylwin
The World Cup final has been given a
delicious twist. Australia appear to have
unknowingly revealed to the wider world
some of their tactics for the match at
Twickenham with New Zealand. Or have
they?
At Australia’s captain’s run yesterday,
Mario Ledesma, the Wallabies’ forwards
coach, was photographed holding an
unfolded sheet of A4 paper, upon which
were typed a series of tactical notes.
By the magic of telephoto lenses and
the worldwide web, these notes were
broadcast across the globe within minutes of Ledesma’s apparent faux pas.
We now know, as do the All Blacks, that
Australia plan among other things to rattle Kieran Read at the restarts, to expose
Nehe Milner-Skudder and Julian Savea to
an aerial bombardment and, shock horror,
to catch everything and chase everything.
Ledesma was in conversation with
Michael Cheika during a break in training,
when he toyed with the sheet of paper in
question. His right hand obscured some of
the print further down the page but nine
bullet points were clearly visible in their
entirety, with the tail end of a couple more
also revealed.
The fully visible notes each begin with
a letter – a K, D, T or A – which appears
to stand for kick, defence, turnover and
attack. There are also references to what
are presumably in-camp codes for specific
plays – the forwards are instructed to
“Snow or play” when shifting off the edge
of a kick receipt, while another bullet point
reads simply: “Badge defence (Wednesday
morning)”. What is more, the first visible
Mario Ledesma holds his training notes
next to the head coach, Michael Cheika
bullet point refers to the hitherto unheard
of concept of “Carter rage”. So angelic has
New Zealand’s celebrated fly-half Dan
Carter been throughout his 100-plus-cap
career that this can only refer to the rage
he inspires in the opposition. Indeed, the
full parenthesis in which it appears reads
“(no Carter rage)”.
Further insights provided by Ledesma’s
notes are that Australia have noticed that
Carter likes to run across the field from
right to left and that Ma’a Nonu has a tendency to use his brutal sidestep against
a press defence. Most of which is well
known.
All this invites the question : are
Australia playing games themselves?
Cheika has been at pains to give the opposition nothing at this World Cup. He has
kept his players on a tight leash in their
media dealings and fielded as many questions as possible himself, never boring in
his responses but unfailingly, painfully
respectful and modest. But he is a wily fox
and his straight-faced demeanour at this
World Cup is itself likely to be a carefully
constructed mind game. Could this little
show be another deliberate ruse, albeit a
rather elaborate one?
When the picture is taken, Cheika’s face
is partially obscured by a sheet of paper
in his own hand but he is clearly looking
at the camera and smiling. Ledesma, too,
appears to be smirking at something. And
why would they have typed the notes out?
Why bring them to a captain’s run, the
purpose of which is to leave the team to
their own devices, having worked through
tactics in training earlier in the week?
And what about the nature of the notes
themselves? Nothing is revealed by them
that is not blindingly obvious. Whichever
way it is viewed, cock-up or conspiracy,
Australia come out of this episode on the
back foot. But as a background mini-drama
it has lent the final an extra dimension.
Rugby World Cup final, pages 2-7 !
