Nine years ago to the day, the All Blacks became the first team to win back-to-back Rugby World Cups when they defeated Australia 34-17 in the 2015 final.
To celebrate the milestone, we take a look at where the stars of that final at Twickenham Stadium are now.
15 Ben Smith
One of the finest full-backs to ever grace a rugby pitch, Ben Smith was a driving force in the All Blacks‘ run to the 2015 Rugby World Cup title and continued to be a regular fixture in the squad until his final match at the 2019 Rugby World Cup – the Bronze Final.
He would continue his playing career in France with a brief stint at Pau before heading to Japan to join the Kobelco Steelers. 2022 would be his final year of professional rugby as he hung up his boots as an All Blacks and Highlanders legend.
Smith has now gone into coaching having started with the Otago NPC squad in 2022 before moving into a part-time, two-days-a-week role with the Highlanders, assisting the counter-attack.
He will continue his role with the Highlanders in 2025 with Jamie Joseph returning to the Super Rugby team.
14 Nehe Milner-Skudder
A standout star at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Nehe Milner-Skudder’s career was marred by injuries, highlighted by the fact that he earned just five caps for the All Blacks in the years after the tournament. While Milner-Skudder never quite hit the highs of 2015, he continued to terrorise defences playing for the Hurricanes up until 2019 before stints with the Highlanders, Manawatu, Wellington and Rugby New York. Recently, he turned out for rugby league side Ngati Porou in the Koroneihana Rugby League competition.
13 Conrad Smith
One part of arguably the greatest centre partnership in international rugby history, Conrad Smith played his last game for the All Blacks in the final against Australia before he headed to France to join Pau in the Top 14.
He would rack up over 50 appearances for Pau before hanging up his boots in exchange for a whistle at the club. He was the team’s high performance manager and director of development until he left France in 2020.
During this time, he also worked part-time as legal counsel and project manager for the International Rugby Players – the global representative body for professional rugby players. In 2021, he took up the role of Head of Welfare and High Performance at the representative body.
12 Ma’a Nonu
Believe it or not, the bulldozing All Blacks great is still playing professional rugby. At the time of writing Ma’a Nonu is 42 years old and has recently finished off another season in the Major League Rugby playing for the San Diego Legion. The 103-Test cap and double World Cup-winning centre has made no indication that he has hung up his boots and could well return to the USA for another season.
11 Julian Savea
‘The Bus’ is steaming along despite falling out of favour with the All Blacks’ coaches in 2017. Julian Savea was once one of the most devastating wingers in the game but has now shifted into the midfield in his later years and went on to play for Toulon and now plies his trade with Moana Pasifika, where he surpassed Israel Folau’s all-time try-scoring record in Super Rugby. He recently won the NPC title with Wellington, scoring two tries in the final.
10 Dan Carter
After starring for the All Blacks en route to a World Cup title in 2015, Dan Carter brought his Test career to a close on the ultimate high. He would go on to enjoy a stint in France with Racing 92 before heading to Japan to join the Kobelco Steelers. Carter did join the Blues in 2020 but never played a match for the side before announcing his retirement in 2021. Now, the great fly-half has stepped into the business world with several start-up companies – one of which being with NFTs – and still has brand partnerships with Mastercard, Louis Vuitton, adidas and Chemist Warehouse while being a brand ambassador for many other companies.
Dan Carter lifts lid on post-retirement ‘struggles’ and expects England to ‘make a statement’ against new-look All Blacks
9 Aaron Smith
At the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Aaron Smith played his 125th and last game for the All Blacks in the final against the Springboks, retiring from international rugby as the most capped New Zealand scrum-half of all-time.
However, the brilliant number nine is still flinging passes at a mind-boggling speed in Japan, playing for the Toyota Verblitz team coached by his old All Blacks boss Sir Steve Hansen.
8 Kieran Read
Kieran Read would become the new All Blacks skipper after the 2015 Rugby World Cup and would go on to take his Test cap tally to 127 before retiring from international rugby in 2019. He would also go on to play for Japanese club Toyota Verblitz before bringing his playing career to a close. Read has now opened his own business where he offers companies leadership advice as a Leadership Consultant. He has also tried his hand with punditry for Sky Sport NZ.
7 Richie McCaw
After captaining his country to back-to-back Rugby World Cups, legendary All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw lives a very different lifestyle but one still filled with an adrenaline rush. A far leaner McCaw now works as a fire-fighting pilot. He is also an avid cyclist and runner.
6 Jerome Kaino
After a stellar career in New Zealand, double World Cup-winning blindside flanker Jerome Kaino packed his bags for France in 2018, joining French giants Toulouse. He would win two Top 14 titles with the side and Champions Cup before hanging up his boots. He now coaches at Toulouse working with the youth players and the senior team.
