George Gregan, gee, this is good, Eddie Jones, to all of the members of the Wallaby team, Peter Crittle, the President of the Australian Rugby Union, Simon Crean, Leader of the Opposition, Mr Speaker, Mr President, ladies and gentlemen.
This is an occasion for all of the representatives of the Australian people to pay tribute to one of the most magnificent sporting teams that this country has produced. It's also an opportunity to pay tribute to the brilliant organising ability of the Australian Rugby Union, to John O'Neill and his staff and all of the others associated with the organisation of a tournament which has once again demonstrated the extraordinary capacity of this nation to work together to produce an outstanding sporting event.
I'd also like to acknowledge the presence here of the official representative of the victorious team, Alastair Goodlad, the British High Commissioner, although rumour has it that being a good Scotsman his real preferences lay elsewhere.
The Wallabies performed absolutely magnificently and any lover of rugby, indeed people who may have been recent converts to rugby, could have only been absolutely enthralled and captivated by the remarkable game on Saturday night. To go into extra time and then on the very death knock to see a field goal decided finally in favour of England, and to see that was something that was so rich and enjoyable to all of us who love rugby, and I believe to many others around the country.
So in very genuinely congratulating the English team on a great victory, I want to say on behalf, I know of all Australians, that the Wallabies in every sense of the word did us proud. That extraordinary game against New Zealand, the first half of that game against New Zealand, was the greatest rugby played by our team during the whole of the tournament and I think the greatest 40 minutes played by any team during the whole of the tournament.
Apart from paying tribute to the great captaincy of George Gregan, there is one other player that I'd like to single out and especially welcome here and to pay tribute to his great courage and on your behalf to wish him all the best for the future and that's Benny Darwin. And I know that one of the more emotional moments of the whole tournament, and indeed the final on Saturday night, was when Ben presented the jerseys to the players before the match commenced and I know that we all wish him well for the future.
Can I just finally say that the coaching of Eddie Jones was quite remarkable. And his quiet manner, his laconic style and he had quite a good line I thought when he was interviewed on Sunday and they showed a clip of him simply brushing past the victorious English coach and the interviewer said not much of an exchange there and Eddie said oh, I'm not a great hugger you know and I thought he put it well. But he really did this country proud with his performance.
Could I say that one of the things that really I think gripped all rugby followers was the way in which this game was embraced in those parts of Australia that had not been traditional rugby places and I think in a way the metaphor for that was the game at Launceston between Romania and Namibia where I think you know if you were born on the odd day of the month you barracked for one team, and the even the other, or if you lived on the odd side of the street or the even side of the street, whatever the division was. But all over the country it was such an extraordinary tournament and again congratulations to the team, to Bob Tuckey, the Chairman of the ARU, and to Peter Crittle the President, and John O'Neill the CEO, you've demonstrated again all of you how good this country is at putting on great sporting events and that makes all of us very proud, but the proudest people of which we are tonight more than any of our magnificent team.
Congratulations George, to you and all of the boys and it's great to have so many of the wives and girlfriends here tonight, we welcome you, we salute you, we wish you well for the future and I invite Simon Crean, the Leader of the Opposition, to support my remarks.
Thank you.
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