Rugby World Cup 2019: What New Zealand vs Wales told us about the next four years

This game will likely mark the World Cup farewell to a number of key All Blacks, from captain Kieran Read to full-back Ben Smith, and perhaps Dane Coles and Sam Whitelock too. Aaron Smith may move on as well.

But this is largely a young New Zealand rugby squad. The midfield of Richie Mo’unga, Anton Lienert-Brown and Jack Goodhue are all still developing, while Sevu Reece, Jordie Barrett, Rieko Ioane and George Bridge are all yet to turn 25, and should form the back-three corps with the injured Damian McKenzie (24) for years to come.

Brodie Retallick and Beauden Barrett will likely both be key leaders in four years time, too, while Scott Barrett and Ardie Savea have the potential to be among the best forwards in the world come 2023, and neither will have reached 30. This is not so much the end of an era for the All Blacks but another stage of the continual renewal they do better than any other side. The departure of so many key leaders is a concern, but there is no reason New Zealand will not return just as good after the World Cup.

Given the relatively small player base on which they can call, New Zealand’s ability to mould and cultivate talent is incredible. There is plenty more to come into this side in the next cycle.

Fringe stars like back-row Luke Jacobson (absent from the World Cup due to injury) and versatile back Braydon Ennor have already been selected in an All Blacks squad this year, while the U20 Championship winning side of 2017 – who will theoretically be right in their primes come the 2023 World Cup – is one of the great age-grade sides of all-time, thrashing a strong England side 64-17 in the final.

Look out for free-running hooker Asafo Aumua, silky smooth full-back Will Jordan and developing second row Isaia Walker-Leawere as just three from that squad that might be making their presence known internationally sooner rather than later.

Wales will need to regenerate, too, but a number of their younger players have shown their talent in this World Cup, and there are signs that a young core is being developed to build around.

Josh Adams has become one of the better finishers in world rugby, Aaron Wainwright has emerged as a real star on the blindside, and Adam Beard has quietly got through a ton of work in a very effective manner.

The domestic structure in Wales seems to be getting stronger, too, by the looks of things, which should aid depth in the country, and the decision to prevent those playing overseas being picked should keep talent in Wales. That can only help new coach Wayne Pivac, who replaces Warren Gatland.

Wayne Pivac does have a few issues to sort out. Should Alun Wyn Jones decide to call time on his international career, a great hole will be left in the pack, while he may need a new midfield, too, with Hadleigh Parkes and Jonathan Davies both on the older side.

Willis Halaholo and Johnny McNicholl are a pair of newly-qualified New Zealand born backs who could inject a degree of stardust in the backline. Pivac will likely look to refresh Wales’ playing style, with the return of Gareth Anscombe, should he recover quickly from his serious knee injury, likely to boost his side, and there is a sense that the next generation will lend themselves to a more open playing style that Wales might need to have a shot at winning in 2023. Warren Gatland has done such good work laying the foundations, and Pivac is a fine coach to build on his work in the next four years.

It was the perfect way for Ben Smith to sign off, two fabulous tries with the typically slippery outside back potent from the wing in his final appearance for the All Blacks. He departs for Pau in France as the World Cup concludes.

You can argue that Smith was severely under-utilised at this tournament – he has never truly had a bad game for New Zealand, and the jettisoning of him out of the side in favour of the Mo’unga/Barrett combination does not look a wholly convincing one in hindsight. Smith leaves the international arena after more than 80 Tests, and New Zealand, and international rugby as a whole, will miss him.

If this is farewell for Alun Wyn Jones, too, he will be equally missed. Wyn Jones’ wave as he left the pitch may indicate this is the end, though such is his immense quality and consistency that he may stay on until at least the Lions series in 2021. Should he bow out, international rugby will be losing a truly talismanic figure, humble, proud and incredibly eloquent and intelligent. He has been a fine figure-head for Wales, and should this mark his retirement, rugby is losing another one of the true greats.