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rv, I think there might have been another grand slam more recently.
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The 1972–3 tourists narrowly missed a Grand Slam with a draw against Ireland.<ref name="GrandSlamAttempts"/> The tour was also notable for the sending home of prop Keith Murdoch, who was alleged to have been involved in a brawl in a [[Cardiff]] hotel while celebrating the defeat of Wales.<ref name="MurdochHome">{{cite news| url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=116&ObjectID=10348988 |title=Disgraced All Black 'heroic' in dignified silence |publisher=nzherald.co.nz |accessdate=2006-11-12 |date=2005-10-07 |last=Lowe |first=Robert}}</ref>
The 1972–3 tourists narrowly missed a Grand Slam with a draw against Ireland.<ref name="GrandSlamAttempts"/> The tour was also notable for the sending home of prop Keith Murdoch, who was alleged to have been involved in a brawl in a [[Cardiff]] hotel while celebrating the defeat of Wales.<ref name="MurdochHome">{{cite news| url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=116&ObjectID=10348988 |title=Disgraced All Black 'heroic' in dignified silence |publisher=nzherald.co.nz |accessdate=2006-11-12 |date=2005-10-07 |last=Lowe |first=Robert}}</ref>


In 1978, [[Graham Mourie]] captained the All Blacks to their first Grand Slam, completed with a 13-12 victory over Wales. That game generated great controversy after the All Blacks won as the result of a late penalty. Lock [[Andy Haden]] had dived out of a [[line-out]] in an attempt to earn a penalty, but the penalty awarded by referee Roger Quittenton was against Welsh lock Geoff Wheel for jumping off the shoulder of [[Frank Oliver (rugby player)|Frank Oliver]].<ref name="HadenDive">{{Cite news| url=http://www.tiscali.co.uk/news/newswire.php/news/reuters/2005/11/24/sport/mouriehasmixedemotionsoverhadendive.html |title=Mourie has mixed emotions over Haden dive |publisher=tiscali.co.uk |accessdate=2006-11-12 |date=2005-11-24 |last=Mehaffey |first=John}}</ref> The All Blacks' only loss on the tour was the famous 12-0 defeat by Irish province [[Munster Rugby|Munster]] at [[Thomond Park]].<ref name="MunsterLoss">{{Cite news| url=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,678170,00.html |title=The 10 greatest shocks in sport's history |publisher=guardian.co.uk |accessdate=2006-11-12 |date=2002-04-07 |last=Irish |first=Oliver}}</ref> Later a play which focused on the loss was written by the [[John Breen]] called [[Alone it Stands]].<ref name="AsitStands">{{Cite news |title= Alone It Stands |publisher=The Times |date=2001-12-19 | last=Souster |first=Mark}}</ref>
In 1978, [[Graham Mourie]] captained the All Blacks to their first Grand Slam, completed with a 13-12 victory over Wales. That game generated great controversy after the All Blacks won as the result of a late penalty. Lock [[Andy Haden]] had dived out of a [[line-out]] in an attempt to earn a penalty, but the penalty awarded by referee Roger Quittenton was against Welsh lock Geoff Wheel for jumping off the shoulder of [[Frank Oliver (rugby player)|Frank Oliver]].<ref name="HadenDive">{{Cite news| url=http://www.tiscali.co.uk/news/newswire.php/news/reuters/2005/11/24/sport/mouriehasmixedemotionsoverhadendive.html |title=Mourie has mixed emotions over Haden dive |publisher=tiscali.co.uk |accessdate=2006-11-12 |date=2005-11-24 |last=Mehaffey |first=John}}</ref> The All Blacks' only loss on the tour was the famous 12-0 defeat by Irish province [[Munster Rugby|Munster]] at [[Thomond Park]].<ref name="MunsterLoss">{{Cite news| url=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,678170,00.html |title=The 10 greatest shocks in sport's history |publisher=guardian.co.uk |accessdate=2006-11-12 |date=2002-04-07 |last=Irish |first=Oliver}}</ref> Later a play which focused on the loss was written by the [[John Breen]] called [[Alone it Stands]].<ref name="AsitStands">{{Cite news |title= Alone It Stands |publisher=The Times |date=2001-12-19 | last=Souster |first=Mark}}</ref> DARREN GOT THE MAST TRY FOR THE ALL BLACKS


=== Controversial tours ===
=== Controversial tours ===

Revision as of 13:40, 2 December 2008

New Zealand
UnionNew Zealand Rugby Union
Nickname(s)All Blacks
Emblem(s)Silver fern
Coach(es)New Zealand Graham Henry[1]
Captain(s)Richie McCaw
Most capsSean Fitzpatrick (92)
Top scorerAndrew Mehrtens (967)
Most triesDoug Howlett (49)
Team kit
Change kit
First international
 Australia 3 - 22 New Zealand 
(15 August 1903)
Largest win
 New Zealand 145 - 17 Japan 
(4 June 1995)
Largest defeat
 Australia 28 - 7 New Zealand 
(28 August 1999)
World Cup
Appearances6 (First in 1987)
Best resultChampions, 1987
"All Black" redirects here. For the song, see All Black (song).

The All Blacks are New Zealand's national team in rugby union, the country's national sport. The All Blacks have a winning record against every international rugby team, including the British and Irish Lions and the World XV. The All Blacks compete annually with the Australian rugby team the Wallabies and the South African rugby team the Springboks in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with Australia. The All Blacks have been Tri-Nations champions nine times in the tournament's 13-year history, they have three times completed a Grand Slam (in 1978, 2005 and in 2008) of the four (British) Home Nations, and they currently hold the Bledisloe Cup. According to the official IRB World Rankings, the All Blacks are the number one ranked team in the world.[2] The All Blacks were also named the 2006 International Rugby Board (IRB) Team of the Year.[3] Fourteen former All Blacks have been inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame, one into the IRB Hall of Fame.

The team first competed internationally in 1884 against Cumberland County, New South Wales, and played their first Test match in 1903, a victory against Australia. This was followed by a tour of the northern hemisphere in 1905, during which the only loss was to Wales in Cardiff.

The All Blacks completed their first series win over arch-rivals the Springboks in New Zealand in 1956. A decade later, they achieved their longest winning streak by winning 17 Tests between 1965 and 1970. The British and Irish Lions achieved their only series victory over the All Blacks in 1971, but seven years later the All Blacks completed their first Grand Slam - wins over England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales on the same tour.

The 1981 Springbok Tour to New Zealand caused large-scale civil unrest due to protests over South Africa's apartheid policy. In 1987 New Zealand hosted and won the inaugural Rugby World Cup. New Zealand toured post-apartheid South Africa in 1996, and achieved their first series win on South African soil.

Early New Zealand national rugby uniforms consisted of a black jersey with a silver fern and white knickerbockers. By their 1905 tour the All Blacks were wearing all black, except for the silver fern, and their All Black name dates from this time. The All Blacks traditionally perform a haka (Māori posture dance) before each match. Traditionally, the haka performed is Te Rauparaha's Ka Mate, though since 2005, Kapa o Pango, a modified version of the 1924 All Blacks haka, Kia Whaka-ngawari, has occasionally been performed.