2
The Guardian | Saturday 31 October 2015
Sport
Rugby union World Cup 2015
Weekend
at a glance
Surgeon, assassin, artist,
superhero: unstoppable
Carter plots perfect end
TV
Today
Football
Birmingham v Wolves
Sky Sport 1, midday
Celtic v Aberdeen
Sky Sports 2, midday
Chelsea v Liverpool
BT Sport 1, midday
Football Focus
BBC1, 12.10pm
Juventus v Torino
BT Sport Europe, 5.15pm
Preston v Bolton
Sky Sports 1, 5.55pm
Getafe v Barcelona
Sky Sports 2, 7.15pm
Internazionale v Roma
BT Sport Europe, 7.15pm
Football League Tonight
Channel 5, 9pm
Match of the Day
BBC1, 10.25pm
Golf
Turkish Airlines Open
Sky Sports 4, 9am
Tennis
ATP Swiss Indoors
Sky Sports 3, 1.30pm
ATP Valencia Open
Eurosport 2, 2pm;
Eurosport, 7pm
Darts
European Championship
ITV4, 7pm
Formula One
Mexico Grand Prix
qualifying
Sky Sports F1, 6pm
Rugby union
New Zealand v Australia
Bernard Foley has been
on form in this World Cup
and will be aiming to
take the final step and
lead Australia to glory
ITV, 3pm today
Gymnastics
World Championships
BBC1, 1.30pm
Racing
Ascot, Down Royal and
Wetherby
Channel 4, 1.30pm
Snooker
International C’ship
Eurosport, 11.30am
Cricket
Pakistan v England
James Taylor may replace
Jos Buttler as England
shuffle their XI in the hope
of gaining the win required
to square the series
SS2, 5.30am tomorrow
On the web
theguardian.com/sport
The best in live minute-byminute coverage all weekend
Rugby World Cup final
Join Dan Lucas for coverage of
the big New Zealand v Australia
showdown from around 2pm
Football
Chelsea v Liverpool (12.45pm
today) kicks off a busy weekend
F1
Lap-by-lap updates of the
Mexican GP from 7pm tomorrow
The Observer
Tomorrow
The denouement
Reports and reaction from
Twickenham as seven weeks of
rugby comes down to the final
80 minutes. Plus: Eddie Butler’s
World Cup review
Mark Warburton
Ewan Murray hears the Rangers
manager discuss his side’s 100%
league record and that exit from
Brentford after reaching play-offs
Plus
Barney Ronay
on Mourinho v
Klopp … Vic Marks
on the third Test
… Paul Wilson
on Fifa …
another classic
You are the
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New Zealand
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Today 4pm
Twickenham
Weather Dry with mist and fog.
Temperature 13C
New Zealand
No and captain McCaw lead fond farewell of All Black greats
Tomorrow
Football
Hibernian v Rangers
Sky Sports 3, midday
Everton v Sunderland
Sky Sports 1, 12.30pm
Southampton v
Bournemouth
Sky Sports 1, 3.30pm
Lazio v Milan
BT Sport Europe, 7.45pm
Match of the Day 2
BBC2, 10pm
Rugby union
Newcastle v Exeter
BT Sport 1, midday
Leicester v Wasps
BT Sport 1, 3pm
Treviso v Leinster
Sky Sports 3, 2.45pm
Rugby league
England v New Zealand
BBC2, 4.45pm
Cricket
Sri Lanka v West Indies
Eurosport 2, 9am
Golf
CIMB Classic
Sky Sports 4, 6am
Turkish Airlines Open
Sky Sports 4, 8.30am
Tennis
WTA World Tour finals
BT Sport 2, 7.15am
ATP Swiss Indoors
Sky Sports 4, 1.30pm
American football
NFL quadruple bill
Sky Sports 2, 2pm
Darts
European Championship
ITV4, 7pm, Time
Formula One
Mexico Grand Prix
Sky Sports F1, 5.30pm
Snooker
International C’ships
Eurosport 2, 7am;
Eurosport, 11.15am
3
The Guardian | Saturday 31 October 2015
Robert Kitson
R
ugby World Cup finals
are usually tight, tense
affairs but not always
the most vivid of
spectacles. The latest
edition promises to be
different, partly because
the sporting rivalry
between New Zealand and Australia is
so relentlessly fierce. Black versus gold,
Kiwi versus Wallaby; those who reckon
the 2015 showpiece is the poorer for
England’s absence have clearly not seen
many Bledisloe Cup games.
As a special collectors’ bonus, there
will also be a few last fleeting glimpses
of true greatness. Just as the yellowing
chestnut trees alongside the A316 in
Twickenham have been slowly losing
their autumn leaves, so the burnished
legends of the fall are about to wave
farewell.
Few have worn the silver fern with
more distinction than Dan Carter or
Richie McCaw, the incomparable duo
preparing to share a Test dressing room
for the last time.
Much has already been written
about McCaw’s place in the All Black
firmament but Carter, as he prepares to
transfer to Racing 92 in Paris, deserves
equal acclaim. There was a telling
moment in New Zealand’s pre-game
media session when the fly-half, who
missed the 2011 final through injury,
was asked whether this was the defining
moment of his career. Carter composed
a typically diplomatic response before
his head coach Steve Hansen intervened
on his star player’s behalf.
“The career of a guy who has played
over 100 Test matches, like Dan has, is
not defined by one game,” said Hansen.
“It is an important Test match for him
and everyone involved but it certainly
won’t define his career. That has already
been written in the history books.”
