Rugby World Cup 2019: 'Very verbal' Jacinda Ardern accidentally woke Neve during All Blacks match

It was a somewhat rowdy Saturday night for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern who admitted accidentally waking up baby Neve during the All Blacks v England Rugby World Cup match.

The New Zealand side lost 19-7 to the English in the weekend during the crucial semi-final match. It means Steve Hansen's side will have to play Wales on Friday in the bronze-medal match that will also be the coach's last game in the top job. 

Speculation is now mounting over who will replace Hansen, with Crusaders coach Scott Robertson believed to the front-runner. Others like current All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster are also expected to be in the running.

Asked on The AM Show on Tuesday if she was willing to endorse someone for the role, Ardern said she was just a passionate fan who really got into the game on Saturday - so much she woke up her child.

"I am no expert. I recognise that I am a complete couch commentator which was appalling during the game because I woke up my baby during the course of watching that match. Very verbal."

Ardern admitted England played a great game, but said the All Blacks should still be proud of what they accomplished. 

"I have got to know some of the team a little bit over the past couple of years and they are a great team. I cannot tell you just how much they put into every part of their role," she told The AM Show.

"I get to see little snippets of it and I am really proud of them as a team. I think they are great role models."

The Prime Minister said she has had a brief exchange with the team since the Saturday game and believed they were "really feeling it".

"They are not a complacent team, they put everything into what they do. You can only imagine how they'd be feeling."

Friday's bronze-medal match will also be the final All Blacks game for captain Kieran Read. But it won't be shown on free-to-air television. A TVNZ spokeswoman said they were given rights to air 12 matches, but the bronze game wasn't one of them.

Join us at 10pm Friday for live updates of the All Blacks v Wales Rugby World Cup third-fourth playoff

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