Dan Carter's unwavering belief being backed up by All Blacks

New Zealand, to be fair, have found themselves up against it just twice in France, losing their opener to the hosts but pulling through an epic quarter-final against Ireland.

UNWAVERING BELIEF: Former Rugby World Cup winning All Black legend and ISPS Handa ambassador, Dan Carter, was speaking at a launch event in Elm Park Golf Club as Golf Ireland and ISPS Handa announced a new partnership. This agreement aims to grow participation in Ireland for golfers with a disability. ISPS Handa will become the title sponsor of the ISPS Handa Irish Open for Golfers with a Disability and will be the lead partner of Golf Ireland’s Golf4All programmes. Pic: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy

Few gave the All Blacks much chance of scaling the heights and claiming a fourth World Cup crown when they were filleted by South Africa in Twickenham two months ago.

That 35-7 defeat was New Zealand’s worst in a long and proud history and it did much to dilute the belief building up around Ian Foster’s side after a year in which they had appeared to rebound from a stressful summer in 2022.