Who kicked New Zealand's decisive penalty in the 2011 Rugby World Cup final?

Stephen Donald kicked New Zealand’s decisive penalty in the 2011 Rugby World Cup final. His goal early in the second half supplied the points that made New Zealand’s eventual 8–7 victory over France possible.

Donald was not expected to play a major role in the final. New Zealand had lost first-choice fly-half Dan Carter and then replacement Colin Slade to injury during the tournament. Aaron Cruden, the third-choice fly-half, started but injured his knee in the first half, bringing Donald onto the field.

Two minutes into the second half, Donald converted a penalty to move New Zealand’s lead from 5–0 to 8–0. France then responded with a try by captain Thierry Dusautoir, converted by François Trinh-Duc, but could add no further points. Trinh-Duc also missed a long-range penalty late in the match.

Piri Weepu is often associated with the final because he handled goal-kicking duties and missed earlier attempts. Cruden and Dan Carter were both involved in New Zealand’s fly-half injury story, but Donald was the player who kicked the match-winning penalty. He became an unexpected central figure in the All Blacks’ home triumph at Eden Park.