History

Introduction of rugby to New Zealand

The team that toured New South Wales, Australia in 1884.

Rugby Football was introduced to New Zealand by Charles Monro in the late 1860s; Monro discovered the sport while completing his studies at Christ's College, Finchley, England.[4] The first game in New Zealand took place in May 1870 in Nelson between the Nelson club and Nelson College. The first union, Canterbury, was formed in 1879.[5] In 1882, New Zealand's first internationals were played when the Southern Rugby Union (later the New South Wales Rugby Union) toured the country. The tourists played Auckland provincial clubs twice, Wellington twice and once each against Canterbury, Otago and West Coast, North Island, winning four games and losing three. Two years later the first New Zealand team to go overseas toured New South Wales; New Zealand played and won eight games.[6]

The first tour by a British team took place in 1888 when a British Isles team toured Australia and New Zealand, but no Test matches were played. The players were drawn mainly from England and the Scottish Borders, although there were representatives from all four home unions.

International competition begins

The 1905 Original All Blacks.

The year 1892 saw the formation of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union representing seven unions not including Canterbury, Otago and Southland.[7][8] The first sanctioned New Zealand side toured New South Wales in 1894 and the following year New Zealand played its first home "international" game, losing 8-6 to New South Wales.[9] The team's first true international Test match was against Australia on 15 August 1903 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, resulting in a 22-3 win.[10]

A representative New Zealand team, since referred to as the Originals, first toured Britain in 1905. Reference to the team by the name "All Blacks" first appeared during this tour when, according to team member Billy Wallace, a London newspaper reported that the New Zealanders played as if they were "all backs".[11] Wallace claimed that because of a typographical error, subsequent references were to "All Blacks". This may be a myth, as the name also describes their playing uniform of black shirts, shorts and socks.[11]

The Originals' only loss on tour was 3-0 to Wales at Cardiff.[12] The match has entered into the folklore of both countries because of controversy over whether All Black Bob Deans scored a disallowed try, which would have earned them a 3-3 draw. A team representing the British Isles — known as the Anglo-Welsh since it consisted of English and Welsh players only — undertook a return tour to New Zealand in 1908 and were defeated 2-0 in the test series by the All Blacks.

Development of a legacy

New Zealand's rivalry with South Africa began in 1921, when the Springboks (as the South African team is known) toured New Zealand for a Test series that finished all square.[13] The All Blacks toured South Africa for the first time in 1928; this series also ended in a draw.

The 1924 All Black tourists to the United Kingdom (UK) were dubbed the Invincibles because they had won every game. However, the team were deprived of the chance to complete a grand slam when Scotland refused to play them because of an argument over expenses.[14] The first truly representative British Isles (now known as British and Irish Lions) side toured New Zealand in 1930. Although the Lions won the first Test, the home side regrouped and went on to win the series 3-1. New Zealand toured the UK again in 1935–36, losing only three games (including two Tests) during a 30-match tour.[15] In one of these losses, Prince Obolensky famously scored two tries to help England to a 13-0 win, their first over the All Blacks.[16]

In 1937, South Africa won a series against the All Blacks when they toured New Zealand, and this 1937 South African team has been described as the best team ever to leave New Zealand.[17][18] It wasn't until 1949, after the end of the Second World War, that the All Blacks next played the Springboks when they visited South Africa with Fred Allen as captain. The tour witnessed an infamous All Blacks record — the loss of two Test matches on the same day. This was made possible because Australia were touring New Zealand at the same time. On the afternoon of 3 September the All Blacks captained by J. B. (Johnny) Smith was beaten 11-6 by Australia in Wellington.[19] That same afternoon in South Africa the All Blacks captained by Ron Elvidge (Allen was injured) lost 9-3 to the Springboks in Durban.[20] The All Blacks in New Zealand also lost their second Test, 16-9, which gave Australia the Bledisloe Cup for the first time. Although each Test was very close, the All Blacks lost the series 4-0.

The two series losses to South Africa made their 1956 tour of New Zealand highly anticipated. The All Blacks were captained by Bob Duff and coached by Bob Stuart, and their 3-1 series win was their first ever over the Springboks as well as being the Springboks' first ever series loss against any opponent.[21][18] During the series, the All Blacks had introduced Don Clarke and brought back Kevin Skinner in the last two Tests to help secure the win.[18] Skinner, a former New Zealand boxing champion, was brought back after injuries to props Mark Irwin and Frank McAtamney and in the third test having to "sort out" both the South African props whilst Don Clarke would subsequently become known as "The Boot" for his goal kicking.[22][23]

The All Blacks' 3-1 series win over the Lions in 1959 proved to be the start of a dominant period in All Blacks rugby. This was followed by the 1963–64 tour to the UK, led by Wilson Whineray, in which the All Blacks were deprived of a Grand Slam by a scoreless draw with Scotland.[24] The only loss on this tour was to Newport RFC who defeated the All Blacks 3–0 at Rodney Parade, Newport on 30 October 1963.[25] The 1967 side won three Tests, but was unable to play Ireland because of a foot-and-mouth scare.[24] This tour formed part of The All Blacks longest winning streak, between 1965 and 1970, of 17 Test victories.[26] Although the 1966 Lions were defeated 0-4 in their New Zealand tour, there was a reversal of fortune five years later when the 1971 Lions, under the captaincy of Welshman John Dawes, beat the All Blacks in a Test series, which remains the Lions' only series victory in New Zealand.

The 1972–3 tourists narrowly missed a Grand Slam with a draw against Ireland.[24] The tour was also notable for the sending home of prop Keith Murdoch, who was alleged to have been involved in a brawl in a Cardiff hotel while celebrating the defeat of Wales.[27]

In 1978, Graham Mourie captained the All Blacks to their first Grand Slam, completed with a 13-12 victory over Wales. That game generated great controversy after the All Blacks won as the result of a late penalty. Lock Andy Haden had dived out of a line-out in an attempt to earn a penalty, but the penalty awarded by referee Roger Quittenton was against Welsh lock Geoff Wheel for jumping off the shoulder of Frank Oliver.[28] The All Blacks' only loss on the tour was the famous 12-0 defeat by Irish province Munster at Thomond Park.[29] Later a play which focused on the loss was written by the John Breen called Alone it Stands.[30] DARREN GOT THE MAST TRY FOR THE ALL BLACKS

Controversial tours

The 1976 All Blacks tour of South Africa generated much controversy and led to the boycott of the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal by 33 African nations.[31] The All Blacks again failed to win the Test series in South Africa - they did not do so until 1996, after the fall of apartheid. The 1976 Tour contributed to the Gleneagles Agreement being adopted by the Commonwealth Heads of State in 1977.[32]

