Cullen, Kirwan, Carter, Kaino: The all-time All Blacks XV
First of all, feel free to argue.
These are unusual times, in which a variety of freedoms and pleasures have been denied us by a global pandemic. You might not be able to leave the house, but you can still argue long and loud and here’s another opportunity.
I watched my first All Blacks test, against Wales in Cardiff in 1980, and haven’t missed too many since. Some very fine – and sometimes great – players have worn the silver fern over that span and this is my favourite 15 of them.
Continue reading below…
Exclusion from this line-up is not a slight on anyone, nor is this meant to be the definitive word on the last 40 years of All Blacks rugby. This team merely reflects my preferences and is entirely subjective.
To that end, please complain loudly if you don’t like it. Don’t ring (because I don’t tend to answer the phone) but bag me by other means if you like.
And, more than anything, look after yourselves and your family and let’s all hope we’re all here to tell the tale of this pandemic in a few months’ time.
Here goes.
15. Christian Cullen
1996-2002; 58 tests
What a player, probably the most brilliant I can recall seeing. Even now his deeds still amaze, as evidenced by the proliferation of Cullen highlights reels that exist around the place.
Blessed with great pace and evasive skills, Cullen’s ability to beat defenders truly was remarkable and your heart skipped a beat whenever he got near the ball.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B976R6_gzKR/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
14. John Kirwan
1984-1994; 63 tests
There’s a pattern in some of these selections, in that many are men who broke the mould. Be it with athleticism or skill, they changed the way people played their position or altered our perception of what such a player could do.
Kirwan, with his size and speed and sidestep, was one of those. Bryan Williams pre-dates me a bit, but Kirwan took what Williams had done and lifted it to another level.
13. Joe Stanley
1986-1990; 27 tests
He might not be on your list, but he’s definitely on mine. Frank Bunce and Tana Umaga were others I considered, but Stanley’s distribution skills put him in a different league.
Few men straightened an attack like Stanley. With the ball in two hands, he hit the line so square and kept so many defenders honest.
He could carry but, by playing so direct, Stanley created so much space for his outsides. Better still, his ability to then put the ball out in front of men such as John Kirwan, Craig Green and John Gallagher put Stanley in a class of his own.
12. Aaron Mauger
2001-2007; 45 tests
These last 40 years have seen a lot of strong-running All Blacks second five-eighths’. Many have been very effective in that role but, for me, Mauger’s skill and subtlety set him apart.
11. Jonah Lomu
1994-2002; 63 tests
Again, we’re talking about a man who changed rugby.
Sure, there have been more complete players to appear on the wing for New Zealand. Jeff Wilson, for one, was a guy whose range of skills probably put Lomu’s to shame.
But when Lomu was well – and even when he wasn’t sometimes – he did things on a rugby field that we’d never seen before.
10. Daniel Carter
2003-2015 112 tests
Just the complete first five-eighth. We’ve seen blokes like Grant Fox and Beauden Barrett be stars in their time, but neither possessed the all round game of Carter.
At his best, there have been none better in his position anywhere in the world.
https://twitter.com/RugbyPass/status/1244423887393189888
9. Aaron Smith
2012-present 92 tests
No halfback has suited the style of rugby most All Blacks teams have sought to play, better than Aaron Smith.
We want the game to played at pace, and with accuracy, and Smith epitomises that.
Others such as Justin Marshall and Dave Loveridge and Graham Bachop are remembered as great All Blacks halfbacks too, but Smith has taken the position to heights we probably haven’t seen before.
8. Murray Mexted
1979-1985; 34 tests
Wayne Shelford played 22 tests for New Zealand. Twenty two! It’s really not a lot when you consider the 127 Kieran Read cobbled together.
That’s partly why these are difficult exercises but, if I had to, I’d argue for Shelford ahead of Read every time. Shelford was a legend in his era and the nation felt a safer place when ‘Buck’ was the captain and No.8.
Zinzan Brooke also enjoyed two or three phenomenal years of test rugby, but best of all in my time was Murray Mexted.
He’d have been a sensation in the modern game, given the combination of athleticism and toughness he played with. Mexted oozed charisma and style too, at a time when All Blacks forwards could be a fairly dour lot.
7. Michael Jones
1987-1998; 56 tests
This is by no means a slight on Richie McCaw, who occupies a colossal place in All Blacks history.
But Jones was a bit like Cullen or Lomu. We’d never really seen anyone do the things that he did and it’s not an exaggeration to say a period of national mourning greeted the Anterior Cruciate Ligament rupture he suffered in 1989.
Such was medicine at the time, that there were grave fears Jones might never run again. Let alone play rugby at anything like the levels he’d taken openside play to since lighting up the 1987 Rugby World Cup.
The Jones of later years, who played on the blindside and bashed ball-carriers for fun, was still a very fine player, but nothing like the phenomenon who’d come before.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-D6TtIAcXU/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
6. Jerome Kaino
2006-2017; 81 tests
Kaino might not have won test matches on his own, but he contributed to wins in a way that few blindside flankers ever had.
The controlled ferocity of his football was remarkable and he was able to dominate opponents on both attack and defence.
5. Brodie Retallick
2012-present; 81 tests
There’s an argument to be made that Retallick is the best all-round player on the planet.
A good lineout forward, whose work at the breakdown is of the highest order, Retallick carries strongly too. Better than that, though, he’s also a better playmaker than many backs.
Sure, our backline stars can all tuck the ball under an arm and run. But few are genuine ballplayers, who can put team-mates through holes the way big Brodie does.
The guy is just a pleasure to watch.
4. Ian Jones
1989-1999; 79 tests
The term “dockyard brawl’’ used to be synonymous with lineouts.
At best, they could be described as a shambles, from which there was no guarantee you’d win your own throw. Jones changed that for the All Blacks, with his leaping ability and aerial skills.
Even when lifting came into the game, New Zealand’s supply of ball was hardly plentiful. What they got came from Jones, even though the opposition knew almost every throw was coming his way.
That’s no mean feat.
3. Olo Brown
1992-1998; 56 tests
There have been fewer finer sights in All Blacks rugby, than that of Olo Brown’s back.
Ramrod straight, it was, no matter how much pressure came from the opposition scrum.
Brown was another of those players, who by his mere presence, made team-mates and fans alike feel as if everything would be all right.
2. Sean Fitzpatrick
1986-1997; 92 tests
Simply a winner.
Fitzpatrick was a guy with a big mouth, and a few Auckland airs, that not everyone liked initially. But All Blacks captaincy made him and, while he forever chipped away at opponents, he grew to become someone the whole country admired and counted on.
Before Fitzpatrick, players didn’t say much to referees. But he gave them a running commentary of their performance, to the point where they were intimidated by him.
He also set the benchmark when it came to lineout throwing.
1. Tony Woodcock
2002-2015; 118 tests
Like Brown, Woodcock was elite in his field.
Competition for places is among the things that have made the All Blacks so formidable over the years. But, again like Brown, Woodcock wasn’t just the best New Zealander in his position for the bulk of his career, but the best in the world too.
A great scrummager, with a seemingly limitless engine, Woodcock chugged around the field like few props before him, often scoring tries in the most unexpected times and places.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
It couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
44 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
58 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to comments