New Zealand Sports Roundup

In one of the greatest upsets in New Zealand sports history, the Kiwis did the improbable and trounced the Kangaroos in the World Cup rugby league final 34-20.

It was the Kiwis first ever World Cup win; they had never won a Cup game against Australia. Just a year ago the Kangaroos gave the Kiwis a 58-0 hiding and the Kiwis were swept 3-0 in a series against Great Britain.

It was fitting way to commemorate the centennial of the introduction of rugby league into Australia by a squad of Kiwis tagged the All Golds in 1908.

This was one weekend when rugby league didn't have to play second fiddle in New Zealand winter sports, with the Kiwis World Cup win overshadowing the All Blacks 29-9 win against the Welsh in the rugby test at Cardiff. The All Blacks are now one game short of a Grand Slam of their tour of the UK and Ireland, heading to London to take on England that got its face rubbed in the mud by South Africa's Springboks over the weekend, 6-42.

Incidentally, both the Kangaroos and the Welsh had the audacity to try to stare down the Kiwis and All Blacks during the haka in their respective games. For that act of challenging mana, both opponents got their clocks cleaned during the game. Here's the Welsh attempt at the stare down - unfortunately cut short clip. The ref had to speak to both captains to get the game started. Boys in short pants and all that...

For a respectful clash of hakas & a close game that followed see the Munster v All Blacks haka from last week's midweek game. The Munster side, a club team in Ireland winner of the European Cup, made up mainly of imports was led by 4 New Zealanders in the side laying down a challenge to the All Blacks. Seems to have stirred up a bit of controversy on YouTube with over 500 comments already...

And in other sports news - in the small print - the hapless New Zealand cricket team, the Black Caps, crumpled - or crumbled - due to a brittle batting line up that has been unable to support fine bowling spells by its bowlers who kept Australia to totals of 214 and 268 in the first test in Brisbane. To be fair, the Caps have a relatively inexperienced batting line up that is going to take some time to get battle-hardened enough to play well against the likes of Australia. Nonetheless, Australia was weakened by retirements and recent poor performances in India.

Munster tests All Blacks in Close 18-16 AB Win

Munster, the only Irish side to have beaten the All Blacks - 12-0 back in 1978, carried their mid-week game to a tight close with the ABs in a game that one sports journalist reported as "a nerve-wracking and precious". The All Blacks snatched a try in the last minutes to win the game as left wing Joe Rokocoko stepped inside his old team mate Doug Howlett, playing for Munster, and scored the winning try.

Reporting from Limerick for Fairfax Media, Duncan Johnstone declared:

"For sheer competitiveness, rivalry and intensity, this was the match of the tour so far.

It was retro rugby and it was wonderful - there were scuffles, words in the face of French referee Roman Poite, fallen bodies littering the field at times and a potent mix of passion and skills."

The All Blacks rested most of their top players in advance of the test with Ireland next weekend.

All Blacks Triumphant - ABs 28 - Wallabies 24

The All Blacks stared down the barrel of a gun in their final & decisive test with the Wallabies in Brisbane for the Bledisoe Cup & Tri-Nations trophy. In a close, hard fought game, the All Blacks ultimately triumphed with a 21 point run that the Wallabies could not answer in much of the second half, after the Australians had led 17-7 early in the second half.

The All Blacks carry away all the silverware of the Southern Hemisphere rugby championships for 2008, the Bledisoe Cup having been locked away for a fifth consecutive year. As for the Tri-Nations title, the ABs have 4 consecutive titles and have won 6 out of the last 7. Although the Springboks may be World Cup champions, there can be no doubt who is the Southern Hemisphere champ.