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
Big difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
30 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to comments