If Australia goes on to win this World Cup it should not be remembered as a procession or some kind of inevitable triumph that was so easy it may as well have been pre-ordained.
The Kangaroos had run up a score against every team they played in this tournament, but their 16-14 win over New Zealand at Elland Road in Leeds wasn't so much a game they won as a battle they survived.
New Zealand had not impressed before this night. They were perfunctory in the group stages and downright sluggish and lucky to win against Fiji last week.
