The story of the All Blacks campaign for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, with insightful analysis and full commentary.

What happened to the All Blacks at the 2019 Rugby World Cup?

It had shaped up to be the most intriguing campaign ever for the All Blacks, going for their third title in a row. A win would cap a decade of dominance for the team and provide a fitting end to the careers of Steve Hansen and Kieran Read.

But it turned out to be a much tougher challenge, and ended in crushing failure. Heroics & Heartbreak is Jamie Wall's story of the campaign, from someone who was there every step of the way.

The signs were there that most of the other test playing nations had gained some serious ground on the All Blacks in the last couple of seasons, seen in the results against England and Ireland the previous year.

Jamie focuses on the lead up and World Cup campaign itself, which very much started in October 2018. The All Blacks tour was seen as a dry run for what would happen in a year's time. It was a hard slog, with the team clearly feeling the effects of a long season. Notably, Hansen and Read came under considerable scrutiny throughout.

Heroics & Heartbreak covers Super Rugby and the Six Nations, the test season in New Zealand and Rugby Championship fixtures, before the final preparations that lead up to the squad being named. Then, a blow-by-blow account of the All Blacks' games, trainings, press conferences and dramas throughout the World Cup as Jamie follows the team through the campaign in Japan.

The climax was not the one that the All Blacks wanted, and signals a new era in world rugby. It may prove to be a defining moment for the game in New Zealand as well.