The 1981 South African tour to New Zealand sparked protests against South Africa's apartheid policy[33] the likes of which had not been seen in New Zealand since the 1951 waterfront dispute.[34] The NZRU had invited the Springboks to tour as the Muldoon government refused to involve politics in sport.[32] Although the All Blacks won the Test series, two of the tour's provincial games were cancelled and the whole tour was marred by violence and protest.[35] During the tour the country experienced unrest, and the tour had a significant impact on New Zealand society.[35][33][36]

The 1985 All Blacks tour to South Africa was cancelled after legal action argued it would breach the NZRU's constitution.[36] In 1986, a rebel tour to South Africa took place that had not been authorised by the NZRU and the team, named the Cavaliers, included many All Blacks.[37][38] Those that participated in the tour received a ban from the NZRU when they returned to New Zealand.[39]

Early World Cups

The inaugural World Cup in 1987 was co-hosted and won by New Zealand, who beat France 29–9 in the 1987 Rugby World Cup Final at Eden Park, Auckland. New Zealand conceded only 52 points and scored 43 tries in six games en route to the title, having swept aside the challenges of Italy, Fiji, Argentina, Scotland, Wales and France.[40]

By the 1991 World Cup the All Blacks were an ageing side,[41] co-coached by Alex Wyllie and John Hart. They struggled during pool matches against the United States and Italy, but won their quarter-final against Canada.[42] They were then knocked out by eventual winners Australia 16–6 in their semi-final at Lansdowne Road. In the wake of the tournament, there were many retirements, including coach Wyllie, who had enjoyed an 86% win rate during 29 Tests in charge.[43]

Laurie Mains replaced Wyllie in 1992, and was given the job of preparing the side for the 1995 event in South Africa. The All Blacks were again favourites to take the championship.[44] Their favouritism was confirmed when a young Jonah Lomu scored four tries against England in the All Blacks' 45-29 semi-final win.[45] However, the New Zealand team suffered an outbreak of food poisoning before the 1995 Rugby World Cup Final (the source of the poisoning is heavily debated). Despite this, they took hosts South Africa to extra time, before losing to Joel Stransky's drop goal.[46][47]

Professional era

The professional era in rugby union began in 1995, marked by creation of the SANZAR group (a combination of South Africa, New Zealand and Australia)[48] which was formed with the purpose of selling TV rights for two new competitions, the domestic Super 12 competition and the Tri-Nations.[48] The first Tri-Nations was contested in 1996, with the All Blacks winning all four of their Tests to take the trophy.[49]

The 1996 Tri-Nations match in South Africa between the All Blacks and Springboks was the first in a historic series. Under new coach John Hart and the captaincy of Sean Fitzpatrick, the All Blacks won a Test series in South Africa for the first time.[50] Fitzpatrick rated the series win higher than the 1987 World Cup victory in which he had participated.[50]

The next two seasons saw mixed results for the All Blacks, who won the 1997 Tri-Nations before losing it for the first time in 1998. The All Blacks won all their Tri-Nations Tests in 1997.[51] However in 1998 the All Blacks lost all five Tests in the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup series (two to South Afica and three to Australia), the first time they had lost four Tests in succession since 1949.[52] The following year they suffered their worst Test loss, 28-7 to Australia in Sydney.[53]

The All Blacks rebounded in the 1999 World Cup and dominated their pool, handing England a 30-16 defeat at Twickenham. They advanced past Scotland 30-18 in the quarter-finals to play France at Twickenham. They finished the first half ahead 17-10.[53] France then produced a famous half of rugby to which the All Blacks had no answer, winning 43-31.[53] Hart subsequently resigned as coach and was replaced by co-coaches Wayne Smith and Tony Gilbert.

Under Smith and Gilbert, the All Blacks came second in the 2000 and 2001 Tri-Nations. Both coaches were replaced by John Mitchell on 3 October 2001, who went on to coach the All Blacks to victory in both the 2002 and 2003 Tri-Nations, as well as regaining the Bledisloe Cup, held by Australia since 1998, in 2003. After winning the 2003 Tri-Nations, they entered the 2003 World Cup as one of the favourites and dominated their pool, running up wins against Italy, Canada and Tonga before winning one of the most competitive matches of the tournament against Wales.[54] They defeated South Africa, a team they had never beaten at the World Cup, 29-9, but lost to Australia 22-10 in the semi-final in Sydney. Afterwards, Mitchell was fired by the NZRU and replaced by Graham Henry.

Henry's tenure began with a double victory over reigning World Champions England in 2004. The two games had an aggregate score of 72-15, with the All Blacks keeping England try-less.[55][56] Despite the winning start to Henry's tenure, the Tri-Nations was a mixed success with two wins and two losses. The competition was the closest ever, bonus points decided the outcome and the All Blacks finished last.[57][58] The 2004 season finished on a high, with the All Blacks winning in Europe, including a record 45-6 victory over France.[59]

The All Blacks playing England at Twickenham in 2006.

In 2005 the All Blacks whitewashed the touring British and Irish Lions 3-0 in the Test series, won the Tri-Nations, and achieved a second Grand Slam over the Home Nations. They went on to sweep the major International Rugby Board year-end awards in which the All Blacks were named Team of the Year, Henry was named Coach of the Year, and fly-half (first five) Daniel Carter was Player of the Year.[3] The All Blacks were nominated for the Laureus World Sports Award for Team of the Year in 2006 for their 2005 performance.[60]

In 2006 they again took the Tri Nations Series by winning their first five matches, three against Australia and two against South Africa. They lost their final match of the series against South Africa. They completed their end of year tour unbeaten, with record away wins over France, England and Wales.[61] The All Blacks were named 2006 IRB Team of the Year and were nominated for the Laureus World Sports Award for the second time, while flanker Richie McCaw was named IRB Player of the Year.[3][60][62]

The 2007 season started off with two mid-year Tests against France. The All Blacks won the Tests 42 - 11 at Eden Park and 61 - 10 at Westpac Stadium. A third game between Canada and the All Blacks resulted in a 64-13 scoreline, although the game was more competitive than the scoreline indicated.[63]

The All Blacks' first Tri-Nations game of 2007 was against the Springboks in Durban, South Africa. The All Blacks scored two tries in the final ten minutes of the game to win 26-21. The following week against the Wallabies at the MCG in Melbourne the Wallabies upset the All Blacks to win 20-15, the All Blacks' first loss to Australia since 2004. The All Blacks won both following home games to successfully defend the Tri-Nations Series for 2007.

The All Blacks entered the 2007 Rugby World Cup as favourites, and trumped their pool beating all their challengers, Scotland, Italy, Romania and Portugal by 40 points or more. However, they then suffered a defeat to hosts France in the first knockout game, the quarterfinals. Following the loss to France coach Graham Henry's job was on the line with then Canterbury Crusaders coach Robbie Deans a likely contender as the next All Blacks coach, but Graham Henry managed to keep his job. Robbie Deans then accepted a position as coach of the Wallabies.

