Australia 6 - 20 New Zealand: Hosts look ready to triumph again after 24 years

The New Zealanders achieved a 51 per cent share of possession and 64 per cent share of territory with ferocious tackling and a firm, physical authority at the breakdown and set piece. Armed with those advantages and in control of the kicking battle it let loose a backline, managed superbly by rookie fly-half Aaron Cruden, in which almost every player posed an attacking threat.

When the final whistle blew, a 60,087 crowd made up almost entirely of black-clad New Zealanders let loose a deafening roar of mixed relief and elation.

“I thought it was an outstanding performance. I thought the boys were very heroic out there,” All Blacks coach Graham Henry said. “But the job hasn’t been done yet. It’s very important we understand that, get our feet back on the ground over the next two days and build again, for the final.

“I thought the guys’ character was superb tonight and you can’t ask more than that. Everyone who took the field gave 100 per cent.”

The key figures for Australia, the dangerous but erratic fly-half Cooper, and the openside flanker David Pocock were outplayed by their opposites and swept along in the tide of a game controlled from its outset by New Zealand. Pocock, alone and frequently penalised, couldn’t turn back that tide and nor could the Wallabies pack achieve a firm foothold in the match.

Now New Zealand face a French team which has beaten them twice in World Cup knock-out matches but which it beat in the pool stages here.

“I think the All Blacks showed tonight that they’re more than capable of winning,” the final, Wallabies coach Robbie Deans said. “They’re an experienced group, for the nucleus of them this is their third attempt so they are well versed, they’re hungry and they’ve got a lot of support around them, so they’ll take a lot of stopping from here.”

Cooper was held in check by a defence which allowed him few chances, except under the most suffocating pressure. Similar pressure subdued Wallabies scrum-half Will Genia.

In contrast, All Blacks fly-half Aaron Cruden, in only his eighth Test and his first in more than a year, played with the composure of a veteran behind a dominant pack. He cleverly managed an All Blacks backline in which almost every player represented a clear attacking danger but perhaps the greatest of which were the winger Cory Jane and full-back Israel Dagg.

Dagg created New Zealand’s first try for Ma’a Nonu, linking with the centre after splitting the Australian defence on a long, angled run in the sixth minute. Weepu kicked two penalties and Cruden a dropped goal as New Zealand took a 14-6 lead to half-time, then added two more penalties for the only points of the second half.

“Packing down for that last scrum I looked at Will Genia and he sort of said ‘well done’ so I was sort of like ‘that’s the job done,”’ All Blacks captain Richie McCaw said. “But as Graham said (that’s) the job done for this week.

“We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves because we’ve now given ourselves a chance and that’s what you’re doing it for, to give yourself a chance in a final. We’re going to have to make sure we get our feet back on the ground straight away and put a performance together the same if not better next week.”

Australia were seen as the greatest obstacle to New Zealand’s bid to win the World Cup for the first time since it hosted the inaugural tournament and at the end of which they also faced France in the final. France reached the World Cup final for the third time when they beat Wales 9-8 on Saturday.

The All Blacks and Australia agreed the match might hinge on the ability of one side to establish early dominance, then to maintain intense and continuous pressure. New Zealand did so, camping in Australia’s half for the first 13 minutes. Pressure finally told in the sixth minute when Dagg squeezed just inside the touchline and turned an inside pass for Nonu to score. Weepu missed the conversion and a ninth-minute penalty but goaled in the 11th, when Pocock infringed at a ruck, and gave the All Blacks an 8-0 lead.

Australia’s first venture into New Zealand territory almost brought its first try when the dangerous winger Digby Ioane skewed infield on a strong run, fending Mealamu and carrying Cruden almost to the line before flanker Jerome Kaino carried him back. James O’Connor provided Australia’s first points from a penalty, cutting the lead to 8-3.

At a controlled breakdown 30 metres from the goalline, Weepu passed to Cruden in the pocket and the young fly-half slotted a dropped goal which made the led 11-3. Cooper replied with a dropped goal for Australia in the 30th minute.

Weepu added his second goal from five attempts in the 36th minute. He extended New Zealand’s lead with a penalty just after half-time and added another nine minutes from the end.

Australia’s lack of discipline told heavily in both halves while the All Blacks’ discipline lapsed for the first time when replacement Sonny Bill Williams was sin-binned in the 76th minute for a shoulder charge on Cooper.

New Zealand have waited a long time to add a second World Cup title, almost quarter of a century punctuated alternately by high hopes and disappointment.

After winning a tournament they both conceived and hosted, they were beaten by Australia in the semi-finals in 1991, by South Africa in the final in 1995, by France in the 1999 semi-finals, by Australia at the semi-final stage in 2003 and by France in the quarter-finals four years ago.

With each failure, New Zealand fans have grown more impatient and more anxious and the pressure the All Blacks play under at World Cups has grown more intense.

After yesterday’s win they are one step away from easing that anxiety and pressure. In a piece of historic symmetry, they will face France on the ground on which the long quest began 24 years ago.

Scorers: Australia: Pens: O’Connor. Drop Goals: Cooper; New Zealand: Tries: Nonu. Pens: Weepu 4. Drop Goals: Cruden.

Australia: Ashley-Cooper, O’Connor, A. Faingaa, McCabe, Ioane, Cooper, Genia, Kepu, Moore, Alexander, Vickerman, Horwill, Elsom, Pocock, Samo. Replacements: Horne for A. Faingaa (62), Barnes for McCabe (47), Slipper for Kepu (21), Polota-Nau for Moore (66), Simmons for Vickerman (22), McCalman for Samo (60).

New Zealand: : Dagg, Jane, Smith, Nonu, Kahui, Cruden, Weepu, Woodcock, Mealamu, O. Franks, Whitelock, Thorn, Kaino, McCaw, Read. Replacements: S. Williams for Nonu (72), Ellis for Weepu (57), Hore for Mealamu (64), B. Franks for O. Franks (79), A. Williams for Whitelock (57).