Kearney praises Kiwi effort after World Cup victory
Saturday, 22 Nov 2008 14:29
New Zealand had to dig deep in the first half of the match to stay with Australia
New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney praised the effort and determination shown by his players during their dramatic 34-20 win over Australia in the World Cup.
Australia have held the trophy since 1975 but the Kiwis managed to beat their old foes in Brisbane to win the cup for the first time in their history.
The Kangaroos had threatened to run away with the match in the early stages after taking a 10-0 lead after 25 minutes.
However, the Kiwis kept it close and were able to take the lead early in the second half before stretching away in the latter part of the game.
Kearney said the effort his players had put in at the start of the match was what had ultimately won them the cup.
"It was a wonderful effort tonight, we put them in a place they're not used to," Kearney told Sky Sports.
"It was just a matter of keeping them in an arm wrestle and the first 15 minutes of the second half were very important. I'm just overwhelmed."
Australia had beaten New Zealand 30-6 in the group stages of the tournament but captain Nathan Cayless said the players always believed they had a chance in the final.
"I just want to thank the boys who've been outstanding," added Cayless. "They took their opportunity and it's just unbelievable.
"We kept talking to ourselves and working hard. We knew we could play a lot better than in the first game and we really deserved this, we worked hard for it."