Although the Japanese national team lost to South Africa in the quarterfinals, they made it to the top eight for the first time. The Rugby World Cup 2019 was more exciting than anyone could have imagined.
Our NZ representative All Blacks won a crushing victory over Ireland in the quarter-finals, but suffered a crushing defeat to England in the semi-finals! They ended up with a terrible result in the important semi-finals, with no good points.
View this post on InstagramToday was not our day. Congratulations @englandrugby and good luck in the #RWC2019 final.
All Blacks and Rugby World Cup History
The first Rugby World Cup was co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia in 1987. The All Blacks won the inaugural tournament, beating France in the final.
In the second tournament in 1991, which was jointly held by the five Five Nations (an international rugby tournament between five European countries at the time; it is now called the Six Nations with the addition of Italy), England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and France, Japan lost to Australia in the semi-finals and finished third.
In the 3rd tournament in 1995, South Africa participated for the first time and was the host country, and they lost to South Africa in the final and came in second place. Incidentally, they were in the same qualifying group as Japan in this tournament, and they won a historic victory over Japan with a score of 145 to 17.
All Blacks Rugby World Cup History
- 1987 New Zealand/Australia Tournament Champion
- 1991 Europe Tournament, 3rd place
- 1995 South Africa 2nd place
- 1999 Wales, 4th place
- 2003 Australia, 3rd place
- 2007 France Top 8
- 2011 New Zealand Tournament Champion
- 2015 UK Tournament Winner
The most shocking were their loss in the semi-finals in 1999, when they finished in fourth place, and their unexpected quarter-final loss in 2007, both against France.
They finally won their second title in 2011 at a tournament held in their home country, but this match was also a terrifying one, losing 8-7 to France.
They then went on to win the previous tournament in 2015, achieving consecutive victories.
Aiming for consecutive victories in the Japan tournament
After the 2015 tournament, Richie McCaw and Dan Carter retired. These two are legendary players who are said to be in the top five of the All Blacks in history. In addition to these two, many other veterans retired from the All Blacks, and the All Blacks were forced to change generations.
The All Blacks are captained by Kieran Read, who was named World Rugby Men's Player of the Year in 2013 and was a key member of the team at the 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cups, and are aiming to achieve an unprecedented third consecutive victory in the tournament in Japan.
Although they have been harshly criticized for not being as strong as they were in the previous tournament, the strength of the All Blacks is clear when you look at the results of the past four international tournaments. However, playing as the All Blacks, who are expected to win and carry the expectations of the entire nation, is a great pressure.
FORMER ALL BLACKS SHOW HOW THEY BACK BLACK
Everyone praised England for being so strong in the semi-finals, but they unfortunately lost 7-19.
Sonny Bill Williams, a popular player who has also played in Japan, also sent a message to England on Twitter after the match.
"Congratulations England. You were really strong. Good luck on the big stage next week."
Congratulations to the @englandrugby team. Too good tonight lads, good luck at the big dance next week. ✊🏽
— Sonny Bill Williams (@SonnyBWilliams) October 26, 2019
What was the reaction in New Zealand after the disappointing semi-final?
In New Zealand, there is a fan who believes in the All Blacks' victory and has already got 2019 inscribed on his tattoo of the year the All Blacks won the Webb Ellis Cup, the World Cup trophy!
One confident All Blacks fan gets tattoo showing off 2019 Rugby World Cup victory
The Sunday edition of the New Zealand newspaper NZHerald, Herald on Sunday (HoS), had a completely black cover, as if to express the feelings of all New Zealanders. The cover, which simply read, "All Blacks eliminated from Rugby World Cup. Read more in the sports section," became a hot topic on social media.
Herald on Sunday front page in the spotlight for summing up 'NZ's mood' after RWC loss (The cover of the Herald's Sunday edition captures the mood of New Zealand after their Rugby World Cup defeat) *Link is broken.
After the match, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern posted a message to the All Blacks on her Instagram.
"It's disappointing but I'm proud of the All Blacks, they've put a lot of effort into this tournament and represented us well both on and off the field. I congratulate England tonight and also want to thank the All Blacks, they're a team we can be proud of."
The next tournament will be in France in 2023. All the Kiwis believe that the All Blacks will regain their title and will continue to support the team with all their might for the next four years.
