THE HANSEN YEARS 2012-2019
AFTER SPENDING EIGHT YEARS AS AN ASSISTANT BETWEEN 20 0 4 AND 2 0 1 1 , STEVE HANSEN WAS PROMOTED TO THE ALL BLACKS HEAD COACHING ROLE IN 20 1 2. WHAT FOLLOWED WAS AN INCREDIBLE PERIOD OF DOMINANCE.
1: Start of an Era June 2012
The first test of the Steve Hansen era was against Ireland at Eden Park in June 2012.
The All Blacks introduced three new caps – Brodie Retallick, Aaron Smith and Julian Savea in their starting team with Luke Romano on the bench and Sam Cane and Beauden Barrett in the squad.
There was a sense of this being a new beginning which strengthened when Savea scored a hat-trick and Smith and Retallick were outstanding.
2: Hamilton Hammering June, 2012
After scraping past Ireland in the second test of the 2012 June series, the All Blacks cut loose in the third.
Aaron Cruden and Sonny Bill Williams were in vintage form and another local hero, Liam Messam, drafted in after missing the initial squad selection played the game of his career to help the All Blacks secure an unforgettable 60-0 victory.
3: Game Changer September, 2012
A classic encounter with South Africa was in the balance until Aaron Smith came o the bench and turned the game with his pace and accuracy.
He had been demoted after missing a curfew the week before and his punishment showed that Hansen was going to hold a firm line on o -field standards.
4: Title Time October, 2012
When Sam Whitelock forced his way over through the tackle of Adriaan Strauss to score in the corner against the Boks in Soweto, he ensured the All Blacks made a clean sweep of the Rugby Championship.
It was also the All Blacks’ 16th consecutive victory which put them on the cusp of a world record.
5: Captain Kieran November, 2012
The succession planning for the captaincy began in Rome, 2012 when Kieran Read was asked to captain the All Blacks against Italy.
It would be the first of nine tests in which he would lead the side before taking over the job permanently in 2016.
6: A Bad Day at Twickenham December, 2012
The All Blacks had drawn once since they won the World Cup in 2011, but didn’t suer the bitter taste of defeat under Hansen until December 2012.
That day they met a rampant England team who had the All Blacks’ number with Hansen admitting after the game that his side had become a little predictable on attack.
7: Home Boy Does It June, 2013
The All Blacks wrapped up their June series with France in New Plymouth and the crowd could hardly have asked for a better ending.
Local lad Beauden Barrett came o the bench and was able to score what ended up being the try of the year.
8: Return of the Prodigal Son
Having taken six months o in the first half of 2013, All Blacks captain Richie McCaw returned to the international fold for the first Bledisloe Cup game of the year in Sydney.
In typical McCaw fashion, he played brilliantly and even scored a try. He was refreshed and energised and the decision to take a sabbatical looked inspired.
Yellow Fever September, 2013
Springboks hooker Bismarck du Plessis was wrongly yellow carded after he made this tackle on Dan Carter in the Rugby Championship at Eden Park.
Carter couldn’t play on so Barrett was introduced and he had a coming of age performance. But more importantly, du Plessis would pick up another yellow in the second half for elbowing Liam Messam and earned himself a red card that should never have been shown.
The card meant the Boks struggled to be at their best and the All Blacks won 29-15.
10: Greatest Game Ever Played October, 2013
There will be those who opt for the All Blacks clash with the Wallabies in 2000 as the greatest game ever played, but more would probably vote for the Ellis Park thriller in 2013.
The Boks could win the title if they beat the All Blacks with a bonus point so they came out with a new found desire to score four tries.
It was an epic encounter played at breathtaking pace with incredible skill and finishing from both teams. The All Blacks managed to win after Barrett scored an individual try of some brilliance and then Read managed to run a lung-bursting support line to take a pass from Savea to make the final score 38-27.