The 2008 season started with three mid-year Tests, the first against Ireland at Westpac Stadium, Wellington,New Zealand. The final two games were against England, the first game at Eden Park and the second at AMI Stadium in Christchurch. The All Blacks played their first Tri-Nations game against South Africa at Westpac Stadium in Wellington winning 19-8 but a week later at Carisbrook in Dunedin they lost to South Africa 28-30, ending a 30-match winning streak at home, their previous loss in New Zealand being against England in 2003. The All Blacks played their next Tri-Nations match on 26 July against Australia at Stadium Australia in Sydney, losing 34-19 but a week later against Australia at Eden Park the All Blacks won 39-10. The greatest victory for the All Blacks in the 2008 season was beating South Africa 19-0 on their home ground, Newlands Stadium. The All Blacks played their final match on 13 September against Australia at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane winning 28-24 and retaining the Bledisloe Cup and the Tri Nations.

Jersey

Template:Infobox Awards

The current All Black jersey is entirely black, with the Adidas logo and the NZRU silver fern on the front. The 1884 New Zealand tour to Australia was the first overseas New Zealand rugby tour, and featured clothing far different from today's jersey. Back then, the team donned a dark blue jersey, with gold fern on the left of the jumper.[64] In 1893 the NZRU stipulated at its annual general meeting that the uniform would be black jersey with a silver fern and white knickerbockers.[65] However historic photographs suggest white shorts may have been used instead during these early years. Sometime between 1897 and 1901 there was a change; by 1901 the team met NSW in a black jersey, a canvas top with no collar, and a silver fern.[66]

The All Blacks jersey is today considered the most recognisable rugby jersey.[67] Recently it has become traditional for the All Blacks to wear an embroidered poppy on their jersey sleeve when playing France during the end of year tours.[68] The poppy honours the soldiers who died in the battlefields of Europe. Captain Richie McCaw said "We want to honour the overseas service of New Zealanders. It is an important part of our history as a country and a team.".[69]

Adidas currently pays the NZRFU $200 Million over 9 years, expecting the All Blacks to win around 75% of their matches.[70] Nike also looked at sponsoring the All Blacks in 1996, but went with Tiger Woods instead.[71]

The change kit has traditionally been white with black shorts, however the current kit is a silver/grey jersey (with black trim) and black shorts.

Haka

Main article: Haka of the All Blacks
The All Blacks perform Ka Mate before a match against France in November 2006.

The All Blacks perform a haka (Māori dance) before each international match. The haka has been closely associated with New Zealand rugby ever since a tour of New South Wales in 1884. The New Zealand native team that toured Britain in 1889/89 used Ake Ake Kia Kaha and the 1903 team in Australia used a mocking haka, Tupoto koe, Kangaru!. The 1905 All Blacks began the tradition of using Ka Mate and by 1914 this was firmly established as part of New Zealand rugby. The 1924 All Blacks used a specially composed haka Kia Whaka-ngawari, but later All Blacks reverted back to Ka Mate.[72]

In August 2005, before the Tri-Nations Test match between New Zealand and South Africa at Carisbrook stadium in Dunedin, the All Blacks performed a new haka, Kapa o Pango, specially composed by Derek Lardelli and "...designed to reflect the multi-cultural make-up of contemporary New Zealand — in particular the influence of Polynesian cultures".[73] Kapa o Pango was to be performed on special occasions and was not intended to replace Ka Mate.[73] Kapa o Pango concludes with what has been interpreted as a "throat slitting" gesture that was a source of controversy and led to accusations that Kapa o Pango encourages violence, and sends the wrong message to All Blacks fans.[74][75] However, according to Derek Lardelli, the gesture represents "drawing vital energy into the heart and lungs."[76]

In November 2006, at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, the All Blacks performed the haka in the dressing room prior to the match — instead of on the field immediately before kick-off — after a disagreement with the Welsh Rugby Union, which had wanted Wales to sing their national anthem after the haka. [77]

Grand Slam Tours

In November 2008, New Zealand played Munster at Thomond Park. Before the match, Munster's four man kiwi contingent pre-challenged the All Blacks by performing the Haka first. There was also a silent response from Wales in their match against New Zealand that month. The Welsh players refused to move when the referee asked them to insistent that New Zealand do so first.

New Zealand has competed in many grand slams over the years winning their first ever in 1978 and then a remarkable second in 2005 and has just recently finished their 2008 Grand Slam. This time though it was a special occasion for the All Blacks as it has been 30 years since they won their first Grand Slam, but also lost in that tour to Irish club Munster. The All Blacks played a game against them the only non-test of the tour and just held Munster out.

Record

Tri-Nations

The All Blacks' only annual tournament is the Tri-Nations played against Australia and South Africa. The All Blacks' record of nine tournament wins (the most recent in 2008) and 39 match wins is well ahead of the other teams' records. The Bledisloe Cup is also contested between New Zealand and Australia as part of the Tri-Nations.

Tri Nations (1996–2011; 2020)
Nation Matches Points Bonus
points 		Table
points 		Titles
won
P W D L PF PA PD
 New Zealand 76 52 0 24 2,054 1,449 +605 35 243 11
 Australia 76 30 3 43 1,591 1,817 −226 34 160 3
 South Africa 72 28 1 43 1,480 1,831 −351 24 138 3
 Argentina 4 1 2 1 56 84 –28 0 8 0
Source:  lassen.co.nz – Tri-Nations, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa

Bonus points given by T – 4W − 2D, for T table points, W games won and D games drawn.

World Cup

Main article: All Blacks at the Rugby World Cup

The All Blacks have won the World Cup once in the 1987 inaugural competition held in New Zealand and Australia. In 1991, they lost their semi-final to Australia before winning the playoff for third. In 1995, they improved by reaching the final, before losing in extra time to hosts South Africa. They finished in fourth place in 1999, after losing their semi-final and then the third-place playoff game. In 2003 the All Blacks were knocked out by hosts Australia in their semi-final, before finishing third. The 2007 World Cup saw their worst tournament, being knocked out in the quarterfinals by the host nation of France;[78] until this they were the only team to have reached the semifinals of every tournament.[79]

The All Blacks hold several World Cup records: most points in one match (145 versus Japan in 1995),[80] most cumulative points over all World Cups (1,711),[81] most tries overall (232),[81] and most conversions (173).[81] Several individual players also hold World Cup records; Jonah Lomu for most World Cup tries (15 over two World Cups),[82] most appearances held by Sean Fitzpatrick (17 from 1987 to 1995), Marc Ellis with most tries in a match (6 versus Japan in 1995),[83] Grant Fox with most points in one tournament (126 in 1987), and Simon Culhane with most points in a single game (45 versus Japan in 1995).[83] The All Blacks are the only team to top their pool in every world cup so far.

