When the All Blacks won the World Cup in New Zealand four years ago, it was hard to imagine any victory could be sweeter. But their triumph at Twickenham yesterday morning tastes every bit as good. It was of course more convincing than the final against France, and a better match. For that, New Zealanders should give a fair share of credit to the Australians. They play the fast and expansive game the All Blacks do. Together, the antipodean rivals gave London a fine display of rugby, helped also by the unintrusive refereeing of Nigel Owens.
But the main reason this victory was so sweet was that it was built on the last. Four years ago, said Richie McCaw yesterday, they set themselves the goal of not only winning the next World Cup, but of living up to the title of world champions every year. That is what they have done.
The All Blacks are not only the first rugby team to win the Cup three times, and the first to win it twice in succession, they are the first Cup winners to dominate international rugby every year in between.
It is the particular achievement of Steve Hansen and his co-coaches that they have not relied too much on the team who won the previous World Cup.
The prominence yesterday of Dan Carter, Ma'a Nonu, McCaw, and Conrad Smith (who created the space for the first try) showed the value of veterans from the 2011 campaign. But younger players Hansen has blooded since 2011 - Aaron Smith, Brodie Retallick, Julian Savea, Dane Coles and others - are now a core of experience that suggests this team are far from finished.