Extraordinarily, after coming in to the World Cup off the back of their heaviest ever defeat, and losing their first game of the tournament for the first time ever, the All Blacks are into the last four, staring down a place in the final.
New Zealand's progression to the semi-finals was sealed in dramatic fashion on Saturday night, as an all-time classic played out with Ireland at the Stade de France, ultimately seeing the All Blacks triumph 28-24 after a pulsating 80 minutes.
Ireland came into this tournament as world number ones, and off the back of a 15-month period which saw them win a test series in New Zealand for the first time ever, and claim a Six Nations title with a Grand Slam to boot.
For New Zealand to dump them out of the World Cup after their respective run-ins to the tournament was something of a surprise - though, perhaps, given the All Blacks' World Cup pedigree, it should not have been.
Much of the analysis since the game has centred on how the quarter-final got away from Ireland, and debates as to whether their approach on the night cost them their best ever shot at World Cup glory.
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It seems, however, that some New Zealand legends are unhappy at how the All Blacks appear to have been forgotten by some in their analysis of Saturday's epic clash.
Jeff Wilson and Mils Muliaina have both spoken out against suggestions that Ireland lost because they weren't at their best, and argued that New Zealand deserved more credit for their efforts in Paris.
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Wilson and Muliaina unimpressed with coverage of All Blacks victory over Ireland
Appearing on Sky Sport NZ from Paris in the aftermath of Saturday's all-timer between the All Blacks and Ireland, former New Zealand player Jeff Wilson said that he did not subscribe to the belief that Ireland had not played to their maximum in the last eight.
Wilson, who started the 1995 final on the wing for the All Blacks, said that he was comfortable in the knowledge that the "best team on the night won," and said that New Zealand had earned more respect than they have been given in the aftermath of the game:
The All Blacks were never behind on the scoreboard. The best team on the night won. That's what knockout rugby is.
To say that you weren't at 90%...that's absolutely irrelevant. They weren't allowed to do some of the things they've done on the effort and work of the All Blacks. What they did wasn't good enough to beat the All Blacks on that given night.
They knew what was coming. They should have understood and known that this All Black team wasn't the same All Black team that they beat last year in New Zealand. In the end, they weren't good enough. That's as simple as it gets.
I've been to World Cups with All Black teams where we weren't good enough. You can't hide away from the fact. There's a lot of talk about Ireland. In some ways, there's not been enough talk about the All Blacks. They were the team that went out and actually won the game.
I believe they wanted it just that little bit more.
His comments would go on to be backed up by World Cup winner Mils Muliaina.
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A regular during New Zealand's run to World Cup glory on home soil in 2011, Muliaina similarly refuted any suggestion that Ireland had let themselves down, and said that the All Blacks' experience had won the day:
I agree. How can you say that they [Ireland] weren't at their absolute best?
You play with what's given in front of you. We talked about it a lot, the mental side of it. We've been there, the All Blacks have been there, they've done that, they've gone through adversity, gone through the pain that Ireland are going through right now. That takes a lot of years to come through that.
To be mentally tough in what they did, in their preparation...I'm still celebrating. I don't want these days to end. It's so special.
You sit there and watch the highlights and see how special the team is...you're still celebrating. That's what we should be doing right now.
The All Blacks now go on to face Argentina in the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup on Friday night. Kick-off at the Stade de France is at 8pm.
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