All Blacks duo on ‘difficult’ journey from record loss to World Cup final

When the full-time whistle sounded on a sombre August night at Twickenham two months ago, it was hard to believe what had just happened. South Africa handed the All Blacks a record 35-7 loss just two weeks out from the Rugby World Cup.

The All Blacks were written off by many ahead of the sport’s showpiece event. Among their critics, former French international Olivier Magne bluntly described the New Zealanders as the “weakest in history."

New Zealand opened their World Cup campaign with their first-ever pool stage defeat, with hosts France sending the Parisian crowd into a frenzy on an unforgettable night at Stade de France. The All Blacks had lost two on the bounce.

But two months is a long time in Test rugby. The All Blacks have proven their doubters and naysayers wrong time and time again with some trademark performances, including a thrilling 28-24 quarter-final win over Ireland.

After beating Argentina a week later in their semi-final, the All Blacks are potentially 80 minutes away from what was once considered an unlikely World Cup triumph.

Not bad for the “weakest” All Blacks team ever.

“It has been very difficult. It has taken a huge amount of drive to turn it around to get it right,” wing Will Jordan said when asked about the journey from that Twickenham defeat to a World Cup decider.

“It’s a special group here and we have always been committed to being the best team we can be.

"In 2022 we were a bit astray but we have come out of the fire a bit and I guess the big thing for us now has been the consistency has been found. We have been able to put back-to-back performances together, which is probably what was missing before.

“The challenge for us tomorrow night is to be able to go three big games in a row. It’s been a challenging period but it’s where we want to be now."

The All Blacks fell behind during a quiet first half against the Boks in August, but things went from bad to worse just before the break.

Scott Barrett was sent off after a second yellow card, and that’s when things got ugly. If it was a boxing fight, All Blacks coaches would’ve been naïve to not throw in the towel.

But the All Blacks have bounced back. New Zealand have been building steadily throughout this tournament as they continued to fly under the radar, and they’re now primed and ready for a blockbuster decider against their greatest rivals.

It’s not about redemption – World Cup glory awaits the victor.

“It has been some journey. We have been really motivated to fill this black jersey. We have players and coaches who just want to see the potential in this team,” playmaker Richie Mo’unga added.

“We are getting little blocks in our game right. A big part of that is our DNA and what makes this team tick and how we can do this at high quality for 80 minutes.

"The off-field stuff has created that bond on-field too. Through all of that we will look back and smile on what a journey it has been and how exciting it has been. It all comes down to this last game.

“The mindset was nerves and how daunting it can be but we are all excited to put our best foot forward and give it a crack and if we do that we will make ourselves proud.”