AUCKLAND CLAIMS AIR NZ CUP:

Superb generalship by first five-eighths Isa Nacewa complemented another solid Auckland forward display as it beat Wellington 23-14 in the Air New Zealand Cup final at Eden Park on Saturday night.

A crowd of 16,000 could only marvel at the control of a player who has been a consistently dominant force in the championship winning campaign, in spite of the fact that first five-eighths is not his preferred position.

That seemed to matter little as the game was played once again in driving Auckland rain with Nacewa scoring 18 points and calling the shots in the manner which has seen Auckland complete the feat of winning the championship, the Ranfurly Shield and being unbeaten for the first time since 1990, and it achieved the remarkable feat of winning the championship in another World Cup year.

The only occasion in which it has not won the Cup in a World Cup year was in 1991 when Otago was successful.

The intensity of the occasion resulted in more errors than in Auckland's near perfect display over Hawke's Bay in the semi-final of a week earlier, but its solid defence denied Wellington the vital time necessary in Auckland's 22m area to score the tries to put the pressure on the home side.

Auckland showed its hand from the first time it won ball as Nacewa ran straight and hard to break the first line of defence before being dragged down.

Despite rain sweeping in Auckland maintained the tactic, although its error rate during the first half negated the impact as Wellington tackled well and gave as good as it got.

However, after tries had been denied Auckland in the respective corners due to fine tackles by fullback Cory Jane in the first instance and wing Shannon Paku in the second, the dam finally broke.

Big No.8 Brad Mika looked to have coughed up a try scoring chance after making a break but then baulking on the pass.

However, from the ruck the ball was moved back to the left and big wing Jay Williams aqua-planed his way over in the corner to convince the television referee over the try, his first for Auckland.

Then after Nacewa converted from the sideline, Auckland rampaged back onto attack and from a seemingly blind corridor another try was created by livewire wing David Smith.

His sheer acceleration took him through the Wellington cover and when he was held he flicked a pass which was in fullback Brent Ward's hands for a millisecond as he swept it into Nacewa's hands for him to score and convert to take Auckland to a 14-3 lead after 24 minutes.

Wellington finally got into the Auckland 22m after 30 minutes and while not able to score initially, it broke back when Jane chipped ahead. The ball was taken by No.8 Thomas Waldrom who passed to Jane. However, the fullback slipped and got a pass to lock Jeremy Thrush.

As Waldrom was clattered from behind by Ward, when he didn't have the ball, Thrush had the presence of mind to hold the ball and drive towards the corner where he crossed for the try, once again after video evidence was considered in the 35th minute.

After Auckland went to halftime leading 14-8, Nacewa and Wellington first five-eighths Jimmy Gopperth landed two penalty goals apiece before both sides worked their All Blacks into the game. Wellington replacement No.8 Rodney So'oialo tempted fate with an explosive no-arms tackle on Ward but only a penalty was awarded.

More outstanding cover defence from Waldrom denied a try for wing Smith as Wellington once again denied the home team.

Rain swept in again and made handling something of a lottery.

Wellington had a possible chance after a Gopperth midfield up and under which was taken by replacement centre Conrad Smith. He attempted to slip a pass to Thrush but the lock was unable to hold the ball with the goalline beckoning 30m away.

Thrush just missed another chance in the 66th minute after replacement forward Troy Flavell was sin-binned for slowing ball down in a ruck. Gopperth's penalty shot rebounded off the post and Thrush following up just failed to grasp the ball.

Auckland managed to escape when from the resulting lineout Gopperth dropped the ball and the ball was scrambled downfield.

Again it was Nacewa who carried his side to safety after Wellington was penalised just inside his own half. He calmly put the ball between the posts from 48m out.

Wellington had another late chance but it was only academic as Auckland had moved past the safety of the seven-point barrier and its victory was assured.

Scorers:
Auckland 23:
(Jay Williams, Isa Nacewa tries; Nacewa 2 con, 3 pen)
Wellington 14:
(Jeremy Thrush try; Jimmy Gopperth 3 pen). HT: 14-8

HENRY QUITS ALL BLACKS:

The New Zealand Rugby Union confirmed coach Graham Henry would be replaced at the end of the year after the team's shock World Cup defeat by France.
Henry took charge of the All Blacks after the 2003 World Cup, but chairman Jock Hobbs said: "We'll have a new All Blacks coach in place by Christmas."

Hobbs also revealed an independent inquiry would assess the Kiwi campaign.

Henry said: "There's no need for me or [wife] Raewyn to rush into what we'd like to do immediately in the future."

The 20-18 defeat meant that for the first time the All Blacks would not feature in a World Cup semi-final.

All Blacks legend Colin Meads had led the calls for Henry to be axed.

Meads said: "History tells us if we lose the World Cup, you're history."

Meads, who played 133 times for New Zealand between 1957 and 1971, said Henry must take responsibility for the stunning defeat at the Millennium Stadium.

