New Zealand are on course to win an unprecedented third Rugby World Cup having taken a 16-3 lead into the halfway stage of the final against Australia this afternoon.
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The occasion was greeted with the Red Arrows going over Twickenham Stadium pre-kickoff, and fittingly New Zealand made a flying start on the field with a number of early turnovers, despite the feted presence of World Player of the Year nominees David Pocock and Michael Hooper.
The All Blacks only had three points to show for their early possession and territory, however, as Dan Carter, on his final international appearance, knocked over a penalty inside the opening 10 minutes.
Australia were handed their first real attacking platform when Ben Smith knocked the ball on just outside his own 22, and from the resulting scrum they won a penalty that Bernard Foley converted to level the scores.
New Zealand won another penalty well within kicking range shortly afterwards, but they chose to take it quickly and the scavenging duo of Pocock and Hooper immediately won the ball back for the Wallabies on their own tryline.
Sekope Kepu was fortunate not to be sent to the sin-bin for a late tackle on Carter, and the Australian prop continued to ride his luck when referee Nigel Owens again gave him the benefit of the doubt for a high tackle on the same player soon after.
Michael Cheika's side did not escape entirely unpunished, however, as Carter shook off the knock to slot the resulting penalty through the posts and restore his side's three-point lead.
There was controversy in the build-up to the next points as there appeared to be a clear forward pass during a New Zealand move out to the right, but the officials failed to call it and instead awarded a penalty to the All Blacks for offside, which Carter duly snapped up.
The opening try of the contest finally arrived in the dying stages of the first half as New Zealand worked the overlap to Nehe Milner-Skudder, who went over from Richie McCaw's pass in the corner before Carter's conversion opened up a 13-point gap at the break.
The team leading at half time in all previous seven World Cup finals has gone on to lift the William Webb Ellis Cup, and should New Zealand maintain that record then they would become the first side to retain the trophy.
Barney Corkhill
