‘Hurt’ All Blacks hungry to bounce back from France defeat

The All Blacks are hurting after losing to France in last week’s Rugby World Cup opener, and they’re hungry for revenge ahead of a pool clash with Namibia in Toulouse.

When the full-time siren sounded at Stade de France, the All Blacks and their fans dropped their heads. They’d just lost a Rugby World Cup pool game for the first time ever.

New Zealand were blown off the park by a clinical Les Bleus outfit who, led by goal-kicking ace Thomas Ramos, scored 18 unanswered points in just over 25 minutes.

But the All Blacks must find a way to bounce back, there’s simply no other option – their World Cup dream depends on it. They’ll finish pool play with must-win Tests against Namibia, Italy and Uruguay.

Two days out from their clash with Namibia, wing Caleb Clarke repeated a sentence that his father Eroni – who also played rugby for New Zealand – “always said” about a struggling All Blacks side.

“Definitely. A lot of us are hurt. It was a good training week so not to get what we wanted dampened the spirits,” Clarke told reports on Wednesday.

“My dad always said, ‘a hurt All Blacks team is a dangerous All Blacks team’. This week everyone has been on edge and training has gone really well.

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“I think everyone is excited for the challenge ahead this week.”

It’s often said that playing for New Zealand “demands everything” of those deemed fit enough to wear the coveted black jersey in the Test arena.

The men and women who represented the rugby-mad nation on the international stage are looked to almost as Gods, and that creates a sense of pressure, expectation and scrutiny.

That’s why the alarm bells started to ring after losing to France.

The All Blacks have been left in unfamiliar territory. They’d never lost a pool game before, and that presents its own challenges.

Namibia, along with the matches against Italy and Uruguay, is now a must-win Test. There are no second chances.

The All Blacks have approached the clash with Namibia with both respect and confidence. Coach Ian Foster has selected a star-studded side to take on the African nation, which includes an electric backline.

Bolstered by an exciting new-look halves duo of Cam Roigard and Damian McKenzie, Clarke will line up on the right wing while Leicester Fainga’anuku takes his place on the left.

“It doesn’t really matter who you put out in the 23. The black jersey we’re blessed to wear demands everything and (it’s) something we pride ourselves on.

“We want to win games to get ourselves a playoff spot and give us the best shot of winning this World Cup. The competition is awesome – to be able to train week-in, week-out with the best talent in New Zealand.”