Jack Tame: Home town honours its sons

The devastation in Christchurch that year put the oval ball in perspective, but the brave crusade led by McCaw and Carter provided a critical weekly diversion for the red and black masses. Photo / Dean Purcell

Deadlines can be a tough thing for a Sunday newspaper.

Especially a newspaper published on the morning of a Rugby World Cup final, with the game on the opposite side of the world and most editions published before the whistle has blown.

I for one doubled down on my pre-tournament pick. I reckoned the All Blacks would win. By the time you read these words, they might have.

From a writer's perspective, thankfully the game at least had a few dead-certs. We mightn't have known the result but we knew for sure it was the final national appearance for a selection of this country's greats.

And though an additional World Cup victory would have been the stand-out rugby achievement for the likes of Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Keven Mealamu and Conrad Smith, another season a few years back holds just as firm in my mind - 2011.

In rugby circles, the year is immediately synonymous with the All Blacks' World Cup triumph.

But in Canterbury circles, 2011 triggers very different memories. The quake.

And in a region that spent the first part of this century drip-feeding the All Blacks with our country's top rugby talent, the 2011 Super Rugby season was one where barely anyone attended a game.

AMI Stadium was ruined and the Canterbury Crusaders spent the entire season on the road. From Nelson to South Africa to London's Twickenham, the Crusaders travelled more than 100,000km.

Their success in 2011 was special. They made the Super Rugby final against the Reds in flood-battered Queensland and were nominated for the Best Comeback in the Laureus World Sports Award.

The devastation in Christchurch that year put the oval ball in perspective, but the brave crusade led by McCaw and Carter provided a critical weekly diversion for the red and black masses.

No matter their standing in greater New Zealand rugby history, Canterbury will forever hold its favourite sons that much tighter.

A special World Cup edition of the Herald on Sunday will be available at selected Auckland retailers mid-morning today.