Cruden triumphs adversity again

It should not surprise anyone that first five-eighth Aaron Cruden had the mental and physical fortitude to guide the All Blacks into their first World Cup final in 16 years.

Pass It On Tweet 69

After all, Cruden has already taken on one of the biggest opponents the game of life can offer – testicular cancer.

He won on that occasion, barely out of his teens but showing a fighting spirit that would reveal itself to the world only two years later.

He was at it again in an icy-cool performance in the red-hot atmosphere of a semi-final against Australia in front of more than 60,000 expectant Eden Park fans.

Most 22-year-olds would not have been up to it.

But the time the final whistle blew, in a 20-6 victory, it had almost been forgotten that this precocious talent had been only the third-choice pivot for his country behind the injured Dan Carter and Colin Slade.

It was as if ice had been siphoned through his veins back in those frequent hospital visits to rid himself of the dreaded disease.

While they weren't apparent, Cruden said the nerves were 'definitely there' in the biggest Test of his life – at least in rugby terms.

"You try not to think about it, you try and think about your role," he said. "That's the great thing with this team, everyone does their job and everything else falls into place.

"I just put my head down this week and wanted to really clear with what I wanted to do out there on the paddock and I think it worked pretty well."

The slightly-built No.10 was always going to be asked a lot of questions on defence, given his physical stature and lack of international experience, but felt the task of chopping down the big Aussie ball-runners had actually been a help rather than a hindrance.

"I suppose I got a bit of traffic running down my channel but I think the more you're involved in the game the more you're able to grow your confidence.

"I half expected they'd be running down my channel and I wanted to be effective in my decision-making and tackling there and I think it worked pretty well."

It had also been a huge benefit to have Super 15 team-mate Piri Weepu inside him, and another two Hurricanes outside in Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith.

Being able to pick Carter's brains during the week was another confidence-booster.

"He's been helping me out all week and sent me a text before the game wishing me all the best," said an almost-awed Cruden of his time with the 85-Test ace.

"Afterwards he came and tapped me on the shoulder and said well done, so to get comments like that from Dan Carter is pretty surreal and definitely makes you feel good."

Now set to add a World Cup final to an already incredible list of accomplishments, Cruden said it was an amazing situation he found himself in. That was an unlikely scenario not only a couple of years ago, but as recently as last month when back in Palmerston North, riding his skateboard and enjoying a couple of drinks with friends and watching on television.

Cruden was not watching the last time the All Blacks won a World Cup. He was not even born.

But he's ready to match the achievements of the 1987 winners by beating France, a side he said would be unpredictable and bring a lot of passion to the table.

For a young man of Cruden's ilk, it almost seems a destiny.