Well mad as it may seem a Rugby World Cup played in little more than 2 weeks with 29 games already been played and it is coming down to the final game and the 2 best sides for different reasons battling out for the honor of being World Champions.

New Zealand hoping to make it 4 in a row and England after their first crown since 1994.

New Zealand have been the best and most exciting attacking team of the tournament, their forwards rampant in the loose and their line out magnificent with Heighway being the main source of quality ball for this back line who play with such instinct and smoothness. Hohepia, Grant, Manuel the firepower with Brazier and Richards orchestrating and the awareness and accurate kicking of the sharp Emma Jenson at scrum half. At time there speed of hand and foot has been a joy to watch and their ability to offload out of the tackle excellent. They have always exploded out of the blocks and had all their games won by halftime, yet with such dominance in all their games they have failed to back up their first half performance with a second half. Is this there Achilles heel?? Are they capable if required to provide an 80 minute game in both fitness and focus terms?

This only makes for added spice as they come up against an England team who are by far the best defensive side in this tournament.

They have made it difficult and on occasions impossible for teams to breach there line none more so than the last 30 minutes defensive display against Australia. England possess a destructive scrum led by the unforgiving veterans Amy Garnett and Rocky Clarke who never take a step back and also possess some very destructive tacklers none more so than Heather Fisher and Maggie “The Machine ” Alphonsi who has been creating havoc with her bone shaking tackling. Then there is the organiser of the defensive line Rachael Burford who will no doubt be tasked with leading and organizing the defensive back line to try and nullify this kiwi back division. Defensive accuracy and execution with be crucial for these ladies as they face an attacking crew on a different level to what they have faced to date. Testament that they are more than capable for this challenge came from their semi final opponents Australia who felt they could not find a way through this “White wall” and were the toughest defense they had faced by some way.

England’s achilles heel has been their inability to recognize attacking overlaps and kicking the ball away badly to the opposition which is something they cannot afford to do with the firepower the kiwis have. If their kicking out of hand decision making and execution is poor it doesn’t matter how good the England defense is, these kiwi girls will punish them.

What makes this final, apart from the passion and commitment of these athletes, is it will be back to the same old debate of what will come out on top….. Defense or Attack?… and the added spice being that New Zealand haven’t been in a tight game and had to play for 80 minutes so if England can keep in touching difference, will the kiwis cope with the pressure or be brave enough to play as England can take advantage of their experiences in this area and Burford and Richardson have the passing skills that are more than capable of unleashing England’s own strike runners of Scarratt, Merchant and the tricky Waterman!!

It promises to be a cracker and as an England supporter my heart says “Come on England!!!!”

Geezer

Mike Friday