It’s time for us to grow up………….

A report by Tony Smith in Cardiff  for Fairfax says, let’s face the facts, the myth of All Blacks global dominance is just that – a myth.

A fired-up France proved that passion can overcome talent and that New Zealand is just another rugby nation – part of the pack, not the top dog.

We can console ourselves all we like about how the All Blacks are top of the world – between World Cups.

Graham Henry, who showed dignity in defeat, tried to gild the lily yesterday when he suggested there was more to New Zealand rugby than World Cup success.

Try telling that to punters who shelled out $30,000 or more to follow the All Blacks at the World Cup, the ones drowning their sorrows in Cardiff bars and what do they do now along with the hoards of devastated Wallabys fans, with both groups if they decide to stay on, after their teams; humiliating defeats, now having to decide who to support in the finals!

Or to the hundreds of thousands at home who rose from their beds with porridge in their plates and hope in their hearts.

The reality is Henry hitched his wagon to the World Cup the moment he made the Cotton-Wool All Blacks call to hold back 22 players from the Super 14 tournament.

That was his equivalent of Welsh coach Gareth Jenkins’ plea to “judge me on the World Cup”.

Now Henry, despite delivering Bledisloe Cup and Tri-Nations titles, grand slam success in Europe and a series whitewash of the British and Irish Lions, will be joining Jenkins in the jobless queue.

It is now time for New Zealanders to take off our eye-patches.

I, and other myopic media types, have been braying too long about southern hemisphere dominance.

France and England proved yesterday that heart and soul, guts and determination can beat athleticism and skill if you want something badly enough.

Australian rugby CEO’s John O’Neill’s call that “everyone hates England” was music to the cauliflowered ears of the English pack.

Just as Chris Jack’s claim that Sebastien Chabal might be over-rated sounds a little hollow now.

“Four more years, boys,” George Gregan taunted in the Sydney semi-final four years ago. I’m beginning to suspect someone muttered: “`Twenty-four more years, boys,” when David Kirk’s side won the inaugural World Cup in 1987.

If the All Blacks win – and it’s a pretty big if now -in 2011 will they go down in rugby history as the team that can only win when it is the home nation?

Was rugby the winner here? The more talented, ball-running teams New Zealand and Australian teams are preparing for the long flight home across the international dateline while the derided English and French, with their defensive mindsets, will be starring in a semi-final in Paris.

We have lost all perspective in New Zealand about rugby and its place in society. It is time for the New Zealand Rugby Union to rediscover some hubris.

Rugby may be the national sport but it is just one of a myriad of codes played here. It no longer can be allowed to define us as a nation.

Unpalatable as it may sound, we are better at rowing, sailing and equestrian riding than rugby.

The 2007 sporting year began full of promise.

This was the year, the optimists decreed, that New Zealand would win four major titles – the cricket World Cup, America’s Cup, Rugby World Cup and netball world championship.

Well the first three went west, with only the yachties making the final, the pressure is now on the Silver Ferns’ shoulders.

To paraphrase the hamburger-hoovering Meatloaf: “one out o’ four, ain’t bad”.

Report by The Mole from Reuters