It was hard to argue as Hansen
warmed to his theme, reflecting on his
unstoppable machine’s extraordinary
record haul of 1,579 points in 111 Tests
(98 of them won). “He has added to the
All Black jersey in many ways over many
Test matches. When you start out as an
All Black that’s one of the greatest things
you can do.” Even fine baton-wielders
such as Grant Fox and Andrew Mehrtens
were long ago overtaken by the modest,
slightly-built phenomenon who tackled
as surely as he kicked goals. “When
those guys left they said they couldn’t
replace them but a little fella from
Southbridge has done that,” continued
Hansen. “He’s also been through
adversity. It would have been easy for
him to walk away and say: ‘Enough’s
enough.’ But he wanted to finish playing
well and he’s done that. He’s in good
form and, on top of that, he’s just a
normal good bloke.”
Normal off the field, perhaps,
although Carter’s long-time penchant
for collecting superhero costumes might
not obviously back that up. His favourite
comic-strip character, it turns out, is
The Phantom, who has no superpowers
but relies instead on his strength,
intelligence and supposed immortality
to defeat the bad guys. New Zealand’s
on-field phantom has even more skills at
his disposal.
During these past few days his
career highlights reel has been all over
the internet, not least his display in
Wellington during the second Lions Test
in 2005. It is hard to believe that was
more than a decade ago; the blinding
acceleration has slowed slightly but age
has not wearied him in other respects.
He still has virtually the complete
package: the neat surgeon’s precision,
the assassin’s calmness with the boot,
the artist’s sense of time and space. His
confidence has also now been restored
after a couple of horrible injury-strewn
years. “It’s the mark of the guy how he’s
come through that,” reiterated Hansen.
“When you start to play well it’s like a
snowball. It gets bigger and bigger and
then, all of a sudden, it becomes an
Dearly departing
After today’s final the All Blacks will
say goodbye to more than 700 caps
Daniel Carter Age 33 Caps 111
Rugby’s superstar No10. The world’s
record points scorer with 1,579
Richie McCaw Age 34 Caps 147
Flanker would be first captain to lift
two World Cups if the All Blacks win
Ma’a Nonu Age 33 Caps 103
Hard running and deft touches from
No12 have been core of All Black threat
Conrad Smith Age 34 Caps 93
Game-reading and agility complement
his centre partner. 61 Tests together
Keven Mealamu Age 36 Caps 131
Hooker’s experience of big occasion
has been invaluable to squad
Tony Woodcock Age 34 Caps 118
Injured prop a fine scrummager who
missed out on final send-off
In the hours before the
final you can’t coach
players – you just have
to trust them
Graham Henry
avalanche. When he’s like that he’s a
special player.”
A black avalanche. It is as decent a
metaphor as any for those days when
New Zealand pour forward as they did
against France in their Cardiff quarterfinal. The Wallabies will pose a range of
problems, particularly if David Pocock
and Michael Hooper can do some
opencast mining at the breakdown, but
give Carter any time and space and,
even at 33, he will still cut anyone to
polite shreds.
Nor is he short of incentive, having
struggled – “I was pretty devastated”
– to experience the same delirious joy
as his team-mates during the trophy
parade in Auckland four years ago. “The
reason I signed a four-year deal in 2011
was to give myself another chance of
a World Cup. It was in the back of my
mind to be here. I just wanted to be
a part of this side for this World Cup.
That’s what’s been driving the last
couple of years.”
To focus entirely on a couple of
individuals, though, is to underestimate
the collective desire of the All Blacks
ahead of the 80 minutes that could
install them as the greatest team of all
time. No side has successfully defended
a World Cup and Ma’a Nonu, Conrad
Smith and Keven Mealamu, along with
the injured Tony Woodcock, have not
come this far to fold tamely now.
There is also a very different prematch feel compared with four years
ago when the fear of possible failure
almost throttled the hosts in the final
against France. Having lost only three
Tests since August 2011, New Zealand
play these opponents often enough to
know their weaknesses.
Pound the Wallaby front five, kick
shrewdly and stretch their opponents’
defence in the wide channels and even
the occasional David Pocock turnover is
unlikely to stop them hoisting the Webb
Ellis Cup at a venue other than Auckland
for the first time.
Hansen, who enjoys watching
westerns in his spare time, certainly
appears relaxed. The Magnificent
Seven might have been an appropriate
choice this week as New Zealanders
brace themselves for McCaw’s farewell
gunfight but, either way, Hansen is
anticipating a more open final than has
mostly been the case. “You’ve got two
like-minded sides who want to play
footy. I think we’ll see some running
rugby,” said the head coach.