5 Sam Whitelock
Sam Whitelock brought the curtain down on a glorious Test career at the 2023 Rugby World Cup after surpassing McCaw’s record as the most capped All Blacks player of all-time, earning his 153rd and last cap against the Springboks in the final. He would enjoy a stint in France with Pau before bringing his playing career to an end. In a recent interview with Hawke’s Bay Today, Whitelock admitted that he aims to get back involved with the game in some form but it would not be in a playing capacity. The legendary lock has moved to the north island of New Zealand on a sheep and beef farm in Rissington.
Sam Whitelock: Most capped All Black of all-time and his trophy ladened 17-year career
4 Brodie Retallick
Brodie Retallick’s All Blacks career also looks to have come to a close after the 2023 Rugby World Cup having signed a deal to re-join Japanese club Kobelco Kobe Steelers. The 109-Test cap lock also lives in Hawke’s Bay when not playing for his Japanese club.
3 Owen Franks
Owen Franks went on to represent the All Blacks through to 2019 when he was dropped from the squad ahead of the World Cup after 108 appearances for his country. He would go on to represent Northampton Saints, the Hurricanes and Toulouse before finishing his career at his beloved Crusaders in 2024. The powerhouse prop has now taken up a coaching role working with Eddie Jones in Japan.
2 Dane Coles
The abrasive hooker continued to play for the All Blacks before hanging up his boots after the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Dane Coles has since gone into coaching working with the Wellington Lions during the 2024 NPC season.
1 Joe Moody
The veteran prop amassed 57 appearances for the All Blacks before an untimely injury effectively brought his international career to an end in 2023. He missed out on selection for the All Blacks in 2024 and has not had his contract renewed by the Crusaders for 2025.
16 Keven Mealamu
The 2015 Rugby World Cup final was also the last time that Keven Mealamu pulled on an All Blacks jersey. The former hooker has since stepped into the fitness business world starting FIT60 before hanging up his boots and is the director of Protect for Life – an insurance and financial services company.
17 Ben Franks
Ben Franks would play his final Test match in 2015 for the All Blacks as he joined Premiership club London Irish after the Rugby World Cup. He would later join Northampton Saints before trying his hand at coaching after retiring in 2020. He worked with the Scarlets until 2023 when he returned to New Zealand.
18 Charlie Faumuina
Tighthead prop Charlie Faumuina would earn his 50th Test cap against the British and Irish Lions in 2017 before packing his bags to join French giants Toulouse. There he would win the Champions Cup and Top 14 in a successful stint with the club that came to an end in 2023. He would go on to switch international allegiances and represent Samoa at the World Cup in France. He now works as a Business Development Manager and Key Account Manager for SP Solutions.
19 Victor Vito
Victor Vito would leave New Zealand in 2016 after winning Super Rugby with the Hurricanes and joined La Rochelle, who he would help win the Top 14 and Champions Cup for the first time in the club’s history. The livewire back-rower hung up his boots in 2022 after over 130 appearances for the French side. He tried his hand as a consultant in the hospitality business while also being a brand ambassador for a coffee company. He has since returned to New Zealand and is the governor of Scott College in Wellington.
20 Sam Cane
Now coming to the end of his international career, Sam Cane has surpassed the 100 Test cap milestone for the All Blacks and has signed a long-term deal to rejoin Suntory Sungoliath ahead of the 2024/25 Japan Rugby League One season.
All Blacks centurion list: Sam Cane becomes the 13th legend to play 100 Test matches
21 Tawera Kerr-Barlow
Like Faumuina, Tawera Kerr-Barlow departed New Zealand in 2017 but he followed Vito to La Rochelle, who he still plays for now. His current contract with the team does expire at the end of the 2024/25 season.
22 Beauden Barrett
Another star of 2015 who has gone on to play over 100 Tests for the All Blacks, Beauden Barrett has been joined in the Test set-up by his brothers Jordie and Scott.
Barrett did leave the Hurricanes and is currently contracted to the Blues while he also had stints in Japan with Suntory Sungoliath and Toyota Verblitz.
23 Sonny Bill Williams
Sonny Bill Williams would continue his union career in New Zealand until 2019 and represented the All Blacks at yet another Rugby World Cup before returning to league with the Toronto Wolfpack and had another stint at the Sydney Roosters. He now works in Australia providing punditry for Stan Sports.
READ MORE: Where are they now? The star-studded U20 World Championship-winning Junior Springboks that ended New Zealand’s dominance
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source link
