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'Library of learnings' fuelling All Blacks World Cup campaign
As the adage goes, a loss is a lesson and coming off one of their most challenging World Cup cycles, the All Blacks have learnt a fair bit in their hunt to reclaim the Webb Ellis Cup and be crowned world champions once more.
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One man who has experienced both the joy and heartache a World Cup can provide is Beauden Barrett, the 115-test All Black having played in both the 2015 final and 2019 semi-final.
The four years in between campaigns leave a lot of time for emotions to stew, but also for the international landscape to evolve and render some feelings redundant.
Key to success at World Cups though is experience and Barrett certainly has plenty of that heading into his third tournament.
“Each one has been so different,” Barrett told Stuff. “But the level of optimism is as high as it’s ever been.
“I know so much is going to happen between now and the end of the World Cup. I can remember the disappointment and that feeling of deep dissatisfaction after the last one. There were definitely happy memories the first time around in ‘15.”
History never repeats itself and the All Blacks’ buildup to the tenth instalment of the competition is unlike any that have come before it.
Inevitably, coming off the back of a loss last time out is fuelling some of the fire in the All Blacks camp.
“Absolutely,” Barrett agreed. “That was a huge learning for us around how we didn’t get to the level we needed to and why. Of course, it’s banked. And it’s added to the library of learnings that we have sitting there.”
Barrett’s sentiment echoes that of his teammate Ardie Savea, who said the memory of 2019 was “stored” and “good” to have in the bank.
One learning from 2019 was that a loss in the pool stages doesn’t eradicate your chances of lifting the Webb Ellis, given reigning champions South Africa fell to New Zealand before making a clean sweep of the knockout stages.
A clash with hosts France to open this tournament will pose a similar challenge for the Kiwis and a date with knockout football is far from guaranteed.
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Head-to-Head
Last 5 Meetings
Wins
2
Draws
0
Wins
3
Average Points scored
21
33
First try wins
40%
Home team wins
100%
“The true test for this group will come ultimately in those defining moments down the stretch.
“We’ve got to earn the right to be in those quarters, and then the same every week after that.
“But the true test is being able to stand up in those big moments. Those are the things we’re talking about now. There’s no bigger one than France in round one, but the Boks stand in front of us before that, and we can’t overlook that game either.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Don’t worry Sonny bill Williams leave that awkward situation about the curfew in the pass whoever it was it doesn’t matter its no big deal we back our All Blacks through the storm and the thunder until we see the Sun light again.
41 Go to commentsWho listens to this retard? He was a massive liability as a player but obviously a media sensation
41 Go to commentsI’m not surprised by such ‘virtue signalling’ by Sonny Boy. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s such a pious Islamic muppet, imo.
41 Go to commentsI’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
39 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
1 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
4 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
4 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
41 Go to comments