Despite being one of the more difficult countries to find on a map, no other nation has done more to showcase rugby union on the world stage than New Zealand. The All Blacks are arguably the most marketable brand in the entire sport, and in 2023, they set out to win a record-breaking fourth Rugby World Cup, eventually coming up short in the final to South Africa.
However, the last 18 months have seen a sea-change at the top end of international rugby, with northern hemisphere nations Ireland and World Cup hosts France leading a revolution that has blown the upcoming tournament wide open.
A first-ever home test series defeat to Ireland set up a shaky end to 2022 for Ian Foster's side. 38-31 and 31-23 victories over Japan and Scotland respectively were far too close for comfort, though did come either side of a 55-23 domination of Wales.
Having cruised into a 25-6 lead over England, the All Blacks' final match of the year looked to be ending in the same fashion, but they let it slip spectacularly as the hosts scored three late tries to snatch a 25-all draw at Twickenham.
One for the ages 👏
— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) December 31, 2022
🎥 @skysportnz pic.twitter.com/7N6K0k6DXF
MORE: Rugby Championship 2023 results as All Blacks storm to another title
The Rugby Championship was reduced from six to three games in 2023 to accommodate the World Cup, but the All Blacks swung back into form just at the right time. Scoring 17 tries and conceding just six across their three games, New Zealand won the tournament at a canter, with a massive winning margin of 25 points on average.
Despite a third-straight Rugby Championship title, questions of inconsistency soon began to surface for the All Blacks. Australia raced into a 17-0 lead in their first World Cup warm-up game in Dunedin, but the hosts recovered to edge a 23-20 victory late on. However, in their second and final warm-up match, New Zealand simply had no answers.
Played at Twickenham, South Africa returned serve from their 35-20 Rugby Championship defeat to inflict a 35-7 thumping, condemning the All Blacks to a record margin of defeat and sending them into the World Cup under a Springbok-shaped cloud.
In France, the All Blacks suffered a 27-13 defeat to the hosts in a highly anticipated tournament-opening fixture, before storming back to comprehensively defeat Namibia 71-3, and Italy by a resounding 96 points to 17. A stunning 73-0 win in their final Pool A match set them up for a quarterfinal showdown with Ireland, and despite facing the world's number one side in red-hot form, the All Blacks prevailed 28-24 to advance to the semi-finals.
In the semis, Argentina stood in the way of the All Black's progression to the World Cup final, but not for long. Running in seven tries and conceding none at the other end, New Zealand triumphed 44-6 in a one-sided encounter to book their place in the tournament decider.
That decider pitted the All Blacks against their long-time nemesis South Africa, and despite being the better team for much of the game, first-half indiscipline cost Ian Foster's side as they fell to an agonising 12-11 defeat at the Stade de France, missing the chance to win a fourth Rugby World Cup title.
MORE: The experience-stacked All Blacks squad heading to Rugby World Cup 2023
New Zealand Rugby Union results 2023
| Opponent | Date | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina (A) | Jul 8, 2023 | 12-41 W | 2023 Rugby Championship |
| South Africa (H) | Jul 15, 2023 | 35-20 W | 2023 Rugby Championship |
| Australia (A) | Jul 29, 2023 | 7-38 W | 2023 Rugby Championship |
| Australia (H) | Aug 5, 2023 | 23-20 W | RWC2023 warm-up |
| South Africa (N) | Aug 25, 2023 | 35-7 L | RWC2023 warm-up |
| France | Sept 8, 2023 | 27-13 L | Rugby World Cup 2023 Pool A |
| Namibia | Sept 15, 2023 | 71-3 W | Rugby World Cup 2023 Pool A |
| Italy | Sept 29, 2023 | 96-17 W | Rugby World Cup 2023 Pool A |
| Uruguay | Oct 5, 2023 | 73-0 W | Rugby World Cup 2023 Pool A |
| Ireland | Oct 14, 2023 | 28-24 W | Rugby World Cup 2023 Quarter-Final |
| Argentina | Oct 20, 2023 | 44-6 W | Rugby World Cup 2023 Semi-Final |
| South Africa | Oct 28, 2023 | 12-11 L | Rugby World Cup 2023 Final |
How did the All Blacks win the 2023 Rugby Championship?
A maiden loss to the Pumas at home in the 2022 tournament threatened to weigh heavily on the men in black ahead of their 2023 Rugby Championship opener, but New Zealand responded with aplomb, scoring seven tries to two in the 41-12 humbling of Argentina, with Fiji-born wing Eroni Narawa crossing late on to mark his debut with a five-pointer.
Next up was an almighty tussle with South Africa, a seven-try contest which saw the scoreline swing back and forth before the All Blacks pulled away with two tries towards the back end of the second half, sealing a 35-20 win to put the Championship firmly within their grasp.
New Zealand had to beat Australia away from home to seal the deal, and a Shannon Frizell try inside two minutes set them on the perfect path. Rob Valetini's score equalised early for the Wallabies, but their wait for a Bledisloe Cup triumph extends to a 20th year after the All Blacks crossed five times in reply, recording a crushing 38-7 victory to lift the title with ease.