It's the perfect way to end an international coaching tenure. A World Cup victory leaves a sense of everything being right.
A World Cup title can add an incredible glow to any coaching reign no matter what happened in the preceding years.
Not that Graham Henry needed a fairytale ending as such but when he got his in 2011, the final act of an eight-year stint that was mostly good but with one memorably bad period, he was offered a knighthood and a place in the national psyche as a favourite old uncle.
Steve Hansen wanted the same ending to his eight-years in charge of the All Blacks. He didn't need it to preserve a treasured place in history. He already had that locked down.
He took over as head coach of the All Blacks in 2012 after eight years as an assistant and with everyone predicting it would all end horribly for him, he took the team to greater heights.
In his first year, they only lost one test – and that was at the end of a long, long season. In 2013 they didn't lose a single game and then he coached the All Blacks to a World Cup victory in 2015, before they set a record of 18 consecutive victories in 2016.
His win record was incredible. The All Blacks won 89 per cent of their tests with Hansen as coach so coming into the 2019 World Cup, his legacy didn't need another title as such.
But he wanted it. Of course he did. He wanted the All Blacks to become the first team to win three successive World Cups. That desire wasn't driven by any personal glory, but for the legacy of the jersey.
What better way to sign off than with a third straight World Cup title? What better way to bring eight years as head coach to an end?
This story is from the Issue 203 December 2019 - January 2020 edition of NZ Rugby World.
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This story is from the Issue 203 December 2019 - January 2020 edition of NZ Rugby World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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