1905-06:
The Originals
Pros: They set the standard. Their trip of 1905-06 was the trailblazer to all that went after them. Played 35 games on the tour of the United Kingdom, Ireland, France and North America, and lost just once. Revolutionised the game in the northern hemisphere. Players in the ITM Cup think they have it tough. These boys once played three games in five days. Scored 976 points and conceded just 59.
Cons: Did lose - very, very controversially - to the Welsh and that cost them the chance of gaining a Grand Slam. Took the All Blacks another 70 plus years to finally get the Grand Slam. Plus some of the sides they played were made up of weak tommy boys or wealthy soft gentry who had more butlers than fingers.
1924-25:
The Invincibles
Pros: As the name suggests could not be beaten by any side as they marched to 32 wins on their northern hemisphere tour. Had some truly great All Black names in the side - Bert Cooke, George Nepia, Maurice Brownlie - and threw the ball round to dominate the headlines in the British press. No team really troubled them as they scored more than 800 points and conceded just over 100.
Cons: They did not play Scotland, which was the Triple Crown champion. As the tour went on got more defensive, mainly because of injury, and many critics accused them of cheating because of their tactics of using a wing forward.
The series that stopped a nation
Pros: Many people complain these days that New Zealand is besotted with rugby. Well they would be in absolute agony if they lived in this country in 1956. Beating the Springboks was the one and only story of that year. And the All Black team did it, thanks to the emergence of Don Clarke, the speed of Ron Jarden and the dribbling skills of Peter Jones.
Cons: South Africa was hit hard by injuries and coach Danie Craven made some bizarre selections.
1965-69:
Fred the Needle and more
Pros: The All Blacks, for most of the time under coaching great Fred Allen, went through 17 tests unbeaten, including a tour of the United Kingdom and France. Then beat France and Australia at home before Allen somewhat surprisingly quit as coach in 1968. The following year smashed Wales, which was full of class players. Top players such as Brian Lochore, Colin Meads and Sid Going all wore the black jersey.
Cons: Hard to find any although they were extremely lucky to beat France in one of the tests in 1968, being awarded a rather dodgy try. Did not win the Grand Slam, because Ireland was out of bounds, due to a foot-and-mouth scare.
1978:
The Grand Slam
Pros: After many teams had failed before them, the 1978 team finally beat all four Home Nations, with some running rugby through the likes of Bruce Robertson, Bill Osborne and Stu Wilson.
Cons: They won the games but it was mighty close. Andy Dalton scored a try in the last minute to beat the Irish. A controversial penalty goal saw off the Welsh. Triumphed over a quite dreadful English team and then beat Scotland in the Edinburgh gloom, where no-one could see what was going on. Also lost a provincial game to Munster.
1987-89:
World Cup and beyond
Pros: Won the World Cup by a country mile in 1987 and then went on a nearly three-year unbeaten run of 23 tests, with just a draw against Australia in 1988 a blot on the record. Great players such as John Kirwan, Buck Shelford and Grant Fox helped the side win games.
Cons: Not many, really. Put 50 points-plus on Wales in both tests in 1988 and it was the joint Five Nations champion. Played a tad cynically when games were close.
1996-97:
The Incomparables
Pros: As rugby went professional the All Blacks set the benchmark. Starting with a near-perfect match against the Australians in Wellington, the side then went to South Africa and won a series in that nation, a first for any All Black side. Played great rugby with all players involved.
Cons: Not many but the era is stained by what happened in 1998 when the team lost five in a row. Also drew with England in 1997, although the side came back from 17 points down.
2005-07:
Lions crushed
Pros: The British and Irish Lions arrived in New Zealand in 2005 and were put to the sword by a rampant All Black team. Went to the United Kingdom and won a grand slam. Just kept on winning with the likes of Dan Carter, Jerry Collins and Richie McCaw carving up.
Cons: Cardiff, October 6, 2007. Enough said.
16 wins and counting.
Pros: Won the World Cup when under huge pressure at home, defeating a tough French team in the final. This year have kept the Wallabies scoreless and put 50 points on Argentina and then smashed the Springboks in the intimidating atmosphere of Soweto. Top players such as Carter, McCaw and Kieran Read, on form with lethal new talent.
Cons: The opposition are not what they were. Australians on a low, Springboks rebuilding and the northern nations have a great talent to grasp defeat from victory.
So which is the best?
A nice kick for touch on this one.
Far, far too hard to say. But the team of the late 1960s, and the first World Cup winners, would take some beating. And the current side could set a new standard.
