Newby watched the All Black’s nerve-wracking 8-7 victory over France from the comfort of his settee at his home in Kibworth.
But he admitted the stresses and strains of watching the All Blacks secure a first title since winning the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987 got to him at full time.
“I was confident at the start but the longer the game went on the more nervous I got,” says Newby, who has been capped three times by the All Blacks. “I kept telling myself that we would be all right.
“It was a feeling of relief at the end. I thought I had torn my groin jumping up in delight but I had cramp!
“Then it was out on to the bike with my daughter, she wanted to get out of the house and I didn’t get to see the cup being lifted, but that didn’t matter.
“Probably the best thing about winning it was not getting any stick from the boys. It’s been a long time and it was a relief.”
