A new series has revealed the halftime address that inspired New Zealand before they took the field to face South Africa in the Rugby World Cup final. After 40 minutes in the final, the All Blacks trailed by six points and a captain, an unprecedented disadvantage on the sport’s biggest stage that no team had ever overcome.
The red card for captain Sam Cane and the accuracy of Handre Pollard’s boot created a bleak picture for the Kiwis’ title prospects. The coaching staff’s challenge was clear.
“We simply had to get on with it and not become overly emotional, confused, or irritated. We understand what it means to drop a forward and go down, but
“Mental stuff, that’s the challenge,” head coach Ian Foster remarked after the final in NZR+’s latest season of In Their Own Words. Mental skills coach Gilbert Enoka, the All Blacks’ longest-serving member of staff, echoed Foster’s comments.
Enoka’s illustrious career with the All Blacks has seen him contribute to two World Cup victories, in 2011 and 2015, preparing him for occasions like these.
“My role at halftime is usually more observational,” Enoka said about the series. “What irritates my senses is when I hear silence and feel what is happening in the space.
“I frequently have thoughts that I do not express, but in that moment, I wanted to avoid looking back in time and saying, ‘I thought it and wish I’d said it.'”
“At times, all you need is one person to say one thing that all of a sudden gives you the power to believe.” Enoka had a simple message, one that evoked pride in the All Blacks uniform while also inspiring a sense of hope, which was critically needed at the time.
“Boys, no one expects us to succeed here, but if we do, it’ll make for an incredible tale. You’d become part of All Black legend.
“Go write the story.”
Short and concise, the message struck a chord with the players, as an inspirational second half saw the side keep the Springboks scoreless and reduce the lead back to one point, despite many opportunities to seize the lead.
Jordie Barrett reminisced on the speech, saying: “When Gilbert said ‘what a story this would be’, you almost wanted to stand up and run out that tunnel.”
In that point, Richie Mo’unga expressed his thoughts: “We’ve been through it all, thick and thin, why can’t we be that team that can do it under these circumstances?”
Dalton Papali’i went on to say, “We’re the All Blacks, we’re not going away, and we’re going to fight until the end.”
While the team fought till the end, a one-point disadvantage remained in the final 23 minutes, and the Springboks won their fourth Webb Ellis Cup that night in Paris.
Enoka, who has since retired from the All Blacks, knows he spoke his bit and spurred a performance that brought the sport’s biggest game down to the wire.
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