11: The Perfect Year November, 2013
Having dusted o France 3-0 in June, then a clean sweep of the Rugby Championship, the All Blacks gave themselves a chance to make history when they defeated Australia, Japan, France and England at the end of the year.
If they could beat Ireland in their last match they would become the first team to go through a calendar year undefeated. It would be the perfect season and there was every chance it would happen as Ireland had been poor leading into the game.
But after 17 minutes, Ireland had scored three tries and were about unstoppable. It was a long, hard battle for the All Blacks to haul them in and although they managed to get the score to 22-17, it wasn’t going to be enough. Not when Ireland had the ball, were in the All Blacks’ half and there was only 30 seconds to go.
But as everyone surely knows, the All Blacks somehow won a penalty and kept the ball alive through 16 phases to put Ryan Crotty in at the corner.
Aaron Cruden was allowed to re-take the missed conversion because the Irish had charged too early and of course he nailed it..
12: Bender Goes Ballistic June, 2014
Ben Smith had established himself as one of the best wings in world rugby in 2013 and was shortlisted as player of the year.
But despite his brilliance, everyone wanted to see him play in his preferred role of fullback. Which did indeed happen, as fate would have it, on his home ground in Dunedin against England.
He played one of the great games, famously chasing down Manu Tuilagi, tackling him then winning a penalty in the act of trying to snae the ball.
He also scored a try and cut England to shreds with his running.
It was a game that stated categorically fullback was his best position.
13: England Get Blasted June, 2014
A series that started with a tight test in Auckland that the All Blacks were lucky to win, ended with an absolute walloping.
England couldn’t muster much in the last test of the June series and met the All Blacks in rampant mood. It was one of those intense performances by the All Blacks where everything they did came o and they won 36-13.
14: Retallick’s Revenge August, 2014
The All Blacks had been fairly dire in the opening Bledisloe Cup test which had ended in a 12-all draw in Sydney.
Knowing they were lucky to have escaped without defeat they came back to Eden Park and sought a terrible revenge.
They blasted the Wallabies o the park 51-20 with Brodie Retallick delivering one of the great performances of his career.
15: Better Than Lomu September, 2014
Julian Savea was in the best form of his career during the 2014 Rugby Championship and turned the game against the Pumas in Argentina with two tries where he simply ran over the top of defenders.
It was a hugely powerful statement from a hugely powerful player and evoked memories of Jonah Lomu at his best.
A week later in South Africa and Hansen was asked to make a comparison between Savea and Lomu.
“I think he's [Savea] probably better,” Hansen said. “He can do more things than Jonah. Jonah was a great player but I think Julian has got more to his game than Jonah.
“That's really saying something but I genuinely believe that. He's very good going back. He's very good under the high ball. He's very good over the ball on the ground as well as being a great ball carrier.”
16: The Great Escape at Suncorp October, 2014
The Bledisloe had one of is better years in 2014. The opening game in Sydney was a draw, the second a big win for New Zealand, but the third ended up being an epic that Australia were looking like winning.
They led by six points with two minutes to go but somehow, as they had done in Dublin the year before, the All Blacks found a way to magic a try.
They held on to the ball through seven phases, eventually working Malakai Fekitoa over in the corner.
Colin Slade had to kick the winning conversion – which he did without a hint of nerves.
Amazingly, after the game, Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie revealed that he had resigned earlier that day.
17: Coming to America November, 2014
Chicago was to become something of a second home for the All Blacks under Hansen.
They first played at Soldier Field in November 2014 when they beat the USA Eagles 74-6.
18: Clean Sweep of England November, 2014
Having beaten England three times in June, the All Blacks came to London in November 2014 with a chance to make it four victories in the calendar year.
They did just that thanks to a man of the match performance from captain Richie McCaw who was at his imperious best.
It was a game, however, that had a real sense of what was about to come. The World Cup semi-finals and final would be played at Twickenham in less than a year’s time and many were predicting a New Zealand versus England final.