Overall

See also: List of All Black tours and series

The All Blacks have a positive win record against every nation they have played and, with the exception of South Africa, have a winning margin of over 66.7% for every other country. They have won 330 of the 443 matches played, a win percentage of 74.49% (see table). By this measure, the All Blacks are the most successful international rugby union team in history (and consistently so) and one of the most successful teams in world sport. When World Rankings were introduced by the IRB in October 2003, the All Blacks were ranked second. Since then they have dominated the number one rank, holding it from 2004-2007 before relinquishing it to South Africa after the World Cup, and regaining the top spot in 2008.[84] The All Blacks are also well known, and feared, by many national teams for the potentially punishing winning margins that the All Blacks are capable of. Their all-time points difference for Tests (and international level matches) stands at 11252-5497 (as at Nov 23 '08); that is to say they have scored more than twice as many points as all opposition combined. Many national teams' 'worst defeat' moniker was often a match against the All Blacks. The national teams of France, Ireland, Argentina, Fiji, Tonga, Japan, and Portugal hold this unfortunate distinction at the hands of New Zealand.

Their Test match record against all nations (listed in order of total matches), updated to 30 November 2008, is as follows:[85]

Opponent Played Won Lost Drawn % Won
Australia 132 88 39 5 66.7%
South Africa 75 42 30 3 56.0%
France 46 34 11 1 73.9%
British & Irish Lions 34 26 6 2 76.5%
England 32 25 6 1 77.4%
Scotland 27 25 0 2 92.6%
Wales 24 21 3 0 87.5%
Ireland 22 21 0 1 95.5%
Argentina 13 12 0 1 92.3%
Italy 9 9 0 0 100%
Samoa 5 5 0 0 100%
Fiji 4 4 0 0 100%
Canada 4 4 0 0 100%
Tonga 3 3 0 0 100%
Anglo-Welsh 3 2 0 1 66.7%
World XV 3 2 1 0 66.7%
Romania 2 2 0 0 100%
USA 2 2 0 0 100%
Great Britain 1 1 0 0 100%
Japan 1 1 0 0 100%
Pacific Islanders 1 1 0 0 100%
Portugal 1 1 0 0 100%
Total 443 331 96 17 74.49%

Players

Current squad

The squad named on Sunday 26 August, 2008 to tour Hong Kong, the UK and Ireland. Greg Somerville was also drafted in as cover for John Afoa.

Name Position Province/Super 14 Team
John Afoa Prop Auckland/Blues
Anthony Boric Lock North Habour/Blues
Daniel Carter Flyhalf/Centre Canterbury/Crusaders
Jimmy Cowan Halfback Southland/Highlanders
Stephen Donald Flyhalf Waikato/Chiefs
Jason Eaton Lock Taranaki/Hurricanes
Andy Ellis Halfback Canterbury/Crusaders
Ross Filipo Lock Wellington/Crusaders
Corey Flynn Hooker Canterbury/Crusaders
Ben Franks* Prop Tasman/Crusaders
Hosea Gear* Wing Wellington/Hurricanes
Andrew Hore Hooker Taranaki/Hurricanes
Cory Jane* Fullback Wellington/Hurricanes
Richard Kahui Centre/Wing Waikato/Chiefs
Brendon Leonard Halfback Waikato/Chiefs
Jerome Kaino Loose Foward Auckland/Blues
Richie McCaw Openside Flanker/Captain Canterbury/Crusaders
Jamie Mackintosh* Prop Southland/Highlanders
Keven Mealamu Hooker Auckland/Blues
Liam Messam Loose Foward Waikato/Chiefs
Mils Muliaina Fulback/Centre/Wing Waikato/Chiefs
Ma'a Nonu Centre/Wing Wellington/Hurricanes
Kieran Read* Loose Foward Canterbury/Crusaders
Joe Rokocoko Wing Auckland/Blues
Sitiveni Sivivatu Wing Waikato/Chiefs
Conrad Smith Centre Wellington/Hurricanes
Greg Somerville Prop Canterbury/Crusaders
Rodney So'oialo Loose Foward/Vice-Captain Wellington/Hurricanes
Adam Thompson Loose Foward Otago/Highlanders
Brad Thorn Lock Tasman/Crusaders
Neemia Tialata Prop Wellington/Hurricanes
Isaia Toeava Centre/Fullback Auckland/Blues
Anthony Tuitavake Wing/Centre North Habour/Blues
Scott Waldrom* Openside Flanker Taranaki/Hurricanes
Piri Weepu Halfback/Flyhalf Wellington/Hurricanes
Ali Williams Lock Tasman/Crusaders
Tony Woodcock Prop North Habour/Blues
  • Denotes new Cap

Notable players

Captain of the Original All Blacks and International Rugby Hall of Fame inductee Dave Gallaher.
Main article: List of All Blacks

Fourteen former All Blacks have been inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame; Fred Allen, Don Clarke, Sean Fitzpatrick, Grant Fox, Dave Gallaher, Michael Jones, Ian Kirkpatrick, John Kirwan, Sir Brian Lochore, Jonah Lomu, Colin Meads, Graham Mourie, George Nepia and Wilson Whineray.[86][87] One of them, Whineray, has been inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame.[88]

Dave Gallaher played in the All Blacks' first ever Test match in 1903 and also captained the 1905 Originals. Along with Billy Stead, Gallaher authored the famous rugby book The Complete Rugby Footballer.[89] At the age of only 19, George Nepia played in all 30 matches on the Invincibles tour of 1924–25.[90] Nepia played 37 All Blacks games; his last was against the British Isles in 1930.[90]

Fred Allen captained all of his 21 matches for the All Blacks, including six Tests, between 1946 and 1949.[91] He eventually moved onto coaching the All Blacks between 1966 and 1968. The All Blacks won all 14 of their Test matches with Allen as coach.[91]

Five Hall of Fame inductees, including the first New Zealander named to the IRB Hall of Fame, played during the 1960s. Don Clarke was an All Black between 1956 and 1964 and during this period he broke the record at the time for All Black Test points.[92] Clarke famously scored six penalties in one match — a record at the time — to give the All Blacks an 18-17 victory over the British Isles.[93][92] Sir Wilson Whineray played 32 Tests, captaining the All Blacks in 30 of them.[94] He played prop and also number 8 between 1957 and 1965. The All Blacks lost only four of their 30 Tests with Whineray as captain.[94] On 21 October 2007, Whineray became the first New Zealander to earn induction to the IRB Hall of Fame.[88] In Colin Meads' New Zealand Rugby Museum profile, he is described as "New Zealand's equivalent of Australia's Sir Donald Bradman or the United States of America's Babe Ruth."[95] Meads, nicknamed Pinetree, played 133 games for the All Blacks, including 55 Tests.[95] In 1999 the New Zealand Rugby Monthly magazine named Meads the New Zealand player of the century.[95] Ian Kirkpatrick played 39 Tests, including 9 as captain, between 1967 and 1977.[96] He scored 16 tries in his Test career, a record at the time.[96]

