All Black coach Graham Henry paid tribute to his men after they fought back from a 10 point deficit to win the Tri-Nations on Saturday.
Either side could have won says Henry
New Zealand coach Graham Henry has paid tribute to his players after they fought back from a 10 point deficit to claim their ninth Tri-Nations title on Saturday.
In a nerve jangling encounter in Brisbane the All Blacks scored 21 points in a 17 minute spell to put the game beyond the Wallabies reach.
A 78th minute try from centre Ryan Cross took the Wallabies to within four points and set up a frenzied finale at Lang Park.
But New Zealand hung on to their slender lead to win by 24-28 and secure their fourth straight title and sixth in seven years.
"It was a marvellous competition and a great game of rugby, either side could have won," said Henry.
"I have a huge amount of respect for what the guys have done.
"I think the guys got better as the game went on - I didn't think we played particularly well in the first half."
"They showed a lot of guts and togetherness to come back from 10 points down, so I am exceptionally proud of the boys."
Pressure
Australia coach Robbie Deans said he was pleased with his men but admitted that they had not come up with the goods where it mattered most.
"We gave it a fair crack and came up just short," he said.
"I was delighted with their effort tonight, to build a lot of pressure, but we couldn't convert that into points.
"We're not happy losing but the players gave it everything and it could have been different.
"To win the Tri-Nations you have to be that much better."
