Comments on: Innate belief sets All Blacks apart, but are they the best ever?

By: Don P

Don P — Thu, 28 Nov 2013 16:25:17 +0000

Roy says; ‘No of course they aren’t the best team ever because it’s an impossible concept’. I agree. There is difficulty in ‘standardising’ criteria to compare teams.

The S. Times hack S. Jones opines the that 96 AB team & (funnily enuff for a Taff who’s spent most of his life trying to be more English than the… you’ve guessed it.) the 02 England team were (at least in his memory). He, like most though, lays down no criteria either. Therefore it has to be at least in part a subjective matter.

Stats can tell a lot, but it’s what is left out that is also sometimes telling. The article mentions that some of the AB oppo was weak but doesn’t that apply to other teams too? Besides this yr the ABs have beaten all in front of them incl SA @ a town called Ellis. But as for the best ever? I dunno. The 96 team DID flog the Saffas outta site with Cullen, Wilson & a biggun called Joanna Lumley though. And that was a 1st. So a pretty complete side? Likely.

Presonally I rated the Oz teams into the 80′ & 90’s & after all they were the 1st to win 2 WC’s. Names like Catchpole, Hipwell, Ella, Slack, Hawker, O’Conner, Poiedivin, Codey, Tuynman, Loane, Corneilson & then Farr-Jones, Eales, Campese, Lynah, McKenzie, Lawton, Kearns, Burke, Horan & Little (almost) trip off the tongue.

The Welsh team of the 70’s carried all before it…. in the NH, although not in the SH. Great backline to watch though. Some pretty decent forwards too. I esp recall Delme Thomas.

Not many rate the French but with names like Lux, Trillo, Maso & Villepreux in the backs & fwds like Walter Spangero, Daniel Dauga, Christian Carrere, Illie Cester, Alain Plantefol their then team impressed me mightily. Made the AB backs look pedestrian… & those fwds. Scared me. Fantastic individuals, but as a team? Not really. Luckily, or unluckily for them, their selectors came out of a cornfake packet.

The Saffas have always been there or thereabouts with some brutes in the fwds Frik Du Preez & backs like Gainsford & Englebrecht etc, etc, but their best team? Maybe the 1 which went 17 on the bounce? The 95 WC team? Again hard to say.

To finally draw an (apt??) analogy it seems easier to me to judge the ‘best’ WWII fighter aircraft as at least the criteria was somewhat specific; i.e. comparisons between rates of climb, speed, maneuverability, ceiling, firepower, protection, technology (e.g. direct fuel injection), endurance & so on.

Unfortunately rugger is less easy, so to some degree you takes your choice.

By: Mitchell

Mitchell — Thu, 28 Nov 2013 07:20:44 +0000

On paper I feel I’m compelled to say yes, given that they have the longest unbeaten streak and most of the squad were involved in winning the last world cup. Really, it’s more nuanced than that. I liked the1999 Australian world cup winning team. They were more convincing in their final. I’m sure others have their favorites too. Not on paper: I don’t think they are the best All Blacks team ever even – 1987 team?, but they’re certainly a highly worthy generation of the AB’s brand.

By: Roy

Roy — Wed, 27 Nov 2013 19:25:43 +0000

No of course they aren’t the best team ever because it’s an impossible concept constrained by the period in which the team plays. I can remember Welsh teams of 40 or more years ago that I might give that title to (and I’m an England supporter) but they would not have survived in the professional era. This NZ team is easily the best around at the moment but they are not supermen and on a bad day are beatable by fairly ordinary teams (England, Wales, SA, Ireland). It is not just down to talent but also commitment and belief. I firmly believe that the Wales performance against England last 6N was so good that the team could have (on that one performance) be judged as far better than NZ. As I say it’s an impossible concept.

By: Mr Deltoid

Mr Deltoid — Wed, 27 Nov 2013 18:43:38 +0000

I’d love to see a 3 team Championship with the three top teams mentioned above.

By: Henry

Henry — Wed, 27 Nov 2013 15:21:12 +0000

Yes and no. Given the way professional sport has developed I am pretty confident just through athletic and physical ability they could beat any team ever to play the game. Physically the game is in a totally different league from 20 years ago. However pure natural footballing ability? Nearly but not quite… Also in terms of ‘best in the world in their position’? They are missing a front row and scrum half. Other than that they are pretty perfect.

Actually think ’03 England were a pretty fine team. That was a seriously good pack- with a brilliant front row. Same with 97-98 and 07-09 SA.