The only All Blacks Hall of Famer to debut in the 1970s was flanker Graham Mourie. He captained 19 of his 21 Tests and 57 of his 61 overall All Blacks matches between 1976 and 1982. Most notably, in 1978 he was captain of the first All Blacks side to complete a Grand Slam over the four Home Nations sides.[97]

The 1987 World Cup champions were coached by Sir Brian Lochore who had represented the All Blacks in 25 Tests between 1964 and 1971, including 17 as captain.[98] Lochore was knighted in 1999 for his lifetime services to rugby. Four of the 1987 World Cup squad that he had coached are also inductees in the Hall of Fame. John Kirwan played a total of 63 Tests between 1984 and 1994, scoring 35 tries, an All Blacks record at the time.[99] In the 1987 World Cup opener against Italy, Kirwan raced 90 meters to score one of the tries of the tournament.[99][100] An All Black from 1984 to 1993, Grant Fox was one of the All Blacks' greatest point-scorers with 1067 points, including 645 Test points.[101] Fox played 46 Tests, including the 1987 World Cup final against France. Known as The Iceman, Michael Jones was one of the greatest open side flankers of all time.[102] Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Jones first played international rugby for Samoa, then for the All Blacks, playing 55 Tests between 1987 and 1998.[102] Due to his Christian faith Jones never played rugby on Sundays, resulting in him not playing in the 1991 World Cup semi-final against Australia, and also in him not being picked for the 1995 World Cup squad.[102][103]

The most capped Test All Black is Sean Fitzpatrick with 92 appearances.[104] Fitzpatrick played in the 1987 World Cup after an injury to incumbent Andy Dalton and was appointed All Blacks captain in 1992, continuing in the role until his retirement in 1997.[104] He played a total of 346 first class rugby matches, including 92 Tests.[105]

Jonah Lomu is generally regarded as the first true global superstar of rugby union.[106][107] He was the youngest player ever to appear in a Test as an All Black, making his debut at age 19 years, 45 days in 1994. Lomu, a Template:Wing, had unique physical gifts; even though he stood 1.96 m (6'5") and weighed 119 kg (262 lb), making him both the tallest[108] and heaviest[109] back ever to play for the All Blacks, he could run 100 metres in under 11 seconds. He burst on the international scene in the 1995 Rugby World Cup, scoring seven tries in the competition. Four of those tries came in the All Blacks' semifinal win over England, including an iconic try in which he bulldozed England's Mike Catt on his way to the try line. He would add eight more tries in the 1999 Rugby World Cup. Perhaps most remarkably, Lomu played virtually his entire top-level career in the shadow of a serious kidney disorder which ended his Test career in 2002 and ultimately led to a transplant in 2004. Even with his career hampered and eventually shortened by his health issues, he scored 37 tries in 63 Tests.[110]

Individual records

The record for most All Black Test points is held by Andrew Mehrtens with 967 points from 70 Tests[111], and the All Black's greatest Test try scorer is Doug Howlett with 49 tries, who overtook Christian Cullen's 46 during the 2007 World Cup.[112] The world record for tries in a calendar year is held by Joe Rokocoko, with 17 tries in 2003; he also became the first All Black to score ten tries in his first five Tests, as well as the first All Black to score at least two tries in each of four consecutive Tests.[113] In Test matches, the most capped All Black is Sean Fitzpatrick with 92 appearances, a record 51 of which were as captain.[104] The youngest All Black in a Test match was Jonah Lomu, capped at age 19 years, 45 days, whilst the oldest Test player was Ned Hughes at 40 years, 123 days.[110][114][115]

Coaches

Due to the definition and role of All Blacks coach varying so much prior to the 1949 All Blacks tour of South Africa, the following table only includes coaches appointed since.[43]

Name Years Tests Won Drew Lost Win percentage
Alex McDonald 1949 4 0 0 4 0%
Tom Morrison 1950, 5, 55–56 12 8 1 3 66.7%
Len Clode 1951 3 3 0 0 100%
Arthur Marslin 1953–1954 5 3 0 2 60%
Dick Everest 1957 2 2 0 0 100%
Jack Sullivan 1958–1960 11 6 1 4 54.5%
Neil McPhail 1961–1965 20 16 2 2 80%
Ron Bush 1962 2 2 0 0 100%
Fred Allen 1966–1968 14 14 0 0 100%
Ivan Vodanovich 1969–1971 10 4 1 5 40%
Bob Duff 1972–1973 8 6 1 1 75%
John Stewart 1974–1976 11 6 1 4 54.5%
Jack Gleeson 1977–1978 13 10 0 3 76.9%
Eric Watson 1979–1980 9 5 0 4 55.5%
Peter Burke 1981–1982 11 9 0 2 81.8%
Bryce Rope 1983–1984 12 9 1 2 75%
Sir Brian Lochore 1985–1987 18 14 1 3 77.7%
Alex Wyllie 1988–1991 29 25 1 3 86.2%
Laurie Mains 1992–1995 34 23 1 10 67.6%
John Hart 1996–1999 41 31 1 9 75.6%
Wayne Smith 2000–2001 17 12 0 5 70.5%
John Mitchell[116] 2002–2003 28 23 1 4 82.1%
Graham Henry[117] 2004– 63 55 0 8 87.3%

Home grounds

Like the other two countries in the Tri Nations, New Zealand does not have an official stadium for its national team. Instead, the All Blacks play their Test matches at a variety of venues throughout New Zealand. In 2005 and 2006 the All Blacks played matches at: Eden Park, Auckland; North Harbour Stadium, Albany; Westpac Stadium, Wellington; AMI Stadium (formerly called Lancaster Park and Jade Stadium), Christchurch; Waikato Stadium, Hamilton; and Carisbrook, Dunedin.

Prior to the construction of Westpac Stadium in 1999, Wellington's Test venue was Athletic Park. Athletic Park was the venue for the first All Blacks Test match in New Zealand against Great Britain in 1904.[118] The first home Test match played outside the main centres of Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin or Wellington was in 1996 at McLean Park in Napier.[119] The 1987 Rugby World Cup final was played at Eden Park.

