They are also coming off the back of a record defeat, 35-7 against a pumped up South Africa at Twickenham, and their opening match is against the hosts France at the Stade de France, a ground where they conceded 40 points on their last visit in the autumn of 2021.
The notion of the All Blacks being vulnerable is foreign. This is a team which since the start of international rugby is way ahead of the field in terms of success rate. They have always been the team to beat, the side to avoid in a World Cup group but they will not be the form horse on Friday night when they face France in the World Cup opener.
Not least because of their last game against the Springboks when they started in reverse gear and failed to get out of it. Factor in the defeats to France and Ireland in the last couple of years and New Zealand look like a side fourth in the rankings, a little way from the top.
Yet when has it paid to write off the All Blacks? When it comes to bouncebackability, there is no one more proficient. The prophets of doom assembled a year ago when New Zealand were routed by the Springboks at the Mbombela Stadium, flattered by the 26-10 scoreline.
A week later, the sides squared up again at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. The All Blacks went 15 points up only to lose the lead in the second half before a late rally saw them home by 12 points.
At the end of the month, they were beaten by Argentina in Christchurch, the first time they had lost three home matches in a calendar year. The two sides met again in Hamilton a week later. The All B l a ck s won 53-3.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September 03, 2023-Ausgabe von The Rugby Paper.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September 03, 2023-Ausgabe von The Rugby Paper.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
I always wanted to play an exciting form of rugby
THERE were periods of my career where I felt like I was playing well enough to earn a shot with England. However, if you look at the way England’s gone, even with Marcus Smith now, he gets taken off when he is playing fantastic rugby just because he’s more of a flair player and as a result has a stigma attached.
England must find a way to deliver
WITH Christmas fast approaching, it’s time for us all to look forward to better things and hope we achieve them.
I've still got plenty to give, says Beaumont
JOSH Beaumont prepares to put his body on the festive front line again in the Sale cause revealing his biggest “regret” has been not winning an England cap.
Saracens fight back to overcome Bears
SARACENS secured a pulsating victory over a Hannah Botterman-inspired Bristol Bears to move to within a point of the summit of the table.
Hopkins in snatch it
AFTER the resignation of their popular head coach Toby Booth earlier in the week, Ospreys were given a huge boost when replacement Iestyn Hopkins crashed over with the clock in overtime to condemn their fiercest rivals to yet another defeat in Swansea.
No Mostert? That's got to be a mistake
HERE'S a funny thing: one of the more prominent rugby sites on the world wide web super information highway thingy has just published its list of the 100 best players in the sport. And no, the Spring-bok lock Franco Mostert isn't in it. ALLOWED
Tompkins hits the 200-mark for Saracens
MARK McCall has hailed Nick Tompkins, who makes his 200th appearance today for Saracens against champions Northampton at StoneX Stadium, as the epitome of a player the club aims to produce.
Anguish for Chiefs as Sale march on
GEORGE Ford’s educated right boot proved hugely instrumental as Sale subjected rock-bottom Exeter to yet more misery and gloom.
Rampaging Bears tear Tigers apart
BRISTOL produced a memorable display of attacking rugby which left Leicester thoroughly shaken and stirred.
England's outsiders deserve a chance niveste cu
IT’S just six weeks before the start of the 2025 Six Nations, and since Steve Borthwick became England head coach his main message to the media has been we want to get better. However, by the end of the autumn series, Borthwick had become a bit more critical, saying that England were not fit enough, and were not carrying what they had been doing in training into matches.
