All Blacks Champions..
New Zealand finally ended 24 years of frustration by the narrowest of margins with a 8 -7 victory over France to claim the World Cup.
It has been so long coming for one of this  team  which has been in the top for a long time…
Be the best team does not mean winning a  single tournament… The World cup is a tournament, six weeks divided in two parts, the pool matches which select the best teams, then from quarter it is a one day match, the lockout phase… France qualified from their pool despite two losses and then was able to post wins over England and Wales in the lockout phase… but they were not playing too well …The All Blacks dominated all matches…and still in the final, it was a nail biting match, any of the two  team could have won, until  final whistle of the referee blew for full time… And the celebration could start…

France was quite unimpressive up until this final, sometimes called in the newspaper the worst side to be in the World cup final, but this was before… Because in the final, the France team showed pride and dignity … They made All Black to work hard to win the trophy.  All players did the best they could, giving 100% of effort, and despite a failing by one point, they gained respect to all rugby fans. We saw solidarity and a great team effort, far from previous newspaper’s articles or coach ‘s  criticism. At last, they showed their good side …

The All Blacks ‘victory was magnified by the French resistance. And Thierry Dusautoir was the symbol of this French fighting spirit. Elected man-of-the-match,  as well as and also named as the International Rugby  Board’s World Player of the Year, with his  outstanding defensive work rate done on the filed, and  his consistent performance thorough the year, the French captain could be sad to lose, a so close game, but he should feel proud of his team. Dusautoir,  the same one, who was critized for his silent as a captain… But Dusautoir is not speaking much for the media circus…quiet and poise, he is an « action-man », leading by example, believing that the truth is with his partners, on the field, not in words.

All Blacks could not have been under more pressure, playing at home, be considered one of best team in the World, perhaps the best … The favorit… Still, they had to grind out that win…
Courage of the 40 players, what they put in out there, was memorable… they all had to dig deeper than they probably ever have before, in all their personal batteries (physical, mental and emotional) …

« you don’t deserve title until you do the job, but I think we are good enough » said before the final the New Zealander head coach Graham Henry.

One of lesson of this final is in my opinion, his ability to be ready what the stakes a high. Expected the toughest to come out. Be ready for the opponent to give his best. But at the same, never lose sight of your qualities and your own faith in possible victory.
I can win, so my opponent. I just need to come ou there and give the best that I am capable to give… Enjoy the pressure of that moment, enjoy the difficulty, enjoy the process, without thinking too soon of the result….

the second lesson, is that you learn from your defeat.
Losing in 2007, the same coach stayed with a lot of players , with the same guidance of captain Mc Caw. they leran from their mistakes.  « we are a much stronger side now than we were in 2007. the players are older, more self reliant, and they ran this team, Richie and the senior players run this team.’ said Grahan Henry. « that is the beauty of continuity -that people continue to be involved rather than wholesales clean outs and start all over again. How do you learn from that? « those situations when you lose are difficult but they are things you can learn from ».  as he continued « I have gone thorugh that terrible pain of defeat 15 times out of 103 tests….(88 wins and 85% of rate winning)
« Now , winning this World cup, I have got some peace »…  said IRB Coach of the Year for the fifth time

and if France had kick a winning field goal in the last second?  …
but history has no « if »… now, it is a fact , and it became History…