“We’ve got a bit of talent so, if we play
well, the result might come our way. We
won’t be inhibited by the occasion … I
believe we can get better.”
If Carter, McCaw and friends do
end their Test careers sprawled in
the Twickenham dirt, it will be the
Wallabies’ most spectacular World Cup
ambush bar none.
I
appreciate that history counts
for nothing if you are looking for
a winner, but I’m sure it creates
some interest as the Wallabies and
the All Blacks do value their legacy
and try to add to that during their
time.
Incredibly they only played
each other once in the first four World
Cups, Australia winning a semi-final in
Dublin in 1991. Then in 2003 Australia
did the same in Sydney. Both teams
left the tournament at the quarterfinal stage in 2007 and New Zealand
reversed the trend in the 2011 semi-final
in Auckland. Those three semi-final
meetings are cornerstones of the rugby
history of the two teams ranked one and
two in the world.
Australia won the World Cup in 1991,
as did New Zealand in 2011 and you may
remember England pipped Australia
in the 2003 final with an extra-time
Jonny Wilkinson drop goal. So this is the
first time they have played each other
in a final. Both teams will be trying to
become the first team to win the Webb
Ellis Cup for a third time and the All
Blacks the first side to retain it.
The first reaction after reaching
B Smith Highlanders
N M-Skudder Hurricanes
C Smith Pau
M Nonu Toulon
J Savea Hurricanes
D Carter Racing 92
A Smith Highlanders
J Moody Crusaders
D Coles Hurricanes
O Franks Crusaders
B Retallick Chiefs
S Whitelock Crusaders
J Kaino Blues
R McCaw (c) Crusaders
K Read Crusaders
Australia
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
I Folau Waratahs
A A-Cooper Waratahs
T Kuridrani Brumbies
M Giteau Toulon
D Mitchell Toulon
B Foley Waratahs
W Genia Queensland
S Sio Brumbies
S Moore (c) Brumbies
S Kepu Waratahs
K Douglas Queensland
R Simmons Reds
S Fardy Brumbies
M Hooper Waratahs
D Pocock Brumbies
Replacements
Replacements
K Mealamu Blues B Franks
Hurricanes C Faumuina Blues
V Vito Hurricanes,
S Cane Chiefs T Kerr-Barlow
Chiefs B Barrett Hurricanes,
SB Williams Chiefs
T P-Nau Waratahs J Slipper
Queensland G Holmes
Q’land D Mumm Waratahs
B McCalman W Force N
Phipps Waratahs M Toomua
Brumbies K Beale Waratahs
Key clashes
Richie McCaw v David Pocock
They don’t play in the same
position but they are both
after the same thing: to
be first to the ball after
the tackle. For a long
time McCaw has been
the master; Pocock,
though, has been
poacher supreme at this
World Cup
Ultimate Test
Dan Carter trains
at Twickenham for
today’s final, his
first appearance
in rugby’s
showpiece. Below
from left: the
departing All
Blacks Conrad
Smith, Richie
McCaw and
Ma’a Nonu
Tom Jenkins for
the Guardian;
Geoff Caddick/
EPA; Christophe
Ena/AP; Joe
Meredith/Rex
Shutterstock
Ma’a Nonu v Matt Giteau
Where Nonu is physicality and
straight-line running,
Giteau is guile and
misdirection. Where they
align is in the ability to
deliver the exquisite
pass: Nonu to
Barrett against
South Africa,
Giteau to AshleyCooper against
Argentina
Julian Savea v Adam
Ashley-Cooper
Savea is a scoring
machine, Ashley-Cooper
an unsung hero. Both
are in ominous form
but it was AshleyCooper who
was released by
Australia in the
semis, scoring a hat-trick
Stats
D
7
AUS 42
NZ 105
the final will have been relief that a
tricky hurdle had been jumped: “We
have survived, we have a chance now
to be world champions.” Then it will
have been about recovery from the
physical exhaustion accumulated
through training and games over the
past six weeks and going through the
weekly ritual to prepare for the contest
on Saturday. The correct recovery
is massively important and it starts
immediately after the completion of the
semi-final, often taking players until
Wednesday after a Saturday game to feel
relatively normal again. The All Blacks,
being ranked No1, have the advantage of
an extra day to recover and prepare.