He said Henry had under-prepared his squad by resting key players for most of the Super 14 season.

"Tragically, we have to say it didn't work out," said Meads.

"Graham usually comes up with the answers, but he didn't this time," he said. "I think we took it too easily, to be quite honest.

"We've got this monkey on our back that we always choke at the World Cup, and that's just going to rear its head again building up to the next World Cup in four years' time.

"We'll go through the same process again. In between Cups we'll be good and then it will all come tumbling down again."

David Kirk, who captained New Zealand to their only World Cup win in 1987, agreed with Meads that Henry's coaching staff had not prepared the team well enough.

"The rotation policy has not worked the way the coaches and selectors would have liked," said Kirk.

"For all the endless hours of training and honing of different combinations they work on, some combinations simply work better than others.

"With the margin of error so fine at World Cups, it is the team management's responsibility to find those combinations and stick with them.

"I think playing the best team regularly is important. It is possible to have too much talent."

Henry was blunt when asked about his own future. "I'm pretty comfortable at 61. I don't have to worry about it. I'm not thinking about it," he said.

New Zealand scrum-half Byron Kelleher admits the defeat to France hurt even more than their semi-final defeat to Les Bleus in 1999.

Kelleher, who ended his 57-Test All Blacks career in the Millennium Stadium, said: "It hurts even more.

"We're a better team than '99 and we know it.

"Personally, to never reach the pinnacle of winning the World Cup breaks me. I'm suffering and it hurts me.

"No disrespect to any of the All Blacks in that 1999 campaign, but the closeness and the camaraderie that we've got in this team is something special.

"We strongly believe we could have pulled it off and we were just two points away. It just didn't go for us on the night.

"All New Zealanders should feel the grief we are suffering. We played for our country and we're hurting that we let them down.

"All we can do is hope the nation can embrace us and understand that we're feeling the same pain within the camp."

Hooker Anton Oliver also admitted the defeat to France was a desperate way for him to end an All Blacks career that has spanned a decade

"After the game I didn't want to take my jersey off, I didn't want to leave it," said the 32-year-old.

"It's very, very difficult for me. No one wants to finish their career like this. We've bled so much for the country and the team had such high hopes.

"It feels like no man's land - and it's not a nice place to be. There has been a lot of people crying, which is not something you see very often so it is quite powerful when you see it."

UNLUCKY BOYS:

New Zealand coach Graham Henry insisted his players could hold their heads up high despite slumping to their worst-ever World Cup campaign.
The All Blacks let France rally from 13-0 down to record a breathtaking 20-18 quarter-final win and eliminate the odds-on tournament favourites.

"It's very disappointing for the guys - they've given their all over the last four years," said Henry.

"I'm very proud of them, but it just didn't happen for us."

The defeat has condemned Henry's much-hyped side to go down in history as the worst-performing New Zealand side since the World Cup started in 1987.

They won that tournament and reached at least the semi-finals in 1991, 1995, 1999 and 2003.

The All Blacks, who have been number one in the world rankings since May 2004, now face another four years of anguish after France's astonishing win at the Millennium Stadium.

"They're a great bunch of young athletes and they've got a lot of pride," added Henry.

"We just didn't finish up with enough points, I'm afraid.

"We didn't get the rub of the green much, but the French played particularly well. I thought they defended superbly and we had a couple of chances which we didn't take, so it's obviously disappointing."

The All Blacks are likely to come in for ferocious criticism from the unforgiving media in a rugby union-obsessed country, but Henry said that the coaches and players had done everything in their power.

"I don't think there was anything else we could have done leading up to the game," said Henry.

"We had a very good week and trained well but it just didn't happen for us."

All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw was left shell-shocked by the defeat.

"I'm lost for words," he said. "With France, we always knew they could come back in the second half. We lost our composure but I thought we could get it back.

"I can't explain it. We believed we had what it takes. In the first half they forced us to play aerial ping-pong - we didn't want to play like that.

"We couldn't get through. It's a day you try to forget."

RUGBY WORLD CUP.

New Zealand (13) 18
Try: McAlister, So'oialo
Pens: Carter (2)
Cons: Carter


France (3) 20
Try: Dusautoir, Jauzion
Pens: Beauxis (2)
Cons: Beauxis, Elissalde

France set up a World Cup semi-final with England after a stunning win over hot favourites New Zealand in Cardiff.

The All Blacks dominated the first half but only had Luke McAlister's try to show for it, with Lionel Beauxis's penalty being France's lone score.

After McAlister was sin-binned early in the second half, Thierry Dusautoir took advantage to score and level the game.

Rodney So'oialo's try restored New Zealand's lead before Yannick Jauzion scored France's match-winning try.


France made their intentions clear by staring down the New Zealand haka before kick-off, but the early loss of Serge Betsen, knocked out cold in a fourth-minute ruck, disrupted their plans.