What also became apparent was the lack of respect McCaw was likely to be shown when he returned for the World Cup. He was heavily booed every time he touched the ball, while his post match interview couldn’t be heard over the crowd’s angry reaction.
Not only that, Hansen was heavily abused by England fans throughout the game and at the ocial after-match function, RFU president Jon Dance is understood to have opened proceedings by saying: “I’m just going to come out and say what everyone is thinking, England deserved to win that game.”
19: Quarter-Final Warm Up in Cardi November, 2014
The 2014 end of year tour was treated as a mini-World Cup. The All Blacks played the USA first – which they equated to their last pool game – and then England [quarter-final], Scotland [semi-final] and Wales [final].
The last match in Cardi was particularly poignant as the All Blacks were drawn to play their 2015 World Cup quarter-final there.
And true to form, Wales played with the tenacity and intensity that made it feel like a World Cup knock-out game. It was tight until the last 12 minutes when it started to open as a result of Colin Slade playing at first-five and Barrett at fullback to give the All Blacks dual playmakers.
20: Making History in Apia July, 2015
The All Blacks made history when they travelled to Apia for a mid-week test against Samoa.
It was the first time the All Blacks had played a test in any of the Pacific Islands and the occasion was spectacular.
So was the heat and with the temperature close to 34 degrees at kick-o the All Blacks laboured to a tight win.
21: Legends Last Stand August, 2015
There were a number of players under pressure to deliver in the return Bledisloe Cup test in 2015. They were playing to make the World Cup squad and to avoid the test at Eden Park being their last game.
Pressure proved to be the best thing because Carter wound back the clock and was brilliant. McCaw led the way as usual and Ma’a Nonu was in exceptional form, scoring two tries and making the most dominant ball carries.
22: Sonny Saves the Day September, 2015
The All Blacks opening World Cup game in 2015 was in danger of going horribly wrong when both McCaw and Conrad Smith were yellow carded in the first half.
Worse, the All Blacks were loose and disjointed and found themselves chasing the game. They were behind until Williams came o he bench and turned the game with a huge performance where he was direct and creative.
His ooading opened holes and calmed the All Blacks down.
23: France Handed Savea Thrashing October, 2015
There was understandable nervousness about the All Blacks having to play France in a quarter-final in Cardi.
This was the ground on which the French had knocked the All Blacks out eight years earlier at the same stage and so the tension was high.
Before the game Hansen had spoken of his respect and admiration for the French, famously saying: “Other than the Rainbow Warrior, we have been on the same page for most of history.”
But it took 30 minutes for it to dissipate as the All Blacks were ruthless and dynamic at a new level. They blitzed the French with high pace, high skilled rugby and it was one of the great performances of the Hansen era.
The final score was 62-18 and three tries had come from Julian Savea who had suddenly come to life, knocking Frenchmen out the way for fun.
24: Squeezing In October, 2015
The rain fell steadily and the South Africans refused to give an inch in the 2015 World Cup semi-final.
An arm-wrestle developed and the All Blacks were able to squeeze home – just – thanks partly to this try by Jerome Kaino who somehow managed to find a way to plonk the ball in the corner.
25: Beauden Finishes It O October, 2015
This was the moment everyone knew the All Blacks had made history and become the first team to win back-to-back World Cups.
They were leading 27-17 with two minutes left when the Wallabies dropped the ball close to the All Blacks’ line. Ben Smith picked up, beat three tackles and then booted the ball forward.
Barrett stormed past the tiring defence to hack it on and of course it bounced into his arms and he was able to re-gather and dive under the posts.
26: Business as Usual June, 2016
Having lost more than 800 test caps through the respective retirements of Richie McCaw, Dan Carter,
Tony Woodcock, Keven Mealamu, Ma’a Nonu and
Conrad Smith, expectations were high that the All Blacks would struggle in 2016.
Wales were the first side to be dissuaded from believing that when they were sliced up at Eden Park in the first test of the year. If the All Blacks were missing the so-called Golden Generation, they didn’t show it.
