An unforgettable year for New Zealand rugby

Cheers Hakwa ,how goes it brother ?

3 teams will be interesting over the next couple of years on the up. 1. France with a new coach - whether he can navigate thru the muddle the club scene in top14, is left to be seen. however for a number of years the coaches have not had much success with the available talent. 2. England with jones - same applies to poms though the club scene is less prominent. he will surely have the best resources to go to ttp. he also has a history of taking teams to top. who will he chose to assist and captain? 3. Argies - when their guys play super rugger it will be more or less the national team. playing so many games together will surely make pumas a real force. 3 teams will be looking to maintain the momentum. 1. NZ - will be rebuilding but they seem to be transitioning easily due to continuity and also the integration of young players in to the scheme of things. 2. OZ - will try to improve on their performance but loss of several key guys will be interesting to watch. they have not introduced many young guys and thus not sure of the quality. 3. SA - main question is will he stay or will he go? who will be the chosen one to captain? how will the racial quotas impact the selections? and in general how will they play the game :)

Yes as much as we lose the massive amount of leadership in the very next test we get to look forward to having those times where a new Michael Jones, JK, Lomu, Cullen burst onto the scene from the obscurity of a Sevens or SXV match, an unknown, waiting in the wings after modelling their game on one or more of the guys leaving. One things for certain, the AB jersey awaits several new prospects, and any one could be a challenge for the greatest ever. History has certainly proved that. Good times ahead next year. Soak up the highs and lows of 2015, take a break, get some sun, and come back refreshed for next year...and that's just the fans...:-)

Thanks WB, enjoyed your article mate. Yes, 2015 is a year we will never forget. It brought us All Black supporters incredible pleasure to see our mighty AB's win the RWC back-to-back and conversely brought us shock and so much pain to see the passing of All Black greats Gerry Collins, Norm Berryman and now the great man, Jonah Lomu. Indeed, with rugby we all share a close connection. We may argue, laugh and disagree when our international rugby family comes together to play the game of rugby; where we have fun or sad times yet life is good and goes on. However, when someone in our rugby family passes before their time; we commiserate and become closer. We may argue and disagree like families often do yet what I like about the Roar rugby family are those good and true men & woman who write with knowledge and experience on the game of rugby and who take the time to acknowledge those great iconic rugby players still with us and to those who have passed on... So a big thanks to you all.

Norn berrymen

Thanks WB for highlighting the sad and the good - a huge year. And not to put a dampener on your article, I'm sure you will be looking forward to next year and the battle looming between the current and past WB coaches - MC and EJ - let alone the WBs v the Poms....?? I said before, that coaching battle alone, would be worth the ticket prices over a 3-test battle. Cheers mate....

Nope. I am deadly serious.

Thank you WB. A big year indeed.

I heard Hansen said he will not go through to the next RWC. Either way the AB's are in very good shape moving forward despite the loss of some all time greats. Hard to know if it will be a new golden era or not. Cheika will be doing his absolute upmost to get the Wallabies a bit closer, he will need to. Ditto whomever is coaching the Boks.

Not if your a Wallaby fan Bob !!!

For me, you missed what I think was possibly Nonu's best year. Is there a better sight in Rugby than watching Nonu break a defensive line, fend off a few tacklers then score. And there were plenty of them this year.

Thanks WB, no shame I more than choked up during the doco with Jonah and Joost. 2 very significant possibilities in the AB's in 2016. They can't possibly maintain a 90% win record (can they?) Without one R McCaw on the park a few of those matches they have won in the last 5-10 minutes during the last 5-6 years might slip through the fingers. When they get it right they will probably have more attacking talent than this year, so whilst we might see a few more losses we might also see them blow a few teams off the park more often too.

I think that you will find that the culture of the ABs as seen in its development from 2007 is now inculcated in each and every player who dons that famous jersey - it is now part and parcel of being an All Black - understanding your role, your responsibilities and the legacy that is to be extended, enhanced and passed on, the loss of 6 players even though their combined experience is enormous will not diminish the efforts of those left to carry on. Kapa O Pango is now only done for special matches and the essence of that haka has been picked up and subsumed with the history and the culture of the ABs along with the behaviour and humility as evidenced in this RWC 2015 - and that would have been what Jonah showed all those years ago and is now accepted by the ABs. A new era and a more golden legacy is about to be unleashed upon the rugby world....come 2019 and one hopes Hansen remains at the helm - it may very well be a 3-peat...now how would that go down in the history books.

Yep I'm so looking forward to seeing our emerging talent step up, next season. Although there has been the blooding of some, We can virtually guarantee, the emergence of a few fresh faces,so to say. Possibly, it will be 2017, before we see the like's of Ardie Savea, in the AB jersey, due to his seven's rugby commitments.

Your kidding! right?

Tough bikkies, if the rest suck so what. They better improve big time, or they will keep getting their butts handed to them on a plate for the next four years. Threepeat anyone.

and a bit of that for the Wallabies too please !!

ALL the Glory to GOD through JESUS CHRIST his SON for the All Blacks success.

+ 1

Thanks mate !