Rugby World Cup: All Blacks, in Pursuit of Immortality

The popularity of rugby in India is as good as the popularity of cricket in Samoa or Tonga. Therefore, it's not quite surprising that not too many Indians are following the ongoing Rugby World Cup. But if you love sports then you are bound to watch the much-anticipated final that may witness one of the greatest phenomena in the history of world sports.

The New Zealand rugby team, widely known by their famous moniker of the 'All Blacks', is on the verge of making history as they are taking on their trans-Tasman rivals Australia in the high-voltage clash at the home of English rugby, Twickenham.

The two neighbouring countries did play against each other in the ICC World Cup final only six months ago but this time stakes are much higher. It's going to be the mother of all sporting battles for New Zealand. Unlike their cricketing counterparts, the Black Caps, the All Blacks will be defending their crown against their arch-rivals, the Wallabies, who too are two-time former champions.

This is the first time the All Blacks and Australia have met in an RWC Final although they met three times in semifinals before: in 1991, 2003 and at the last RWC in 2011.

SCRUMMING FOR INVINCIBILITY

At present, no team or side in world sports has dominated any sport like the way All Blacks have been reigning supreme over the last few years. They not only lost just a single game in the entire year but also holding the envious record of losing only three games since winning their second Web Ellis Trophy (the World Cup trophy) in 2011.

Their first defeat came in an autumn international game against England at Twickenham in December 2012 while the second came almost 2 years later as the South African Springboks upset their applecart in a Rugby Championship game at Ellis Park in Johannesburg in October 2014. incidentally, the All Blacks were unbeaten in the entire year of 2013. The 3rd and the last defeat of the indomitable force came against Australia in a Rugby Championship game at Sydney in August this year.

However, the wounded ABs bounced back a week later when they avenged the defeat by walloping the Wallabies in Bledisloe Cup in the same month. Since then Steve Hansen's side has been unbeaten and also won all their games in this year's World Cup to keep a clean sheet. Since they lifted the 2011 World Cup trophy at Eden Park, the All Blacks have an unbelievably formidable record of 48 victories, three defeats and two draws in a staggering 53 matches with an incredible win ratio of 89 per cent in between the World Cups.

No team, including their predecessors, has achieved that remarkable milestone and a win will surely make them one of the most invincible sporting sides in the history of world sports like the Hungarian football team (Magical Magyars) of the 1950s, the Australian cricket team between 1997 & 2007, Boston Celtics basketball team in the NBA from 1957 to 1969, New York Yankees baseball team between 1947 and 1962 and the all-conquering Spain football team from 2008 to 2012.

GLORIOUS EXIT FOR GOLDEN GENERATION

Another aspect of the grand finale in south-west London is the world of international rugby will see skipper Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu and Keven Mealamu- the fulcrum of the golden generation of the All Blacks- in action for one last time.

THE REAL McCAW

The 34-year-old flanker McCaw, the first-ever All Black to play 100 international games, has not only led the side to World Cup triumph in 2011 but is also the most-capped player rugby union history with 147 appearances. The man with an incredible win ratio of almost 90 per cent has, believe it or not, experienced defeat only 15 times in his 14-year international career.

Under McCaw's captaincy, the All Blacks have played 109 games and a victory in his final game will see them becoming the first team to win three World Cup titles, apart from winning their first World Cup silverware outside Australia-Oceania. In fact, the All Blacks will heavily bank on the vast experience and never-say-die attitude of McCaw at the breakdowns against the side Australian side, featuring the best no. 8 in the business, David Pocock.

THE NO-MISS DC

When it comes to scoring All Blacks superstar Dan Carter is simply unparalleled in the history of rugby union. The handsome fly-half and conversion specialist, popularly called DC, is the highest points scorer in Test match rugby and is arguably the sport's greatest ever first-five eighth. One of the most accomplished players in rugby history with an unimaginable 1579 Test points, 29 tries and 291 conversions under his belt, Carter is having a Bradmanesque average of 14.23 points a game from the 111 matches he played across the 12 years of his international career.

However, since an injury forced him out of the 2011 World Cup pool games, Carter will be playing in a final of the blue riband event for the first time and no wonder, he would like to walk down the sunset boulevard with the coveted crown, alongside his long-time teammates Smith, Nonu and Mealamu. Incidentally, both Nonu and Mealamu are also part of the 100-Test club.

A GALAXY OF STARS

Interestingly, apart from Carter and captain McCaw, the All Blacks, which have also been named the World Rugby Team of the Year seven times since 2005, have two other World Rugby Player of the Year award winners in their ranks in Kieran Read and Brodie Retallick. Therefore, the All Blacks have a point to prove by unleashing their fearsome foursome in the game of their lives.

A perfect blend of experience and youthfulness, the All Blacks have also few guns ho youngsters in their squad that includes the youngest All Black, Nehe Milner-Skudder, an explosive fullback and one of the breakthrough players of the year. Come Saturday and all eyes will be on their tantalising Haka and a glorious outcome.

FOR THE RECORD

# All Blacks never won a Rugby World Cup final outside their own backyard of Eden Park, Auckland.

# No team won two successive rugby World Cups.

# A win will give the ABs an unprecedented record 3 World Cup titles.

# The All Blacks side against Australia has an average age of 28 and has 1,339 Test caps of experience.

# New Zealand & Australia will be playing their 155th Test match.

# The All Blacks record against Australia stands at 105 wins, 42 losses and seven draws.

# All Blacks stars Sonny Bill Williams, Jerome Kaino and Sam Whitelock have already played in 13 consecutive Rugby World Cup wins, an RWC record.

(Suvam Pal is a die-hard All Blacks fan and has been closely following Rugby World Cups since 1995)