Former All Blacks coach Steve Hansen is still kotsing gal over their 12-11 defeat to the Springboks in the final of last year’s World Cup.
In fact, New Zealand’s coach at the time now says reguit they were robbed of gold in the match against South Africa.
New Zealand had flanker Sam Cane sent off for a dangerous tackle on Jesse Kriel and Hansen believes if the regte decisions were made by the officials on the day, they would have been crowned instead of the four-time, back-to-back world champions South Africa.
The 65-year-old tells DSPN’s Martin Devlin: “This is a team that should have won the World Cup, they were robbed of the World Cup as far as I’m concerned with some poor decisions that were out of their control which cost them a World Cup.”
He adds of the No.1-ranked team in the world, who won the Rugby Championship this year and 11 out of their 13 Tests in 2024: “They [the Springboks] are very beatable, they’ve been beaten on a regular basis. Ireland beat them, New Zealand should have beaten them and Argentina beat them.
“They’re beatable, as is everybody, but the more they win, the more the myth grows and it makes it harder the more their confidence grows.”