The Moment

I'll start at 95 as too young before then...

1995: Lomu against England stands out, in particular the try @booboo references. What a player, watching him in that tournament was really the start of my love for the game. I made a scrapbook of all of the newspaper articles about him. Those were the days...

1999: again Lomu bulldozing through a million French players, single handedly trying to win us the game while already battling his health. He's my favourite ever player, just an absolute giant of the game.

2003: two obvious moments that had me screaming at the TV: Mils' disallowed try and the Mortlock intercept. Was gutted as we'd carved the Aussies up that year and I really thought we'd go all the way.

2007: not a moment per say, but just memories of us hammering the French line waiting for the penalty that was never given until time ran out. Was a bloody long day after watching that in the morning.

2011: the final fucking whistle, and the tension and emotion that was released all over NZ. I can hardly remember the game itself TBH, just remember celebrating like crazy with the boys when it was over.

2015: DCs dropped goal against SA. Was awesome on many levels - such a class player standing up and making clutch plays when it counted after missing 2011 to injury. Felt confident with him at the helm and that really brought it home.

Bring on Japan!

A couple of moments not mentioned so far

1999 - Larkham's drop goal in the semi v Boks

2011 - Kaino manhandling Digby Ioane to stop a try - ABs v Wallabies in the semi

Who was it with the steal in the 2011 final with time up? I distinctly remember Ellis doing something.

2011 Piri attempting to pass the ball with the tip of his boot. That’s when the pacing back-and-forth & chain-smoking started

@Bones said in The Moment:

Who was it with the steal in the 2011 final with time up? I distinctly remember Ellis doing something.

All I remember was Brad Thorn taking the lineout to seal it. Everything else, ‘cept for the ‘Cock’s try, Beaver’s penalty, and Piri attempting to pass with his foot, is still a blur.

@Salacious-Crumb yeah just watched, marched up field and nicely controlled by Ellis, who earns the penalty in overtime.

With most of the big ones covered I'll go with more eclectic ones:

1999: Paddy O'Brien taking the mantle for worst performance by a NZer at the RWC in Fiji vs France.

2003: A very brief (but very real) "oh shit" moment when Wales went up 37-35 in the second half against the ABs.

2007: The first half of the first pool game against Italy is possible the best half of rugby the ABs have ever played. They literally scored at will.

2011: The really weird Sunday after the Carter injury where the Warriors were in the NRL Grand Final, the ABs had to play Canada and Carter's fate would be announced.

1987 - Michael Jones, best player in the world scoring the first RWC try. Blanco’s try v France.

1991 - Michael Jones again scoring the first try. Campese playing Keepy-Uppy during the Haka, then playing the game of his life. Lynaghs try to break Irish hearts.

1995 - Lomu. Nuff said.

1999 - Janni de Beer. Five(5) bloody drop goals. That’s 5. Bloody 5.

2003 - Mortlick’s intercept. Wilkinson droppie to win the thing.

2007 - Sheridan monstering Matt Pudding in the scrums and then in the handbags afterwards. Not so much a moment but England’s abysmal pool game v SA and the making the final.

2011 - The “Leave it to Beaver” moment. Tuilagi going swimming. Johnson’s presser after the dwarf throwing.

2015 - Seeing England throwing the most easily defendable line out and knowing we would lose v Wales and likely get dumped out of our own tournament

1997 Kirwan tackling Ieuran Evans on the other wing to deny him a try in the semis with the game already easily won. Same game. Buck's punch on the Welshman who was sent off anyway. That team was seriously ruthless.

1991 Campo's pass to Horan.

1995 Mehrts slicing a drop goal late in regular time.

1999 The look in Wilson and Randall's eyes in the Second Half against France, like rabbits in the headlights.

2003 Spencer throwing it to Mortlock.

2007 The smug, self-satisfied look on Wayne Barnes' arrogant face whenever he made a decision against the All Blacks during that evening in Cardiff.

2011 Watching that clock past 80:00 after it took what seemed like hours to get there. Being World Champions again after so fucking long and so much hurt.

2015 Beauden Barrett sprinting past Pocock to score the final try. The first away win and in so much style.

1995 - Zinny looking at Carling and shrugging after slotting a 40m drop-kick

2007 - Pain. (I was at the Millenium Stadium for that game).

