All Blacks hand McCaw perfect send-off

New Zealand underlined their global superiority by becoming the first country to win back-to-back World Cup crowns, the perfect send-off into retirement for inspirational captain Richie McCaw.

The flanker, widely regarded as one of the all-time greats, has stepped out of the All Blacks limelight after a record 148 Tests, while teammates Dan Carter, Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith headed to the French Top 14.

"That last game, to have that as the lasting memory of the last time on the pitch -- pretty satisfying," said the 34-year-old, a three-time world player of the year, of the 34-17 win over Australia in the World Cup final at Twickenham.

His retirement came hot on the heels of news of the death of ex-All Black winger Jonah Lomu, unexpectedly at his Auckland home at the age of 40 from cardiac arrest related to the chronic kidney disease that cut short his playing career.
He's an icon in rugby and I have to represent all the fans that Jonah had in the world," World Rugby chairman Bernard Lapasset said.

"This fantastic man delivered a very great message about rugby to the world... he terrified defences and thrilled spectators with a brand of running rugby that had never been seen before."

The Rugby World Cup dominated the year and if the composition of the final, which saw perennial superpower New Zealand defeat Australia, was no surprise, the path to the Twickenham showpiece featured far more upsets than at the previous seven tournaments.

There had long been complaints that the pool phase was all too predictable, with the same usual suspects in the quarter-finals.
Yet on the first weekend of this tournament, Japan beat two-time world champions South Africa 34-32 -- the biggest upset the World Cup has known, which bodes well for the hosts of the next World Cup in 2019.

"It sets us up very well commercially for that (2019) World Cup and beyond and it is great for the growth of rugby because all that money will be invested in the game in Japan," said World Rugby chief executive Brett Gosper.

Japan beat Samoa and the United States too, only to become the first side in World Cup history to win three pool matches but not qualify for the knockout stages.

Tellingly, one of the coaching casualties was Stuart Lancaster, whose England side did not make it out of a tough pool that included the Wallabies, Wales and Fiji.

He has since been replaced by Eddie Jones, who was in charge of Japan.
A frenzied finale to the Six Nations saw Ireland defend their title on an unprecedented day of 27 tries in three games.

Ireland, England and Wales were pegged level atop the table and playing for points in a thrilling climax to a tournament which also brought out the worst in Italy and wooden spoon winners Scotland, and finally some French flair.

Australia won a truncated Rugby Championship ahead of the All Blacks, South Africa finishing last after a shock home defeat by ever-improving Argentina.

The Otago Highlanders signed off the final Super 15 season with their first Super title after a 21-14 victory over the Wellington Hurricanes in an all-New Zealand final.

The competition evolves into Super 18 next year with franchises from Argentina and Japan joining the fray alongside the re-entry of the Southern Kings from South Africa's Eastern Cape.

Australian Drew Mitchell's brilliant late try ensured star-studded Toulon became the first club to win three straight European titles as they beat French rivals Clermont 24-18 in a thrilling Champions Cup final at Twickenham in May.

Rugby will turn a new page in 2016 when sevens will be included at the Rio Olympics.

Fiji won the 2015 Sevens World Series as the United States enjoyed a breakthrough success by taking the London Sevens title -- the first time they'd come out on top in a Sevens Cup final.

It was Fiji's second World Series title and first since 2006, making the Pacific islanders the first country other than New Zealand to win the Sevens World Series since 2010.
Source: AFP