This one felt different even before kick-off. Australia had won the last six Rugby League World Cups and were on home territory. They’d already beaten New Zealand on the opening weekend in Group A by a resounding 30-6 scoreline. The outcome of the 2008 World Cup final shouldn’t have been in doubt.
But the ceremonial haka gave us a taste of the spice to come. England had turned their backs on New Zealand’s war dance in their group encounter, then finally fronted up in the semi-final. What would Australia do, everybody speculated?
The Kangaroos went on the offensive, striding forward with interlocked arms to go nose-to-nose with the Kiwis. The noise generated in the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane as Paul Gallen and David ‘Wolfman’ Williams stared down Adam Blair and Isaac Luke mid-haka was probably heard all over Australia. ‘The Cauldron’ was living up to its name before a ball had been kicked, but a twinkle remained in the visitors’ eyes. They weren’t cowed, they were encouraged.
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And New Zealand got out of the blocks fast, with only a Benji Marshall fumble over the try line from Nathan Fien’s grubber kick denying them the first score. The Aussies made them pay when Darren Lockyer and Williams crossed for tries in quick succession to open a 10-0 lead and as soon as Lockyer had gone over again it looked like game over.
But video replays showed the half-back had lost the ball on the way to the line and the Kiwis made the most of the new life handed to them. Jeremy Smith crashed over under the sticks to get them on the board, then Jerome Ropati pounced after Marshall had had the ball stripped in a tackle. From an apparent 16-0 deficit, New Zealand were suddenly 12-10 up.
Lockyer scored a second – this time legally – to give Australia a narrow 16-12 half-time advantage but when Lance Hohaia’s show-and-go led him through a gap early in the second period, the Kiwis had a lead they were destined not to lose. While 18-16 was not the biggest of margins, it was enough to rattle the previously-dominant Aussies. The next try served to underline the point and became the most replayed moment of the night.
Marshall lofted a kick over the defensive line and State of Origin legend Billy Slater collected the ball. But in his attempt to step by Manu Vatuvei, Slater found himself overbalanced and heading out of play 10 yards from his own line. Known for his enterprising play, the full-back tried an audacious but panicked pass over his shoulder which went nowhere near any of his wrong-footed teammates and was picked up by Marshall for a walk-in try. The cracks in the crown were there for all to see.
Greg Inglis might have scored next to reduce the gap to 22-20 but the Kiwis were still winning all the psychological battles and were still on course to achieve the unthinkable. With 10 minutes to go another moment of Australian madness had given the visitors a two-score lead.
Nathan Fien’s grubber bounced up in front of Joel Monaghan just as he attempted to collect the ball five yards in front of the Kangaroos’ line. The winger’s instinct was to throw his left arm across the chest of the advancing Hohaia when a try had appeared a certainty. After a lengthy review by video ref Steve Ganson, a penalty try was awarded. At 28-20, Australia’s 33-year reign of international rugby league was ending.
Blair would add another try after picking up a loose bouncing ball, and the 34-20 result was as emphatic as the approach Stephen Kearney’s side had taken into the game. Nobody outside of their squad truly believed it could happen, but New Zealand had beaten Australia – in Australia – to bring a rugby league dynasty crashing down.
The years which have followed have only served to prove what a turn-up this result was. In 2013 Australia gained their revenge at Old Trafford, beating NZ 34-2 in the World Cup final. By 2017, the Kiwis were knocked out by Fiji without even scoring a try in the knockout phase. Australia, of course, won again.
Only once in 50 years has the World Cup been won by anyone other than the Kangaroos, and with the 2021 event just a couple of weeks away it would take a brave soul to back against them adding a ninth title in 10 attempts. Every passing World Cup makes that night in Brisbane in 2008 even more legendary.
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject to Change
