They could have played the final on Pluto and still would have won it. Whoops. Things got arrogant and smug there for a minute.
Most will say losing McCaw, Carter, Mealamu, Woodcock, Nonu and Conrad Smith means the All Blacks will be without the 'experience' part of the vital blend of experience and youth. That's where the demystification comes in. There is now a clear path to the promised land: embrace the pressure; have fun while holding your discipline; keep fitness and skill levels high and keep topping up the confidence with the knowledge that, once you press the accelerator to the floor, no other team can stay with you.
There are perhaps three main factors counting against an All Blacks three-peat in Japan in 2019: the loss of coach Steve Hansen; anything can happen in a one-off game of rugby, particularly at the highest level; and four years is a long time during which even seemingly moribund rugby nations like England and France could seriously improve.
OK, maybe a fourth: this could simply be the end cycle of a team so far ahead of the competition they outdid the All Blacks of 1987-90, who could not quite go through two World Cup cycles.
Yeah, but nah. The blueprint is in place and the monkey is not only off the back, he can be found tamely smoking cigarettes and scratching his unmentionables in Hansen's back yard. If you believe the cycle theory, you believe only the 2015 All Blacks could have carried it off as they were at a point in time when the opposition were at a low ebb while they rode a spring tide.
Yet the Henry-Hansen breaking of the mould could be carried on by another. The blueprint is intact and there are outstanding rugby players on the way up. They won't all be McCaws and Carters, sure, but the nursery seems to be producing plenty of big, beefy, bouncy boys with more than a liberal sprinkling of skills like those of Ben From Accounts, sorry, Ben Smith.
So, just for idle curiosity and because we are the only country in the world who can indulge in this fantasy at present (smug alert), look who might be in the match-day 23 to play in the 2019 World Cup final for a historic three-peat (* = new All Blacks):
? Dane Coles: may be dicing with Codie Taylor by then. Possible competition from Auckland's Greg Pleasants-Tate - not chosen by the Blues for next year and in the Highlanders' squad so he'll probably do well then.
? Owen Franks and Joe Moody: both 27 now, 31 not out of court for props; keep an eye out for Auckland tighthead Ofa Tu'ungafasi and the Chiefs' Atu Moli
? Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock: injury and engines willing
? Brad Shields* (Wellington): still a young man, he could take over from Jerome Kaino
? Sam Cane: Captain Cane, Kieran Read (34) may have gone by 2019
? Akira Ioane* (Auckland): more than likely.
? Aaron Smith: speed of hand, foot and thought means he will still be the world's best halfback and he'll be only 29.
? Lima Sopoaga: only 24 now, may offer more in the running department than 30-year-old (in 2019) Aaron Cruden; Beauden Barrett still best from the bench.
? George Moala: 24, midfield rock who can cover centre and wing; the new Nonu, assuming Sonny Bill (34 in 2019) is trying his hand at Formula 1 or alligator wrestling. Big competition from the highly-talented Charlie Ngatai.
? Malakai Fekitoa: only 23 now
? Julian Savea: only 28 in 2019; could already have taken Doug Howlett's test try-scoring record.
? Nehe Milner-Skudder: 24 now, as is Waisake Naholo.
? James Lowe* (Tasman): Still only 23, has the skills. Ben Smith is likely to be gone at 33; Israel Dagg will be only 31 but this seems a position most likely to host a new face.
Bench: Taylor, Charlie Faumuina, Jeffrey Toomaga-Allen, Patrick Tuipolotu, Ardie Savea* (Wellington), Brad Weber, Beauden Barrett, Charles Piutau (28 and returned from overseas).
See what I mean? Only four new All Blacks out of 23. It's not so much a transition as a baton change. The real challenge is to keep ahead.
