Ex-Wallabies star: ‘If I’m anyone in the world of rugby, I’m scared of where the All Blacks are going’
All Blacks side in a huddle in 2024 and former Wallabies centre Morgan Turinui.
Former Wallabies centre Morgan Turinui believes that the All Blacks will be the team to beat come the next Rugby World Cup in 2027.
New Zealand suffered a steady decline leading into the 2019 global tournament, which was coincidently the last time they topped the World Rugby rankings.
Ian Foster took over following that World Cup but his tenure started poorly and only really picked up 12 months prior to the 2023 competition in France.
They managed to reach the final, narrowly going down to the Springboks in the showpiece event, but new boss Scott Robertson was tasked with a rebuild.
Mixed campaign
A poor Rugby Championship showed the work that needed to be done to get them back to the summit, but there was plenty of promise on the year-end tour.
So much so that Turinui is predicting that the All Blacks could well usurp South Africa heading into the next World Cup.
“I’m a little bit jealous and worried as a Wallabies supporter as I have such high expectations of where this All Blacks team can go,” he told DSPN with Martin Devlin.
“I’ve seen exactly what Scott Robertson is trying to do to evolve the way the All Blacks play: the intention to off-load, to attack, to find new ways to unpick defences, to bring speed back into the game.”
The All Blacks are currently third in the rankings, behind the Springboks and Ireland, having seen those sides take the game to new heights over recent years.
New Zealand were once the innovators, but South Africa, with the outstanding Rassie Erasmus as head coach, have taken over that mantle.
However, on the evidence of what he has seen in 2024, Turinui thinks Robertson can change that around.
Well set for 2027 title charge
“I love the fact the All Blacks are not going, ‘we have to play a bit like the Springboks, we have to play like the French in order to beat them consistently’,” he said.
“I love the brand of rugby that Scott Robertson is putting in place with this All Blacks team. I can see the All Blacks being the big improvers in the next couple of years.
“I can see the All Blacks being the favourites going into the 2027 Rugby World Cup with the age bracket, the age profile.
“With what Scott Robertson can bring, if I’m anyone in the world of rugby, I’m scared of where the All Blacks are going.”
