3. New Zealand 34 – 17 Australia: 2015 Rugby World Cup Final
The 2015 Rugby World Cup Final marked the end of an era for six legendary All Blacks, as the Web Ellis trophy was successfully retained by New Zealand. Steve Hansen’s men entered the competition with a ‘make or break’ mentality, with this encapsulated in their fly half Dan Carter.
Carter missed out on the glory of the 2011 Rugby World Cup Final, as he suffered a groin injury just days before the pinnacle event. This training injury weighed heavy on the mind of Carter, and he, along with Richie McCaw, Ma’a Nonu, Conrad Smith, Kevin Mealamu and Tony Woodcock, got their fairy-tale endings to their All Blacks careers.
This ‘last dance’ for the All Blacks could only have been against one opponent. The Wallabies took up the role of the villain, and showed glimpses of upsetting the fans at Twickenham Stadium. England were long gone by the 2015 RWC Final, with defeats to Wales and Australia seeing them fail to progress out of the Pool stages on home soil. Naturally, the English fans at ‘HQ’ sided with the iconic All Blacks, who were off to a fast start.
Carter got points on the board in the early goings, and Nehe Milner-Skudder’s try established a 16-3 lead by half time. Ma’a Nonu’s career defining solo try from his old enemies’ 10m, built a healthy 21-3 lead early in the second half. Yet the Wallabies battled back, with tries from David Pocock and Tevita Kuridrani narrowing the game to just four points.
Dan Carter then reached deep into his arsenal of tricks, and executed a staggering 40m drop goal to re-build the All Blacks lead. This was only Carter’s seventh drop goal in 111 All Blacks tests, with the effort stunning the mentality of Australia, who never fully recovered.
It was only fitting for the final try to come from Beauden Barrett, as the game was put out of reach for Australia. Carter passed the torch to his successor, as Barrett’s try marked the beginning of a new generation of All Blacks. Carter’s final conversion sent the fly half off into the sunset, with the perfect Rugby World Cup winning swansong.
