The alarming thing is that the only time the All Blacks didn't go into a World Cup as favourites, they won it. For all the other times, the weight of being favourites, regardless of whether or not it was deserved, has been a major factor in their inevitable implosion.

The first World Cup was held in the year following the debacle of the Cavaliers' tour, the first home series Bledisloe Cup loss for 40 years, and a complete annihilation against the French. The image is usually associated with that campaign is of David Kirk holding the trophy, but he was the third-choice captain a month before the show started, injuries to the Old Guard of Jock Hobbs and Andy Dalton changing the face of the team, and opening the door for the dynamism of Sean Fitzpatrick and Michael Jones. The All Blacks were never in trouble in that World Cup.

For the next three years they went unbeaten, with a side built on the World Cup-winning team. But the wheels started falling off in the year leading up to the next World Cup, with consecutive losses against the Wallabies meaning that John Hart was brought in at the last moment to be a co-coach with nemesis Grizz Wylie. Such a reactive set-up was never going to work, and it resulted in a surly and dysfunctional touring squad.

'By the time they reached Dublin they had stopped talking to the media, held training sessions behind closed doors, and there were stories of bar scuffles'


By the time they reached Dublin for the semi-final, they had stopped talking to the media, held training sessions behind closed doors, and there were stories of bar scuffles. Inevitably, the Lansdowne Road crowd got totally behind the Aussies and New Zealand suffered their first semi-final exit.

The period leading up to the World Cup was a pretty grim one, with an inferior win-loss record against Australia, England and France. In fact, over that period, the All Blacks had the better of only the newly readmitted South Africa out of the major Test-playing nations.

But once they got to South Africa, they clicked. As in the inaugural tournament, the team was built around several new exciting players, and Jonah Lomu burst into global consciousness, just as the game turned professional.

After a series of high-scoring romps, the All Blacks got to meet South Africa in the final now as hot favourites. But a spate of food-poisoning 48 hours before the match meant the team played well below their best and the home side, roared on by a rabid home crowd including Nelson Mandela, won in extra time. This one hurt the most as the All Blacks were the best side at that competition.

Were the All Blacks deliberately poisoned? Were they given the option of postponing the final by 24 hours? Should they have asked for such a postponement? Should they have played fit reserves instead? Laurie Mains for one never got over this. He hired private investigators to track down some mythical Suzie waitress figure, although quite what any findings there may have proved is questionable.

So it’s back to the UK for the next attempt. Things started well here, a crucial win over England in London in pool play ensured that All Blacks got what was judged by most to be the easy side of the draw.

And the All Blacks were leaving nothing to chance. John Hart didn’t want to risk poisoning this time around so took the team away from the action before the knock-out phase to bond in a five-star retreat in the south of France, and make sure they didn’t peak too early.

In the semi-final the All Blacks cruised to a 14-point lead at half-time, before the wheels fell off in spectacular fashion. The pack crumbled in the face of a physical onslaught, and the backline, most of them playing out of position due to eccentric selections, stood like possums in the headlights. In just over 20 minutes, the French ran in 33 points and it was over. The sight and sound of an English crowd standing as one to applaud a French side rubbed salt into the wound.

The opulence of the build-up, post-match whining about alleged French filth, and a subsequent disinterested loss to the Boks in the third-place play-off meant the nation turned against Hart and the team as one; this outrage reaching its nadir when Hart’s horse was spat on at a trotting meeting in Christchurch later.

Hart fell on his sword, and the NZRU eventually opted for John Mitchell and Robbie Deans as the men to finally bring it home for the next contest. That same NZRU then made the job a little trickier by bungling the hosting rights, therefore conceding the whole tournament, including the semi-finals, to be held in Australia.

The public gradually came to accept this pair despite no-one being able to understand what Mitch was ever talking about, and perceived provincial favouritism from Deans when the All Blacks racked up 50-plus in both games of the Tri-Nations leading up to the Cup.

So this cup was seen as a showdown between the All Blacks’ free running wide game and the forward power of England; unbeatable at home, but would they travel? Deans even played his hand by stating the goal-kicking would not win the World Cup, it was all about scoring tries.

The All Blacks shoved aside the Boks in the quarter-finals on the way to this showdown, but then came against the Aussies in the semi. Early on, the ball was spread predictably wide and there was Stirling Mortlock to take the intercept and run away to prick the confidence balloon. From there, the All Blacks never got it together; the 30-point drubbing from four months previous a distant memory.

The goal-kicking was awful, the midfield was shown up to be ineffective and when they did demolish the scrum in the second half, the game was stopped for 10 minutes, and the impetus was lost. Apparently something about “four more years” was mentioned.

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