Eden Park and AMI Stadium are being upgraded in preparation for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. In 2006, the New Zealand Government proposed the construction of a waterfront National Stadium in Auckland as an alternative to Eden Park's upgrade; this proposal was rejected by the Auckland Regional Council.[120] The NZRU no longer considers Carisbrook as a suitable Test venue (it did however get a Test Match against South Africa in 2008); a covered sports stadium has been proposed as a replacement.[121]

Ground Record Recent Win Recent Draw Recent Loss
AMI Stadium, Christchurch (formerly Lancaster Park and Jade Stadium) 80.43% 2008 (ENG) N/A 1998 (AUS)
Athletic Park, Wellington 69.05% 1999 (FRA) 1962 (AUS) 1998 (RSA)
Carisbrook, Dunedin 85.71% 2005 (RSA) 1950 (BRI) 2008 (RSA)
Eden Park, Auckland 80.95% 2008 (AUS) 1994 (RSA) 1994 (FRA)
Westpac Stadium, Wellington 77.78% 2008 (RSA) N/A 2003 (ENG)
Outside Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin 100.00%

Venues of All Black Tests

Ground First Test First Test Last Test Tests at that ground Win Percentage
Athletic Park, Wellington, North Island 1904
v British Lions 		1904 1999 42 69.05%
Tahuna Park, Dunedin, South Island 1905
v Australia 		1905 1905 1 100.00%
Potter's Park, Auckland, North Island 1908
v British Lions 		1905 1905 1 100.00%
Carisbrook, Dunedin, South Island 1908
v British Lions 		1908 2008 35 85.71%
AMI Stadium, Christchurch, South Island
Formerly Lancaster Park and Jade Stadium 		1913
v Australia 		1913 2008 46 80.43%
Eden Park, Auckland, North Island 1921
v South Africa 		1921 2008 51 80.95%
Epsom Showgrounds, Auckland, North Island 1958
v Australia 		1958 1958 1 100.00%
McLean Park, Napier, North Island 1996
v Western Samoa 		1996 1996 1 100.00%
North Harbour Stadium, Albany, North Island 1997
Fiji 		1997 2005 6 100.00%
Rugby Park, Hamilton, North Island 1997
v Argentina 		1997 1997 1 100.00%
Westpac Stadium, Wellington, North Island 2000
v Australia 		2000 2008 9 77.78%
Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, North Island 2002
v Italy 		2002 2007 5 100.00%
Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth, North Island 2008
v Samoa 		2008 2008 1 100.00%
TOTAL 213 80.75%