27: Who is Bugging Who August, 2016
On the morning of the first 2016 Bledisloe Cup test in Sydney, it emerged that the All Blacks had found a listening device planted in the team room of their hotel.
That sparked a Police investigation and all sorts of bad blood even though New Zealand Rugby was careful not to accuse the Australians of anything.
But the game kicked o in a mood of unprecedented tension, intensified by the fact the last time the two had met was in the final of the 2015 World Cup.
If the Wallabies did indeed know any of the All Blacks' secrets they didn't play like it. The All Blacks were devastating and this try by Dane Coles saw them clinch a 42-8 victory.
28: Late Blast in Pretoria October, 2016
The Rugby
Championship had been won before the All Blacks even stepped on the plane to Argentina for their fifth game.
But that didn’t dilute their hunger to finish the competition with a clean sweep and a maximum 30 points.
A game that was in the balance in Pretoria coming into the last quarter, ended with a record 57 points being posted by the All Blacks who scored four tries in the last 10 minutes in a never to be forgotten attacking blitz.
29: 18 In a Row October, O 2016
The final Bledisloe Cup match of 2016 at Eden Park was a chance for the All Blacks to make history.
If they could win, they would set a world record of 18 consecutive victories. It would be an incredible feat and maybe that explained why the All Blacks played as if they were nervous.
The game swung in their favour when the Wallabies had a try disallowed shortly after half-time and the All Blacks took that as their cue to burst into life. They scored three tries to secure a 37-10 victory.
But it was events after the game that became more memorable. Asked for a comment about what the All Blacks had achieved, Wallabies coach Michael Cheika said: “They dressed us up as clowns today. They put our crest on it, so they wouldn’t want our comment,” Cheika said referring to a caricature of him as a clown which had appeared in the New Zealand Herald that day.
“They’re on top and we’re nowhere at this stage. That’s the relationship between the teams. The thing that got me a bit oside was the accusation [before the first test in Sydney] that we tried to bug them.
“Like, really? Hello. Honestly? That’s what would cause that bad [blood] for me, that show of lack of respect.
“I wouldn’t even be smart enough to get that stu organised. I’m too busy working on my own team.”
30: Making the Wrong Kind of History November, 2016
History making was the theme in Chicago when the All Blacks were there in early November 2016 to play Ireland.
Three days before their test with the Irish, the Chicago Cubs won the World Series for the first time in 108 years.
That obviously inspired Ireland, who played like men possessed and won against the All Blacks for the first time in 111 years.
It was an historic way indeed to bring the winning streak to an end.
31: Revenge Taken in Dublin November, 2016
Because the Chicago test had been organised outside the standard test programme, it meant the All Blacks had the chance for early revenge as they had long been scheduled to play Ireland in Dublin in the middle of November.
So they came to Ireland hungry to make amends and did just that in one of the more memorably physical and indeed brutal games of the whole Hansen era.
There were huge hits and all sorts of collisions that day that left players from both sides bruised and battered.
Interviewed by Irish TV on the field after the game, Hansen became irked at the line of questioning that appeared to be suggesting the All Blacks had crossed the line of acceptable physicality.
“Do you want me to tell you we’re a dirty side or something? Is that what you’re saying?” he eventually said.
32: Stumbling Home in Paris November, 2016
It had been an amazing year for the All Blacks but it had also been a long and gruelling one for them,
They had to rely heavily on their leaders and many of them were dead on their feet by the end of the year such had been their commitment to the cause.
There had also been an emotional toll taken from the fall-out of the Chiefs’ infamous after season party and the pressure New Zealand rugby was under to conduct itself better.
So come the final match in Paris, the All Blacks had little left but they managed to hold on to win, thanks to a Barrett intercept that saw him save a try and go 90 metres down the other end to score.
33: Rieko Risk pays O June, 2017
There was a bit of uncertainty about who the All Blacks were going to pick on the wings to play against the British and Irish Lions in the first test of the series in 2017.
