Rugby’s comeback story reads like a movie script
In a plot straight out of a sports movie, the All Blacks could snatch their fourth Rugby World Cup title and leave the world in awe, should they overcome old foes the Springboks in Paris on Sunday.
It’s a story that even Hollywood might find too unbelievable, as coach Ian Foster and his men take centre stage in a tale of redemption that’s making doubters eat their words.
Their journey to the final is a true underdog story, riddled with cliches right out of a movie script.
The New Zealand media, the public, and even New Zealand Rugby itself had collectively raised their eyebrows at the All Blacks’ prospects, convinced their best days were behind them.
Foster’s tenure as head coach resembled a dramatic rollercoaster ride, complete with the lowest of lows. The team had their first-ever defeat to Argentina, followed by the heartache of a test series loss to Ireland on home soil. A series of gutwrenching losses in a six-test run left the critics pounding at their chests.
But every sports movie fan knows that it’s not the number of times you get knocked down; it’s about your ability to rise up and fight back. In a classic Rocky fashion, the All Blacks defied the odds and clawed their way back into contention.
The Herald played its own part in the drama, publishing a front page editorial in August 2022 demanding a change in leadership and the introduction of Scott Robertson as the new coach. Foster found himself in a cinematic battle against all odds, with Robertson’s looming appointment as his successor serving as a climatic plot twist.
We’re more than happy to concede that this team has not only proved the doubters wrong, but also written a script worthy of the silver screen.
Whatever the result tomorrow, the All Blacks and Ian Foster have solidified their place as the ultimate Cinderella story of the Rugby World Cup.
Their journey is an embodiment of every sports movie clich: the underdogs who found their heart, the coach with unwavering faith, and the comeback story of a lifetime.