New documentary explores one of the most turbulent periods in All Black history

RNZ News

8 hours ago

This week marks the 30th anniversary of the most iconic and transcendent game of rugby ever played. Unfortunately for the All Blacks, it was one they lost.
The
1995 Rugby World Cup final
, won 15-12 by the Springboks after extra time, has gone down as the day that the new nation of South Africa was born. The truth is a
little bit more complicated
than that, but New Zealand's memories of it generally revolve around Jonah Lomu and Suzy the Waitress.
Frank Bunce in action during the final of the Rugby World Cup between the All Blacks and South Africa in 1995.
Photo:
Photosport
Sky Sport are filling a rare rugby-free Saturday evening with
Back From The End Of The World
, a documentary about the All Blacks' journey through a very turbulent period leading up to the World Cup. It's told very much from coach Laurie Mains' point of view, as well as players like Ian Jones, Eric Rush and Frank Bunce, and takes its name from the famous French try that handed the All Blacks their last defeat on Eden Park way back in 1994.
Back From The End Of The World
certainly does its best to hit all the right nostalgic buttons, with enough time passed between then and now to elicit some refreshing honesty from the infamously tight-lipped All Black environment. You have to remember that the World Cup was only one part of the dramatic situation rugby found itself in at the time, with the game hurtling towards professionalism and everyone trying to get their hands on the wheel.
Here's a look back at what was happening:
Jonah Lomu and Sean Fitzpatrick.
Photo:
Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
If you think the last few years of All Black rugby was up and down, Mains' tenure as coach was a real rollercoaster. He started with a shock loss to the World XV, had the Bledisloe Cup bounce back and forth across the Tasman every season and lost to England for only the third time ever. On the other hand, they won series' against the Springboks and British Lions in consecutive years and won at Ellis Park.
In order to get the All Blacks fit enough to play the style of game he wanted, Mains put the players through a hellish fitness regime across three training camps. Days would usually involve six hours of team training, followed by fitness sessions.
"The only way I could get them fit to the level we want was if I was controlling it and not their provincial coaches," said Mains.
"We said 'at the end of these camps, some of the players will fall by the wayside and it'll make our selections easier'."
All the while, the constant narrative was whether Mains should be coach at all. John Hart had been publicly lobbying for sole charge of the job after being a co-coach in 1991, and it felt like everyone had an opinion of the matter. It didn't quite reach the same sort of drama as when Ian Foster was competing against Scott Robertson, but it wasn't far off.
Jonah Lomu and Eric Rush.
Photo:
supplied
"We desperately wanted Jonah and we were going to do everything we could in our power to get him up to the fitness levels required," said Mains.
"I included Fitzy [captain Sean Fitzpatrick] in the discussions I had with [assistant coaches] Earle Kirton and Brian Lochore, who both said 'he's not ready to play in a World Cup for the All Blacks. Within a quarter of an hour, Eric Rush and Olo Brown both came to me and said we'll take Jonah running and make him work."
Lomu's teammates' support and encouragement meant he was able to gain selection and become the most iconic player in the game's history.
Right now we're trying to predict who will start in the 10 jersey next weekend between Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie, two players that have almost 200 caps worth of experience between them. Andrew Mehrtens had one by the time the World Cup started, a selection that would be utterly unthinkable now.
"It was getting pretty desperate… We were so lucky one just fell into our lap" admitted Mains.
Back From The End Of The World
wisely skips over the main controversy of the World Cup, with Mains thankfully not quoted on a matter that saw him launch a private investigation at his own expense. The story of Suzy the Waitress has been done to death and it's quite clear from the players ever since that they believe it was a simple case of food poisoning rather than anything nefarious.