Wallabies World Cup Semi-Final Review

Richie McCaw leads the All Blacks to victory

No doubt Cooper struggled early and made some crucial mistakes in the first half. I must give him and the Wallabies credit for their fighting spirit when the going was always going to be tough. They were confronted with a far superior side and gave away possession when they needed to hold it most. This is a clear reflection of the fact they were up against a more than formidable opposition, not just to say that they weren't good enough.

And with that, the Wallabies 2011 Rugby World Cup campaign has come to an end. The only consolation I can see in their loss was the fact they were beaten by not only the better team, but probably the best. Regardless of this, I hope to see France take the title next weekend.

The tempo was poorly set by the Wallabies from the outset and New Zealand capitalised early with a try to Ma'a Nonu set up by a run down the right flank by Israel Dagg, one of the All Blacks stand out performers. With that New Zealand rolled on to victory 20-6 as Australia struggled to develop any momentum and break the defensive line.

Cooper's first half will be reflected upon negatively, I for one, couldn't see the justification in his selection following his performance against South Africa. I think Berrick Barnes would have been a far safer and more reliable choice to start at fly-half in such a pressure encounter. Will Genia struggled as he was placed under huge pressure at the base of the ruck and was left with slow ball to work with thanks to a great display of counter rucking from the All Blacks.

Overall I believe the Wallabies will be disappointed, they certainly had the potential to push the All Blacks further. However, they worked hard and a variety of small errors got the better of them. They'll just have to wait another four years before they get a chance at redemption.