And as we discovered after the fact, even the selectors weren't sure a few days before the test.
An Amazon behind the scenes documentary would reveal that the decision to try Ioane on the left wing was on a whim.
The cameras showed Hansen saying to Ian Foster during training: “Can we swap those two wingers over?”
“What do you mean?” Foster replies. “Wise [Waisake Naholo] and Julian play on the right and he [Ioane] plays on the left,” says Hansen.
“It’s a dumb call today. I think it’s a ridiculous idea,” Foster says.
“I couldn’t tell you if he’s [presumably Savea or Naholo] a good right wing – it’s a completely di erent picture.”
Hansen says “Have a look and see what you think. Be open. If it doesn’t work, change it.”
It worked just fine with Ioane scoring two tries after being the surprise choice on the left wing.
34: Sonny Sees Red July, 2017
It had been 50 years since the
All Blacks had been shown a red card when Sonny Bill Williams was sent o in the second test against the Lions.
The big midfielder had no complaints when he was red carded for a high tackle on Anthony Watson. Williams came in high and was a little reckless and Watson was luckily not badly hurt.
It meant that from the 23rd minute the All Blacks had to play with 14 men and while they came close to holding on, the Lions pipped them on the line to level the series 24-21.
35: The Worst Decision Ever July, 2017
We all know what happened. Referee Romain Poite was persuaded to change his mind about giving the All Blacks a last minute, kickable penalty in the final test of the Lions series.
He had rightly decided that Lions hooker Ken Owens was oside from a kick-o when he caught the ball.
He wrongly sought clarification from TMO George Ayoub who confirmed he was right to award the penalty and then he was talked out of it by assistant referee Jerome Garces and awarded a scrum to ensure the game and the series remained drawn.
36: Breaking Wallaby Hearts August, 2017
A famous Wallabies win was on the cards in Dunedin in the second Bledisloe encounter of 2017.
With three minutes to go Kurtley Beale smashed over to give them the lead and surely, their first win on New Zealand soil since 1986.
But no. Kieran Read won the kick o and a few phases later he ran a brilliant angle on to a Scott Barrett pass.
He flipped the ball to TJ Perenara who turned it back in field for Barrett to fly under the posts.
37: Running Riot in Albany September, 2017
This was Wayne Smith’s last home game as All Blacks defence coach and the team wanted to make sure they delivered the sort of performance that would reflect the esteem in which they held the long-serving maestro.
They did just that with one of the great performances of the era. After a rocky start where they were a bit wild and wobbly for the first 15 minutes, Aaron Smith opted to run a penalty and sparked a try for Ioane.
That settled the team and from there everything they did came o. Barrett pulled o his back flip pass to Nehe Milner-Skudder and holes appeared all over the park.
The final score was 57-0 and so total was the demolition that the Boks eectively used that game to lure Rassie Erasmus back from Ireland to become their head coach.
38: Scots Get Scary November, 2017
An emotional Scotland, buoyed by the presence of the terminally ill Doddie Weir, played out of their skins at Murrayfield to come as close as they ever have to a first win against the All Blacks.
The game was notable for their quality and for the
All Blacks’ ill discipline which saw them pick up two yellow cards.
It was also notable for a few moments of genuine magic – a miracle o-load by Williams, some power running from Ioane and a big shift from Kieran Read who wouldn’t play again for another eight months as a bulging disc in his back became so bad after the test in Edinburgh that he required surgery to fix it.
39: Power Play From Rieko November, 2017
This was a test Rieko Ioane was never supposed to play. After a muscular hit out against Scotland the week before, he damaged his shoulder.
The prognosis at the start of the week was bad. He’d miss the test and require a few months of rest and possibly even surgery.
But somehow, by Thursday, he was named in the starting team, prompting a somewhat perplexed but happy Hansen to reveal that there had been some kind of miracle recovery.
