Cory Jane and Israel Dagg may have been the All Blacks fighting it out for the official Man of the Match award but the one who really caught our eye was Aaron Cruden.
The Cruden story is incredible, and the fact that he’s stepped into the side as third-choice out half and will be the man in possession of the No 10 shirt when the All Blacks try to end a 24-year wait for the Webb Ellis trophy next Sunday is not even close to being the half of it.
He beat tuberculosis as a child and as if that wasn’t worrying enough, he also overcame testicular cancer as a teenager. That illness needed nine weeks of chemotherapy in the summer of 2008.
He’s clearly not one to feel sorry for himself, however. Having put life-threatening illness behind him for the second time in his young life, he roared back to fitness in 2009, captaining the New Zealand U20s to the World Cup and finishing the year as IRB Young Player of the Year.
When Dan Carter is blocking your path to an All Blacks spot you’re going to spend a lot of internationals kicking your heels, and by the time the World Cup came around Cruden was only third choice out half, with Colin Slade also ahead of him in the pecking order.
Injuries to those two opened up a spot and Cruden has grasped his chance impressively. Dagg’s brilliant running set up a crucial early try for Ma’a Nonu and Jane’s aerial dominance landed him the Man of the Match award.
Compared to the erratic Quade Cooper in the opposite No 10 jersey, Cruden was an assured presence outside the scrum throughout as New Zealand booked their place in next week’s final against France in a one-sided semi.
He showed Carter-like fleetness of foot to make one rapid, sidestepping line break in the first half and later stepping back into the pocket to slot a 40-metre drop goal.
All of which makes him a deserving recipient of Powerade Hero of the Day status.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ podcast – listen to the latest episode now!
