SA Rugby magazine looks back at the 2011 World Cup, which saw the All Blacks claim a long-awaited second title on home soil.
Having been stripped of co-hosting rights for the 2003 World Cup, which was staged in Australia, New Zealand won the right to be the sole hosts of the 2011 tournament after seeing off bids from South Africa and Japan.
The All Blacks once again entered a World Cup as favourites and were under huge pressure to end a 24-year wait for a second title, having won the first tournament, at home, in 1987.
Big Bok win loading?⌛️@mark_keohane and Zels predict a massacre at the Millennium Stadium when the Boks battle Wales on Saturday 🇿🇦🏴 pic.twitter.com/XqGFcX0mz9
— SA Rugby magazine (@SARugbymag) August 17, 2023
New Zealand had, however, relinquished their Tri-Nations title to the Wallabies in 2011 and also lost to the Springboks in Port Elizabeth. That had been the Boks’ only win of the tournament, with coach Peter de Villiers opting to field a B team for his side’s two away matches with the World Cup in mind.
The Boks – who were captained by John Smit despite Bismarck du Plessis being rated as the world’s best hooker – kicked off their campaign in New Zealand with a fortuitous 17-16 win against Wales in Wellington.
Francois Hougaard, who had replaced Bryan Habana on the left wing, scored the decisive try in the 65th minute when he ran a good line off scrumhalf Fourie du Preez from a ruck near the posts.
Fullback James Hook missed a late penalty goal that could have won it for Wales.
South Africa went on to top Pool D by claiming convincing wins against Fiji (49-3) and Namibia (87-0), and a hard-fought 13-5 victory against Samoa in which they lost centre Frans Steyn to a shoulder injury.
The All Blacks predictably topped Pool A, but suffered a seemingly catastrophic setback when star flyhalf Dan Carter was ruled out of the rest of the World Cup after sustaining a groin injury during training before their last pool match, against Canada.
France qualified for the quarter-finals despite losing 37-17 to the hosts and 19-14 to Tonga in what would be the tournament’s biggest upset, and only managing wins against Canada and Japan.
England and Argentina progressed to the playoffs from Pool B (the former beat the latter 13-9), with Scotland missing out, while Ireland beat Australia 15-6 to top Pool C.
That put the Wallabies into the same half of the knockout-stage draw as the Boks, All Blacks and Pumas, with Ireland, Wales, England and France in the other.
Wales were first to qualify for the semi-finals when they beat Ireland 22-10 in Wellington, before France saw off England 19-12.
De Villiers stuck with Smit at hooker for the Boks’ quarter-final clash against the Wallabies in Wellington, while lock Bakkies Botha was ruled out through injury.
South Africa controlled the game for large periods – they had 56% of the possession and 76% of the territory – but were frustrated by Australia’s defence and the performance of New Zealand referee Bryce Lawrence, whose ‘anything goes’ policy at the rucks allowed flank David Pocock to have a field day.
Wallabies captain James Horwill scored the only try of the match, in the 12th minute, from a turnover and a 72nd-minute penalty from James O’Connor gave them an 11-9 win.
That night, the All Blacks cruised past Argentina 33-10 but lost yet another flyhalf, Colin Slade, to injury.
Wales were expected to beat France to qualify for their first World Cup final and probably would have had captain Sam Warburton not been red-carded for a tip-tackle in the 18th minute of their semi-final.
Wales fullback Leigh Halfpenny’s late 50m penalty-goal attempt fell agonisingly short and the French hung on for a 9-8 win.
The Wallabies made a poor start to their semi-final against the All Blacks when flyhalf Quade Cooper put his kick-off straight into touch. The hosts scored the only try of the game five minutes later, with fullback Israel Dagg beating three defenders before putting centre Ma’a Nonu away.
Four penalties from scrumhalf Piri Weepu and a drop goal from flyhalf Aaron Cruden sealed a 20-6 victory and set up a rematch of the 1987 final.
Few gave France a chance of lifting the Webb Ellis Cup at Eden Park, but they again managed to lift themselves when it mattered.
All Blacks prop Tony Woodcock scored the only points of the first half when he surged through a hole in the middle of the French lineout. Weepu missed the conversion as well as two penalty-goal attempts, and Cruden left the field in the 34th minute with a knee injury, to be replaced by Stephen Donald.
The All Blacks’ fourth-choice flyhalf held his nerve to slot a penalty goal early in the second half, but the hosts appeared paralysed by the occasion and when France captain Thierry Dusautoir scored a converted try in the 47th minute, it looked like history could repeat itself.
But replacement flyhalf Francois Trinh-Duc pushed a long-range penalty attempt wide in the 65th minute and with referee Craig Joubert seemingly unwilling to penalise the All Blacks at the breakdown, there was no other scoring opportunity for the French.
New Zealand celebrated an 8-7 win and captain Richie McCaw – who had played the entire final with a broken foot – lifted the Webb Ellis Cup.
2011 Player of the Tournament
Jerome Kaino played all but 55 seconds of the All Blacks’ World Cup campaign.
The blindside flank’s relentless work rate, strong running game and ball skills made him almost irreplaceable. It was his lineout take that led to Tony Woodcock’s crucial try against France in the final and he also scored four tries himself, against Tonga, Japan and Canada (two).
Kaino was unlucky to miss out on the 2011 IRB Player of the Year award (which went to France flank Thierry Dusautoir), but was named New Zealand Player of the Year.
2011 Playoff results
Quarter-finals
Wales 22 Ireland 10
France 19 England 12
Australia 11 South Africa 9
New Zealand 33 Argentina 10
Semi-finals
France 9 Wales 8
New Zealand 20 Australia 6
Third-place playoff
Australia 21 Wales 18
Final
New Zealand 8 France 7
By Simon Borchardt