And the All Blacks were grateful for that because a Welsh team that refused to lie down, was only put away when Ioane came into his own in the last half hour and cut them to shreds.
He was too strong, too fast and too good for the defence and his two tries and countless linebreaks prompted Hansen to say this after the victory.
“If we can keep his feet on the floor, he can go anywhere, that kid.
“Every time he gets the ball, you wonder what is going to happen. He has got pace, but he is strong with it.”
40: Jack Attack June, 2018
Hansen sprung a surprise with his selection for the third test of the 2018 series against France by picking the uncapped Jack Goodhue to start at centre.
The 23-year-old had been in great form for the Crusaders but no one realised he was in line for a debut.
He lined up in the midfield with Williams and the two clicked and suddenly it looked as if the All Blacks had their preferred midfield. It certainly looked like they had found their preferred centre.
41: Beauden’s Perfect 10 August, 2018
Anyone who saw Dan Carter’s performance against the Lions in 2005 would have thought it could never have been improved upon.
And then in 2018 at Eden Park against the Wallabies, perhaps Barrett did just that.
He scored four tries in a perfect performance that was magical to watch. His tactical kicking and vision were at a di erent level. His running game incredible and everything he did turned to gold.
42 Capital Punishment September, 2018
After blasting out to a 12-0 lead in as many minutes, the All Blacks pretty much lost the plot and played a brand of headless and thoughtless rugby against the Springboks.
They gave away two tries with brainless errors and then spurned the chance to win at the death with a drop goal.
“Our game management was the biggest problem,” Hansen said. “It’s partly the leadership, and it’s partly my fault because I haven’t given them enough understanding of what to do. No one is going to get hung out to dry because of a loss.”
He then suggested that it was the worst performance in specific regard to game management since the 2007 World Cup quarter-final loss to France. “That’s the last time I can remember a game that was so poorly managed, and it was because of the pressure of the scoreboard and the event.
“This time the same thing happened and we got too individualistic. All we had do was take a big breath, maybe take a shot at goal in the 66th minute, then score a try, and that gives you the eight points you need to get in front.
“A dropped goal wouldn’t be bad either, would it?”
43: Ardie the All Blacks Savea October, 2018
A consecutive loss to South Africa was on the cards in Pretoria in the last game of the Rugby Championship.
The Boks led 31-18 with 16 minutes to go. But first Ioane was worked into the corner and then a series of turnovers by Ardie Savea brought the All Blacks penalties which they kicked and then drove the lineout.
Scott Barrett ploughed over after one such drive and after Savea pulled o a miracle turnover with three minutes to go and Richie Mo'unga banged the resulting penalty 70 metres on the bounce, it was only fitting that the All Blacks No 7 should have the last word with the winning try.
44: Dropping England in the Rain November, 2018
The hype could hardly have been greater for this game. England hadn’t played the All Blacks since 2014 and in the intervening four years had developed into a powerful rugby team under the astute coaching of Eddie Jones.
Hansen helped pump things up when he said: “I think this is even bigger actually. I think the Lions tour has made it bigger because we weren’t successful.
“In only drawing the series, that wasn’t successful to
us. That’s made this week have a sharper edge to it, which is good. You’ve got to be reasonably stupid if you can’t work out this is going to be big.
“There’s 80,000 people, it’s all over the papers, everyone’s talking about it, you can’t get a ticket.
“You’d have to be on holiday, I reckon, if you didn’t work out that this is going to be big. And we haven’t got anybody on holiday this week.”
Perhaps all that hype got to the
All Blacks because they were 15-0 down after 20 minutes and had barely touched the ball.
But they found a way to get their hands on it and hold it. They played a little bit of rugby but mainly kicked well and put the pressure back on England for the next 30 minutes.
That allowed them to score 16 points, the last of which came from a Barrett drop goal.
England had a late try disallowed for o side to send the crowd into a rage but it was the right call.