Dan Carter's early penalty put New Zealand ahead and it looked like a try was sure to follow when McAlister ran straight through the French defensive line minutes later.

But a brilliant tackle by Vincent Clerc forced Ali Williams's feet into touch as he tried to go over in the corner.

That McAlister cameo showed just what a threat he was, though, and it was not long before that threat was converted into points.

Carter's expertly-timed pass sent Sale's new recruit through the French defence once again and he flew over after swapping passes with Jerry Collins.

Another Carter penalty extended the lead as France failed to live up to their pre-match theatrics with any positive action.

They chose not to run the ball out of defence in the first half-hour and only had one Beauxis penalty on the board at the break.

But the game turned just after the restart, when McAlister was sin-binned for deliberate obstruction on Jauzion as he chased Beauxis's kick-through.

France's backs finally sprung into life as a meaningful attacking force, Dusautoir finding a way through on the right to touch down behind the posts.

So'oialo slid under several challenges to claim New Zealand's second try and restore the lead, but the introduction of Frederic Michalak had instant effect as France promptly went ahead for the first time.

Damien Traille fed the fly-half, whose burst of speed took him away from the chasing New Zealand players before he off-loaded to Jauzion to touch down.

Jean-Baptiste Elissalde's conversion put France on top and, inspiring comparisons with their legendary 1999 semi-final win over the All Blacks, they held on for a famous win.

New Zealand's defeat meant they failed to reach the semi-final for the first time in World Cup history.

New Zealand:
MacDonald, Rokocoko, Muliaina, McAlister, Sivivatu, Carter, Kelleher; Woodcock, Oliver, Hayman, Robinson, Williams, Collins, McCaw (capt), So'oialo.
Replacements:
Hore, Tialata, Jack, Masoe , Leonard, Evans, Toeava.

France:
Traille, Clerc, Marty, Jauzion, Heymans, Beauxis, Elissalde; Milloud, Ibanez (capt), De Villiers, Pelous, Thion, Betsen, Dusautoir, Bonnaire.
Replacements: Szarzewski, Poux, Chabal, Harinordoquy, Michalak, Dominici, Poitrenaud.

RUGBY WORLD CUP TEAM NEWS:

New Zealand coach Graham Henry has ushered fly-half Dan Carter back into the side for Saturday's World Cup quarter-final with France in Cardiff.

Carter, 25, missed the 85-8 victory over Romania with a calf strain and has yet to return to full training, but he is hoping to be fit to face the French.

New Zealand's record try-scorer Doug Howlett is left out of the 22.

"Dan Carter was playing 50% of the time in practice [on Tuesday] but it looks like he'll be fine," said Henry.

"We can't be 100% sure on that but we have Nick Evans ready to step in if required, so it's not a major issue.

"Dan is reasonably positive he'll get through, but if we keep pushing him in training he won't get there.

"For him to train at 100% would be suicidal so we need to keep the reins on him a bit."

Only five players remain from the side that beat Romania - inside centre Luke McAlister, wingers Joe Rokocoko and Sitiveni Sivivatu, lock Keith Robinson and back row Jerry Collins.

Howlett, who has scored 48 Test tries, has been kept out of the side by Sivivatu, while Leon MacDonald starts at full-back and Mils Muliaina comes in at outside centre.

Robinson is preferred at lock to Chris Jack, while Anton Oliver starts at hooker, with Keven Mealamu on the bench.

"The selection of the side is probably the most difficult it's been since we've done the job, particularly the backs," said Henry.

"We could have picked any of our 14 backs in this match because they're all playing exceptionally well.

"Up front, there is a bit of a gap between the top and second players in some positions. "That's no criticism of the second player, that's just the fact of the matter.

"Having tough choices to make is a great situation to be in but it's also difficult to inform the guys who haven't been picked."

Henry had all of the 30-man squad available for selection, with the exception of loose forward Sione Lauaki, who was banned for two matches for a dangerous tackle on Romania winger Gabriel Brezonianu.

Henry added: "We are excited to play France. Sudden-death rugby obviously has its own tensions and that's the reality all eight teams face this weekend.

"France probably weren't expected to be in this quarter-final so there may be some extra tension in this match particularly.

"As a team we have really enjoyed the big occasions over the last few years and we've enjoyed a good and thorough preparation for this match."


New Zealand will wear their grey "away" strip instead of their traditional black after losing a coin toss to France, whose shirt is dark blue.
"The All Blacks are a very strong team and if they play in pink, blue or white they would be as strong as playing in black," said France captain Raphael Ibanez.

New Zealand:
MacDonald, Rokocoko, Muliaina, McAlister, Sivivatu, Carter, Kelleher; Woodcock, Oliver, Hayman, Robinson, Williams, Collins, McCaw (capt), So'oialo.
Replacements:
Mealamu, Tialata, Jack, Masoe , Leonard, Evans, Toeava.