Beaten in the opening match by the Blues, New Zealand has continued to gain momentum since then, and is heading towards the final with full confidence.
If the sky fell on the heads of the French last Sunday, that of the New Zealanders is only getting brighter match after match. Beaten by these same Tricolores during the opening match, the All Blacks had confirmed the doubts which surrounded them when approaching this World Cup. Sometimes considered to be “the worst team in history” from a historic nation in world rugby, this group seemed to have lost its luster. Frequently beaten for a year and a half (five defeats since January 2022), he advanced like an outsider among the others, but by no means in front.
For a month and a half, the New Zealanders have never panicked, for once leaving the light to the French locals, the powerful Springboks and the shimmering Fijians during the group phase. “The French deserve their victory (…) it is undoubtedly a great victory for them but, for us, it does not change much.”, tempered coach Ian Foster on September 8. A symbolic slap, but not enough to start rebuilding a selection whose international pedigree prevents it from starting from scratch. “I don’t think we need to rebuild everything. Statistics are statistics, I understand all that, but the objective remains to win the tournament”continued Lan Foster on his line.
The coach, criticized in the country after the two defeats in a row against Ireland and a year 2022 among the worst in its history, knew how to surround himself with the wizard Joe Schmidt and remobilize his troops. The revolt against the three other opponents in the group, much weaker, was expected, but the All Blacks gradually cut through the doubts. Tkings humiliations against Namibia (71-3), Italy (96-17) and Uruguay (73-0) to conclude the group stage in second place. Accounting balance sheet: 240 points scored for only 20 conceded in these three duels. “We have talent in all areas of the game but we haven’t really found the click yet. Tonight, we played free rugby,” welcomed Ardie Savea, the captain of the men in black, on Sky Sports, after Italy.
Aaron Smith and Ireland, the two clicks
This free rugby, which has characterized them for so many years, is precisely what the All Blacks have gradually rediscovered in the competition, they who had struggled against France to produce play. Pocket scrum half Aaron Smith , is undoubtedly the symbol of this. In difficulty against the Blues, the leader of the All Blacks haka has put his paw back on the game of the men in black. He gave him back the rhythm necessary for his fast rugby which is so dear to them and which has tortured so many opponents, since the Blacks have played in nine semi-finals out of ten editions.
The quarter-final against Ireland was a test that was still too high for the New Zealanders. Against the world’s leading nation, authoritarian against the Springboks in the group stage, the men with the silver fern raised the bar once again by solving the squaring of the Clover in a match of incredible intensity and quality.
The sign that the All Blacks, third in the last World Cup, weathered the headwinds without disuniting, and that they knew how to perfectly manage their peak of form at the appropriate time. “We learned a lot from 2019. We have exceptional leaders, most of them were there and this kind of defeat stimulates some of them. In a World Cup, experience is essential. I know that four years have passed We’re thinking about it a little, we’re thinking about what we’ve learned to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”confided Anton Lienert-Brown after the victory against the Irish.
Facing the Pumas, the All Blacks wore the black of the funeral, to bury the hopes of Pumas who never stood the comparison even though they had been able to play against the Welsh in the previous round. Without panicking, the All Blacks seemed to be masters of their subject again, in a stadium that had come to witness the taming of a feline who could only roar in helplessness. “We kept our composure and finished strong, so I’m particularly happy”welcomed coach Ian Foster. “This is a new milestone reached for this group. It’s not over yet“, added his three-quarter center Jordie Barrett, man of the match on Friday.
As such, their collective hug in a circle at the end of the match had the air of sacred union, that of a team on a mission despite the ruts it has experienced for more than a year. “We are focused on the same, we trust the plan. We are at a different stage as a team now. For several weeks, the group has been in great health, we have built well to get to this point”, concluded captain Sam Cane Friday evening. The sky of the archipelago with its long white cloud is now very close to pushing the last cumulus clouds out of its horizon.