45: Done Over in Dublin November, 2018
If the hype before the game against England had got out of hand, it somehow went up a level the following week in Dublin after Hansen said that the team that won would be the real number one in the world.
Ireland rose to that bait and played out of their skins, defending like men possessed and frustrating the All Blacks at every turn.
New Zealand created chances but couldn't finish. Ireland made one clean break and scored and that was the story of the night.
“I said at the beginning of the week that this is the two best sides in the world playing each other,” said Hansen post-match.
“So as of now they’re the number one team in the world. So I guess they are [World Cup] favourites.”
46: Back in the Garden of Eden August, 2018
The parallels with 2015 were frightening ahead of the second Bledisloe Cup test.
The All Blacks had lost in Perth the week before just as they had lost in Sydney in 2015. They were under intense pressure to win and a few senior players had to perform to secure a World Cup place. This was just how it was in 2015, as well.
Hansen gave new boys Nepo Laulala, George Bridge and Sevu Reece a start ahead of Owen Franks, Ben Smith and Rieko Ioane and his high risk strategy delivered high reward because just as happened in the corresponding fixture four years earlier, the All Blacks drilled the Wallabies.
The home side found another gear, lifted under pressure and won 36-0.
47: Back in the Garden of Eden August, 2018
The whole World Cup was hanging on the outcome of the opening Pool B fixture between the All Blacks and Springboks at Yokohama Stadium.
The winner would almost certainly win the group and that would shape the rest of the draw.
So the pressure coming into the game was huge, particularly as there had been nothing between the two in their last four tests and particularly when Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus suggested the All Blacks would no longer receive favourable refereeing as they were no longer the number one team in the world.
That sparked this response from Hansen: “It’s pretty obvious what they are trying to do.
“I have a lot of respect for South Africa and particularly Rassie, he’s a great coach, but I don’t agree with them trying to put more pressure on the referees. They’re under enough pressure already.
“They don’t need us coaches doing what he is doing. It doesn’t matter who you are, as a coach or a team,
you can always find things after a game and get emotional about the fact that it is against you and not the opposition. We have done it ourselves.
“But at the end of the day they go out there to do the best that they can and, yes, they don’t get it right all the time, we have suered from that, just like other teams.”
Two tries midway through the first half and some clever kicking in the final quarter of the second saw the All Blacks win 23-13.
48: Dublin Down October, 2019
A World Cup quarter-final against Ireland was huge.
The pressure enormous and the All Blacks loved it.
They knew they had reworked their attack game in the 11 months since they had lost to Ireland in Dublin and they wanted to show the world how good they were at it.
They blew Ireland o the park. They were 22-0 up at half-time and they scored seven tries in total in what was arguably the best All Blacks performance since the 2015 World Cup quarter-final.
49: The Dream is Over October, 2019
England came and England conquered. They were too good on a day when everything went right for them.
Their 19-7 victory flattered the All Blacks who knew they had been second best and however hard it was to accept that the dream of winning a third consecutive World Cup was over, they had to show their character by reacting with dignity and honour.
Which they did. “There's a lot of hurt,” said Hansen. “That adversity will feed a lot of All Blacks teams in the future, so we'll find one positive out of it.
“Congratulations to England. They were deserved winners. You had two very good sides going at each other and the team that took the game won the game.
“We've got no regrets. I'm really proud of our team, they've done a tremendous job for their country and tonight they weren't good enough. We have to take that on the chin and so do the people back home.”
50: Tokyo Becomes Smithville November, 2019
It was tough, but the All Blacks picked themselves up after losing to England in the World Cup semi-final for the dreaded bronze medal match against Wales.
They weren't going to finish on a low and they weren't going to bid farewell to Hansen, Read, Sonny Bill Williams, Matt Todd, Ryan Crotty and Ben Smith with a loss.
So out came a vintage performance where Smith, the forgotten man of the World Cup, wound back the clock and gave a reminder of just how good he is.
He scored two tries in the 40-17 win. Classic Bender.