North Island

South Island

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ "Graham Henry re-appointed All Blacks coach". allblacks.com. 2007-12-07.
  2. ^ "World Rankings". irb.com. Retrieved 2008-07-09.
  3. ^ a b c "Past Winners". irb.com. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
  4. ^ Davies, Sean (2006-09-27). "All Black magic: New Zealand rugby". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2006-11-12.
  5. ^ Gifford (2004), pg 27.
  6. ^ Gifford (2004), p 29.
  7. ^ Gifford (2004), pg 32.
  8. ^ Canterbury, Otago and Southland objected to the requirement that NZRFU executive committee members needed to live in Wellington. They eventually all joined the NZRFU, although the residency rule did not change until 1986.
  9. ^ "New South Wales in New Zealand". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2006-10-30.
  10. ^ "1st All Black Test : 45th All Black Game". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2006-10-30.
  11. ^ a b "ALL BLACKS - The Name?". rugbymuseum.co.nz. Retrieved 2006-09-08.
  12. ^ "In the British Isles, France and North America". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2006-10-30.
  13. ^ "South Africa and New South Wales in New Zealand". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2006-10-30.
  14. ^ Palenski (2003), pg 74.
  15. ^ "In the British Isles and Canada". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2007-01-24.
  16. ^ Gallagher, Brendan (2006-11-03). "The day a Russian prince in an England shirt beat the All Blacks". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2006-11-02.
  17. ^ Palenski (2003), pg 192.
  18. ^ a b c "THE 1956 SPRINGBOK TOUR". rugbymuseum.co.nz. Retrieved 2006-11-03.
  19. ^ "67th All Black Test : 362nd All Black Game". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2006-09-08.
  20. ^ "68th All Black Test : 363rd All Black Game". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2006-09-08.
  21. ^ "South Africa in New Zealand". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2006-11-03.
  22. ^ "Kevin Skinner". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2006-11-03.
  23. ^ "Don Clarke(1933 - )". nzhalloffame.co.nz. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
  24. ^ a b c "Beach beckons as All Blacks celebrate history". nzherald.co.nz. 2005-11-27. Retrieved 2006-11-12.
  25. ^ "New Zealand ( 30 October 1963 )". historyofnewport.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
  26. ^ Palenski (2003), pg 269.
  27. ^ Lowe, Robert (2005-10-07). "Disgraced All Black 'heroic' in dignified silence". nzherald.co.nz. Retrieved 2006-11-12.
  28. ^ Mehaffey, John (2005-11-24). "Mourie has mixed emotions over Haden dive". tiscali.co.uk. Retrieved 2006-11-12.
  29. ^ Irish, Oliver (2002-04-07). "The 10 greatest shocks in sport's history". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2006-11-12.
  30. ^ Souster, Mark (2001-12-19). "Alone It Stands". The Times.
  31. ^ "On This Day 17 July 1976". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-01-17.
  32. ^ a b Watters, Steve. "From Montreal to Gleneagles". nzhistory.net.nz. Retrieved 2008-06-14. Cite error: The named reference "Gleneagles" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  33. ^ a b Sharpe, Marty (2001-08-25). "Dark days of thunder - when a free nation confronted apartheid in sport". wairarapa.co.nz. Retrieved 2006-11-13.
  34. ^ Watters, Steve. "A country divided". nzhistory.net.nz. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
  35. ^ a b Watters, Steve. "'A war played out twice a week'". nzhistory.net.nz. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
  36. ^ a b Hill, Ruth (2006-07-08). "Protests a turning point in the history of New Zealand". nzherald.co.nz. Retrieved 2006-11-15.
  37. ^ Luxford, Bob. "Bernie Fraser". rugbymuseum.co.nz. Retrieved 2006-11-15.
  38. ^ Millen, Julia (2006-04-07). "Blazey, Cecil Albert 1909–1998". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Retrieved 2006-11-15.
  39. ^ "Rugby Chronology". rfu.com. Retrieved 2006-11-15.
  40. ^ "World Cup in New Zealand and Australia". rugbymuseum.co.nz. Retrieved 2006-11-15.
  41. ^ Palenski (2003), pg 227.
  42. ^ Palenski (2003), pg 228.
  43. ^ a b Palenski (2003), pg 290.
  44. ^ "All set for World Cup semis". worldcupweb.com. 2003-11-14. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
  45. ^ Knight, Lindsay. "Jonah Tali Lomu". rugbymuseum.co.nz. Retrieved 2006-11-15.
  46. ^ "Springboks poisoned at 1995 Cup: Luyt". NZPA. 2003-10-30. Retrieved 2006-11-15.
  47. ^ "1995: Party time for SA". bbc.co.uk. 2003-09-24. Retrieved 2006-11-15.
  48. ^ a b Howitt (2005), pg 7.
  49. ^ Howitt (2005), pg 170.
  50. ^ a b Palenski (2003), p 206.
  51. ^ Howitt (2005), p 185.
  52. ^ Howitt (2005), p 199.
  53. ^ a b c Palenski (2003), pg 233.
  54. ^ "Charvis bowed but proud". bbc.co.uk. 2003-11-02. Retrieved 2007-01-17.
  55. ^ "382nd All Black Test : 1102nd All Black Game". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2006-11-16.
  56. ^ "383nd All Black Test : 1103rd All Black Game". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2006-11-16.
  57. ^ Bonus points could be earned via two means; scoring four tries or more in one match, and by losing by seven points or less.
  58. ^ Howitt (2005), p 289.
  59. ^ "392nd All Black Test : 1112th All Black Game". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2006-11-16.
  60. ^ a b NZPA (2006-12-12). "All Blacks in running for Laureus nomination". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 2007-01-08.
  61. ^ Phillips, Mitch (2006-11-26). "Awesome All Blacks widen the gulf". Reuters. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
  62. ^ "All Blacks nomination page on Laureus Awards site". Laureus World Sports Awards. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
  63. ^ "Slick All Blacks belt Canada". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 16 June 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-26.
  64. ^ Gifford (2004), pg 28.
  65. ^ Palenski (2003), pg 17.
  66. ^ "The "All Black" Uniform". Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 2006-10-31.
  67. ^ "All Blacks Rugby Jersey". champions.co.nz. Retrieved 2006-09-08.
  68. ^ "ABs Remember". The Press (Christchurch). 2006-11-11. p. F1.
  69. ^ "All Blacks to honour fallen soldiers". IOL. 2006-10-24. Retrieved 2006-10-26.
  70. ^ "God defend the All Black brand". Unlimited. Retrieved 2007-05-02.
  71. ^ "Member of the Club". Time magazin. Retrieved 2007-05-02.
  72. ^ "All Blacks' Haka". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 2007-07-09.
  73. ^ a b Stokes, Jon (2005-08-29). "New haka the cutting edge of sport". nzherald.co.nz. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
  74. ^ Cleary, Mick (2005-09-05). "Cut-throat haka does All Blacks no favours". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2006-10-31.
  75. ^ "All Blacks coach slams haka criticism". theage.com.au. 2006-07-28. Retrieved 2007-01-17.
  76. ^ "New haka gets public approval". tvnz.co.nz. 2006-07-08. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
  77. ^ "So just who is to blame for no Millennium haka?". icwales.co.uk. 2006-11-27. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
  78. ^ McConnell, Lynn (2007-10-07). "Deja vu for All Blacks". Sportal. Retrieved 2008-06-14. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  79. ^ Gilhooly, Daniel (2006-11-17). "Zinzan Brooke defends All Blacks - 'we can win the Cup'". NZPA. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
  80. ^ "Team Records (RWC Overall)". rugbyworldcup.com. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
  81. ^ a b c "Team Statistics (RWC Overall)". rugbyworldcup.com. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
  82. ^ "Player Statistics (RWC Overall)". rugbyworldcup.com. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
  83. ^ a b "Player Records (RWC Overall)". rugbyworldcup.com. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
  84. ^ Ranking archives can be found at the IRB website; www.irb.com
  85. ^ "All Blacks Test Match Record since first test match". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2008-11-23.
  86. ^ Gallagher, Brendan (2005-11-17). "Joining the legends an added bonus for Wood". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2006-12-15.
  87. ^ "Sixth Induction Dinner - 2007". International Rugby Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2007-09-13.
  88. ^ a b Rugby News Service (2007-10-21). "Habana named IRB Player of the Year". International Rugby Board. Retrieved 2007-10-21.
  89. ^ "Dave Gallaher". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2006-12-15.
  90. ^ a b Knight, Lindsay. "George Nepia". rugbymuseum.co.nz. Retrieved 2006-12-17.
  91. ^ a b Luxford, Bob. "Fred Allen". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2006-12-15.
  92. ^ a b "Don Clarke". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2006-12-15.
  93. ^ "Don Clarke". rugbyhalloffame.com. Retrieved 2006-12-15.
  94. ^ a b Knight, Lindsay. "Wilson James Whineray". rugbymuseum.co.nz. Retrieved 2006-12-17.
  95. ^ a b c Knight, Lindsay. "Colin Earl Meads". rugbymuseum.co.nz. Retrieved 2006-12-16.
  96. ^ a b Knight, Lindsay. "Ian Kirkpatrick". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2006-12-15.
  97. ^ Luxford, Bob. "Graham Mourie". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2006-12-15.
  98. ^ Luxford, Bob. "Brian Lochore". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2006-12-16.
  99. ^ a b Knight, Lindsay. "John Kirwan". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2006-12-15.
  100. ^ "John Kirwan". rugbyhalloffame.com. Retrieved 2006-12-15.
  101. ^ Knight, Lindsay. "Grant Fox". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2006-12-15.
  102. ^ a b c Knight, Lindsay. "Michael Jones". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2006-12-15.
  103. ^ "Michael Jones". rugbyhalloffame.com. Retrieved 2006-12-15.
  104. ^ a b c Knight, Lindsay. "Sean Fitzpatrick". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2006-12-15.
  105. ^ "Sean Fitzpatrick". rugbyhalloffame.com. Retrieved 2006-12-15.
  106. ^ "Jonah Lomu". kidzworld.com. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
  107. ^ "Jonah Lomu's rugby journey". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2007-10-03.
  108. ^ "All Blacks Player Profiles, Match Details and Statistics: Tallest All Blacks". New Zealand Rugby Football Union. Retrieved 2007-10-09.
  109. ^ "All Blacks Player Profiles, Match Details and Statistics: Heaviest All Blacks". New Zealand Rugby Football Union. Retrieved 2007-10-09.
  110. ^ a b Knight, Lindsay. "Jonah Lomu". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2006-12-31.
  111. ^ Knight, Lindsay. "Andrew Mehrtens". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2006-12-28.
  112. ^ Sportal.co.nz. "NZ made to battle for 40-0 win". www.allblacks.com. Retrieved 2007-09-24.
  113. ^ "Joe Rokocoko". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2006-12-30.
  114. ^ Palenski (2003), pg 286
  115. ^ The next oldest Test player was Frank Bunce, aged 35 years, 305 days; over four years younger than Hughes.
  116. ^ Edwards, Brent (2003-11-20). "Mitchell likely to have powers;curbed after failure in Australia". Otago Daily Times.
  117. ^ "Coaching Record - Graham Henry". lassen.co.nz. Retrieved 2008-11-18.
  118. ^ "2nd All Black Test : 47th All Black Game". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2006-12-27.
  119. ^ "296th All Black Test : 1004th All Black Game". allblacks.com. Retrieved 2006-12-27.
  120. ^ "It's Eden Park says disappointed Mallard". herald.co.nz. 2006-11-27. Retrieved 2006-12-27.
  121. ^ "Proposed stadium a NZ first". tvnz.co.nz. 2006-08-10. Retrieved 2006-12-27.

Bibliography

  • Gifford, Phil (2004). The Passion - The Stories Behind 125 years of Canterbury Rugby. Wilson Scott Publishing. ISBN 0-9582535-1-X.
  • Howitt, Bob (2005). SANZAR Saga - Ten Years of Super 12 and Tri-Nations Rugby. Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 1-86950-566-2.
  • Palenski, Ron (2003). Century in Black - 100 Years of All Black Test Rugby. Hodder Moa Beckett Publishers Limited. ISBN 1-86958-937-8.
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