2011 - The AB's win a penalty. The much-maligned Duck comes on, the weight of a nation on his shoulders. His first words are to McCaw: "just give me the fucking ball". You just knew then we were going to win.

2015 - Semi v SA. Nonu bamboozling 3 Saffas with body and ball-handling alone to send BB in to secure the win. Nigel Owens taking the time to bend down and commiserate with Oz players when the Final was over.

@Salacious-Crumb said in The Moment:

All I remember was Brad Thorn taking the lineout to seal it.

Did we ever find out who made this call? Thorn might have been shortest AB in that lineout. Maybe they thought he had the safest hands??

87 - kirwan shattering the corner flag

91 - campo / Horan try in the corner

95 - Wilson spewing

99 - Lomu bulldozing from 50 out

03 - Wilkinson drop goal

07 - Luke McAllister droppie attempt which missed by miles

11 - dusatoir try in the final .... THAT feeling again

15 - japan victory over japies

@MajorRage said in The Moment:

87 - kirwan shattering the corner flag

91 - campo / Horan try in the corner

95 - Wilson spewing

99 - Lomu bulldozing from 50 out

03 - Wilkinson drop goal

07 - Luke McAllister droppie attempt which missed by miles

11 - dusatoir try in the final .... THAT feeling again

15 - japan victory over japies

2015 - Yep. Stand out moment. Almost. Almost got me over the pain of getting dumped out.

@Salacious-Crumb said in The Moment:

2011 Piri attempting to pass the ball with the tip of his boot. That’s when the pacing back-and-forth & chain-smoking started

I blame Izzy Dagg for blowing the overlap immediately prior ...

@booboo said in The Moment:

@Salacious-Crumb said in The Moment:

2011 Piri attempting to pass the ball with the tip of his boot. That’s when the pacing back-and-forth & chain-smoking started

I blame Izzy Dagg for blowing the overlap immediately prior ...

this!! fucking this!!!

This brings back a lot of bad memories:

1987 - JK try v Italy
1991 - dont have any defining memory of this one
1995 - Jonah
1999 - being at Twickers fo rthis game, and with the benefit of hindsight, seeing how relaxed and almost blase pretty much the entire team bar Jonah was in warm ups.
2003 - that disallowed try, cost us the RWC especially watching with my best mate who had won an all expenses trip to watch the final....
2007 - seeing Mealamu comforting DC in tears in the stands.
2011 - the look of sheer relief at the final whistle
2015 - I know most dont like his commentary (inc me) but listening to the sheer joy as BFA had chipped through for Beaudy to chase summed it up for me

87 - Two of JKs tries, obviously the length of the field, but i remember his one in the final as well
91 - Aussies breaking Irish hearts
95 - To be honest, i know it's supposed to be Lomu Oh! oh! but for me it's the stunned, silent moment after the final whistle. disbelief
99 - Coming home after watching it live, Dad about to watch the replay, and me trying to play it cool about the result. Failing.
03 - Wilkinson off balance droppie. What a player
07 - The moment i realised, late in the game, that we just weren't going to win it no matter what we did. Also arriving to watch the final at the Eiffel Tower and seeing the size of the crowd
11 - Sitting at i think England v Scotland at Eden Park when news came through about Carter. The sinking feeling that we were about to get fucked by the rugby gods again. The final whistle at the Park, loudest crowd ever.
15 - Carter's droppie. Fuck i love you Dan.

Just to do some slightly different ones

07 - in the local pub watching that game, at half time every one else in the pub feeling confident. I was not, said we've lost the ref and we should be doing better/more points, the choke is on. I was right, and by then end just walked out of the pub like 'meh, another choke' - this was first RWC back in NZ after many years of choke abuse living in the UK - so I was pretty inured to it all!

11- Self proclaimed Public Enemy #1 Quade kicking off the game, out on the full. I was 100% confident we'd win that game and probably the RWC then! Weird how your mind works

15- Being almost unable to find a pub in Exeter that had the RWC on, fucking appalling

2003, still have a vivid memory of George Gregan telling the ABs “four more years” and wanting to punch him in the face.