‘This is the pinnacle’: All Blacks great on winning back-to-back World Cups

With history just 80 minutes away, the All Blacks stood 20 metres away from their fiercest rivals as they prepared to lay down their challenge ahead of the 2015 Rugby World Cup final.

Once the anthems had been sung, and with kick-off just a few minutes away, the All Blacks stared down the Wallabies ahead of the haka on the hallowed turf at Twickenham.

Legendary hooker Keven Mealamu, who was about to play what ended up being his final Test in the black jersey, led the All Blacks’ stirring rendition of Kapa o Pango.

As for their rivals Australia, who were led into battle by captain Stephen Moore, they embraced the challenge. The Wallabies stood side-by-side and prepared for their date with destiny.

The All Blacks took control of the Test, and appeared to be sailing towards a second-consecutive World Cup crown – but finals are rarely that one-sided.

Fullback Ben Smith was sent to the sin bin in the 52^nd minute, and the Wallabies made the most of their one-player advantage. Tries to David Pocock and Tevita Kuridrani saw the Aussies claw their way back.

But eventually, the All Blacks hung on. Surged on by a sensational performance from flyhalf Dan Carter, the New Zealanders claimed a 34-17 victory over Australia.

For a number of legendary All Blacks, including Mealamu, Carter, Ma’a Nonu, Conrad Smith, Tony Woodcock and of course Richie McCaw, it was their final Test. They’re bowed out as winners.

“This one here is probably a little bit more personal than 2011,” Mealamu said on NZT+ docuseries Trophies.  “I knew it was my last Test match and I was retiring at the end of the year.

“I knew it was probably my last time in the black jersey (and) something we always talk about as All Blacks is how you want to leave the jersey.

“This was a really special moment for me… I wanted to be able to leave something special in the jersey.

“This represents but also to be able to say, one of our goals was wanting to be pioneers, to be able to do things that other teams hadn’t been able to achieve before.

“To be a part of an All Blacks side that won a World Cup overseas for the first time, it was quite a big feat and I really wanted to be part of that team, part of that legacy.

“This medal here represents that, being able to be a part of a legacy of All Blacks that were lucky enough to go back-to-back with Rugby World Cups.”

Mealamu played at four Rugby World Cups, and etched his name into history by helping the All Blacks hoist the Webb Ellis Cup at two of them.

The win in 2015 was special, of course, but the tournament triumph four years earlier stopped a nation. New Zealand hadn’t won the World Cup in 24 years, and were the favourites ahead of the 2011 event.

Playing on home soil, the All Blacks faced immense pressure and scrutiny ahead of the tournament. Failure wasn’t an option.

The All Blacks topped their pool, and went on to beat Argentina and Australia in the knockout stages, which set up a clash with France in the decider.

New Zealand struck first through prop Tony Woodcock, but Les Bleus hit back shortly after. The Test, and the tournament, was ultimately decided by that kick from replacement Stephen Donald.

The All Blacks won 8-7 at Eden Park, and a nation let out a collective sigh of relief as celebrations began across Aotearoa.

“I was lucky enough to play at four Rugby World Cups and two had really good outcomes, and the other two I’d say they were really good learning experiences,” Mealamu added.

“When you understand what it takes to be able to win one of these things, that’s really special because in our sport this is the pinnacle, being able to be named as a world champion.

“When I hold a medal like this I just think about what it’s taken to get to this place. What you see in the moments is 80 minutes, but in reflection, you get to see all the days of training, all the sacrifice that you put aside.

“When you’re striving towards something like this, that means a lot… I know that if I do this moment right and if our team does this moment right, then it’s a nice way for us to be able to show our appreciation to everyone that’s been a part of the journey.

“Being able to share something like this is really quite sentimental to me because I understand the work that’s gone into this.”