Wallabies captain Stephen Moore showed his countrymen in the baggy greens what class is.
OPINION: The panel at the World Rugby Awards, proving a giraffe really is a horse designed by a committee, decided Steve Hansen wasn't the best coach of 2015, which was news to those of us who could have sworn he'd coached the team judged the best in the world.
Anyway, from a committee of one, which cuts down on meeting costs a lot, here are my alternative World Cup Award winners
Mount Olympus Best Of All Time Trophy: The 2015 All Blacks
They've been our best World Cup side, which, surely, makes them the best ever side. The win over France ranks alongside the stunning 43-6 victory over Australia in Wellington as a prime example of the game they play in heaven. Then in the final they basically revisited the dominance of their 2011 semi with Australia in Auckland, a game Graham Henry believes was the best performance during his eight-year watch.
Peter Pan Award: Dan Carter
As a kid he used to kick endless goals through pipe posts set up by his Dad on a retired potato and gherkin paddock in Southbridge. How wonderful that the left-footed Carter revisited those carefree days with his last play in a test, kicking the conversion to Beauden Barrett's try with his right foot. Why? Because it was "a bit of fun". What better reason could there be?
Anti Brad Haddin Award For Grace in the Face of Defeat: Stephen Moore
The Wallabies captain showed his countrymen in the baggy greens what class is. Not a word of complaint, not a hint of bitterness, just repeating several times, in case any of the chattering classes at the press conference missed it, that the All Blacks were just too good on the day and deserved to win.
Steve Jobs Memorial Forward Thinking Cup: Empty chair
This will go to the first World Rugby administrator who decides to start a plate competition for the teams that don't make the quarter-finals. Imagine if instead of a third place game ("Like kissing your sister," as coach Boks coach Heyneke Meyer said) there was a Friday night plate final in which Japan played England?
Mary Poppins Endlessly Cheerful Award: The 5000 volunteers
Like the Scots at last year's Commonwealth Games, the unpaid helpers of England 2015 were thrilled just to be there – and forever helpful and friendly. Their enthusiasm shone as brightly as the stunning autumn weather. Very few All Black teams can say they've left sunshine in London for rain in New Zealand.
Plea Bargain 'I Didn't Mean To Do It' Award: Brett Gosper
The chief executive of World Rugby, Gosper, set a new low in weasel words when he swore his outfit "didn't mean to throw Craig Joubert under a bus" when they announced Joubert made a wrong decision in gifting the Wallabies their quarter-final win over Scotland. So how on earth did those tyre marks get all over Joubert's back?
Lotto 'We Can Afford A New Coach Now' winners: English rugby
They're set to make about $90 million profit from the cup. They hit the jackpot by taking the punt of putting games in huge football (OK, soccer in case it gets confusing) stadiums, charging a King's ransom for tickets and selling almost all of them. Warren Gatland may have been very wrong when he joked that "England couldn't afford me".
Déjà Vu All Over Again Award: Wayne Barnes
Bless his heart. Give him an All Black game in the World Cup, and you can bet the farm he'll miss at least one obvious forward pass.
Peter de Villiers Over Excited Springbok Coach Award (sponsored by Valium): Heyneke Meyer
After a deathly dull win over the Pumas in the third-place playoff, Meyer suggested that in four years South Africa would be "unbeatable." Settle petal. If he has a look at a video of the final, he might see that the template for winning a World Cup has changed. Kicking for goal when you're 16 points ahead, as South Africa did against Argentina, might have been the go when the Boks won the Cup in 2007. But in the brave new world opened up by the All Blacks, you need to be brave, not too scared to chance your arm.
Neil Armstrong Was On A Hollywood Backlot And Vapour Trails Are A Government Plot Fruitloop Best Conspiracy Theory: The phantom "elbowing" of Francois Louw's face by Richie McCaw in the semi-final
Video evidence clearly showed that in fact McCaw's hip bumped Louw's shoulder, and no damage was done. Like the best conspiracy theories, mere facts didn't kill the story dead. To the Daily Mail, the video still only "appeared to clear McCaw".
The Warehouse Where Everyone Gets A Bargain Trophy: The Rugby World Cup shops in London
Everything was 50 per cent off on Monday. England replica jerseys had already been discounted by 30 per cent for a fortnight.
