SCRUM Magazine – September 2019

1987: Winners

1991: Third Place

1995: Runners-up

1999: Fourth Place

2003: Third Place

2007: Quarter Finals

2011: Winners

2015: Winners

CAN THEY MAKE IT THREE-IN-A-ROW?

ot since their quarter-final defeat
to France in Cardiff 12 years ago
has a New Zealand side tasted
defeat at the Rugby World Cup.
Richie McCaw led them to glory on home
soil eight years ago, before the great
openside - one of the finest to ever wear
the famous black jersey - and the golden
generation, including Dan Carter, Jerome
Kaino, Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith, bid
farewell to the international arena by
making history at Twickenham in 2015, as
the All Blacks became the first side to ever
retain the trophy.
Now, with a new band of heroes leading
the way - Beauden Barrett, Rieko Ioane
and Dane Coles among them - Steve
Hansen’s side will attempt to make it three
World Cup victories in succession in Japan.
They will miss Damian McKenzie, the
Chiefs back who’s chances of appearing
at the World Cup were ended by a
knee injury, but providing they can
avoid any casualties during The Rugby
Championship, they will head to Japan
with a frightening array of talent and a
number of players who have experience
of what it takes to get their hands on the
Webb Ellis Cup.
Anyone who’s seen the All Blacks play
will know what to expect - abrasive
forwards who tackle and hit rucks with

sledgehammer-like force, and backs who

can make breaks, and score tries, from

anywhere on the field.

A weakness in their game in recent

years has been the scrum and expect

the Springboks to target that area in the

opening game.

New Zealand will want to play at

high-tempo, so expect teams to attack

the breakdown in an attempt to slow

down their ball wherever possible,

and limit the options of the world’s

top-ranked side in attack.

The All Blacks’ first match of the 2019

Rugby World Cup will be as stern an

examination as they can expect until the

knockout stages - they will face long-time

foes, and 2015 semi-final rivals, South

Africa in their opening Pool C game.

Thereafter, the opportunity may present

itself to rotate their 31-man squad, with

Canada, Namibia and Italy to follow. It

is hard to look past three bonus point

wins for the defending champions from

those encounters, and their recent record

against the Springboks, barring the defeat

in Wellington last year, is good.

The All Blacks should top Pool C and that

would set up a quarter-final clash with the

runners-up from Pool A - which could be

Scotland, if Gregor Townsend’s men do the

necessary in their group fixtures.

New Zealand have never lost to Scotland

in international rugby, and it’s hard to look

past the three-time winners, who lifted

the Webb Ellis Cup the first time in 1987,

for a place in the last four, after which,

you would be a brave man to bet against

Kieran Read lifting the trophy.

Head Coach Steve Hansen is bowing

out at the end of the tournament, and

with a number of players expected to

do likewise, it would be a fitting end to a

truly remarkable domination of the sport if

the All Blacks can compete a hat-trick of

consecutive Rugby World Cup titles.

N

NEW ZEALAND

ALL BLACKS

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24 • WWW.SCRUMMAGAZINE.COM • ISSUE 116 2019

COACH:

STEVE HANSEN