Matt Giteau was in the final in 2003.
Richie McCaw and 10 other All Blacks
were involved in the final in 2011 but
this is the biggest game ever for these
teams. The week will have been cerebral
rather than physical, ensuring that the
23 players in each team have total clarity
on unit and individual roles and have a
full tank going into the game.
The ritual involves finalising the
game plan both in attack and defence
based on the analysis from previous
encounters between the two teams and
any other strengths and weaknesses
observed during the tournament. Each
individual player will have taken some
time to view his own game and his
opponent’s to sharpen his mind to what
he needs to win the individual contest.
Then it is about rehearsal, practising
what is required as an individual; as a
unit, backs and forwards, and as a team.
It is important each step is done
methodically and that nobody gets
ahead of themselves and loses focus
because of the importance and the
emotion of the occasion. The plan will
have been for the coaches to have all
this covered early in the week and then
for the captain and senior players to take
ownership and rehearse and execute the
plan with intensity and accuracy two
days prior to the game.
Also it is important absolutely
nothing distracts from this focus. For
example there will be a number of the
senior players playing their last game
for New Zealand, icons like Richie
McCaw, Keven Mealamu, Daniel Carter,
Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith, and it is
disappointing that Tony Woodcock is
not there. They are outstanding people
who have been the backbone of the
All Blacks for more than a decade. That
won’t have been mentioned because
it is a distraction from the focus of the
build-up and the team always comes
first. And these senior players will drive
that focus. The Wallabies will do similar
with the likes of Adam Ashley-Cooper,
Will Genia and Giteau.
Then there is game day. I used to
dread the wait, wide awake at 4.30am
and the match didn’t start until 8pm:
Graham Henry coached New Zealand to
victory in the 2011 World Cup final
more than 15 hours to go and absolutely
nothing to do apart from a walk-through
for the team for 30 minutes around
four hours before kick-off. The players
do their own thing and will have an
individual game-day ritual. I used to
have a three-hour walk with my wife
Raewyn on the morning of a match. In
2011 we walked around the waterfront
in Auckland; people were looking at me
thinking why isn’t he with the team, but
there is nothing you can do but wait and
you are only a phone call away.
Early in my time as All Black coach I
used to give the players a team talk prior
to getting on the bus to go to the game.
I had given a team talk prior to every
game in my previous 30-plus years of
coaching. Tana Umaga, the captain of
the All Blacks during a tour of Europe
in 2005, said to me: “Do you want a
coffee, Ted?” I replied: “OK, T.” He went
straight in: “Why do you give those
team talks?”
I said: “Well I think they may give
the guys a little direction and a little
inspiration.” His reply was abrupt: “Are
they for you or for us?” I was depressed
for a week; I thought I was good at it,
self-assessment of course! I discussed
the value of the team talk with my
fellow coaches Steve Hansen and
Wayne Smith; they were noncommittal,
probably being sensitive. I, and I assume
Steve Hansen too, have not given a team
talk since.
Tana was right and he was obviously
passing on the message of the team.
It is their time, they have to prepare
mentally for the game and they don’t
need the coach telling them what they
know two hours before kick-off.
Then, the game. Well, I’m pleased
that Nigel Owens is the referee. He is
the man in form with the whistle, he is
relaxed, has got a good feel for the game
and relates well to the players.
I hope he won’t be too distracted
by the TMO and assistant referees
and will let the teams decide who will
win. The two sides have only lost one
game each this year. The Wallabies
beat the All Blacks in Sydney to win
the Rugby Championship but the All
Blacks recovered to win the return
fixture in Auckland a week later and
retain the Bledisloe Cup. One-all, but it
does not come any bigger than this, the
Webb Ellis Cup and the title of world
champions.
These teams
have faced each
other 154 times,
with New Zealand
winning 105,
Australia 42, and
seven draws
New Zealand and
Australia are both
looking to win the
World Cup for a
third time, with
the All Blacks the
reigning champions
3
Odds
New Zealand
Australia
Draw
4-9
5-2
25-1
Referee
Nigel Owens Wales
The 44-year-old will become only the
second Welshman to officiate a final,
following Derek Bevan in 1991. He is
known for his assertive manner and
decisive decision-making and has
previously officiated two matches
involving these teams
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