List the best all Blacks of all time

• The All Blacks rugby team is the most successful international men’s rugby side of all time, with a winning percentage of 77.12% over 612 tests played between 1903-2021.
• The team has amassed numerous accolades, including three Rugby World Cups, 10 Tri-Nations Trophies, seven Rugby Championships, and have held the Bledisloe Cup for 19 years (2003-2021).
• The All Blacks were the first rugby team to win 500 test matches and since October 2003, have held the number one position in the World Rugby rankings for over 80% of the time.
• They have also won four out of nine attempted touring Grand Slams (1978, 2005, 2008, 2010).
• The All Blacks have won the Rugby World Cup three times in 1987, 2011 (at home), and 2015 (outside New Zealand).
• The team has won 77.12% of all matches played (standing at 469 wins, 57 draws, and 86 losses) between 1903 and 2021.
• Over the years, the All Blacks have scored a total of 17,278 points, which led to 39 Tri-Nations & Rugby Championship titles.
• The side has had 181 All Blacks Centurions (players with 100 test caps or more), and more than 1200 players have represented the All Blacks since the team was founded.
• The All Blacks have a current Squad listed on the webpage that includes TJ Perenara, Aaron Smith, Beauden Barrett, Codie Taylor, Sam Whitelock, and Ardie Savea, among others.
• Seven players to win five or more All Blacks caps retain a 100% winning record: Piri Weepu (46 tests), Cory Jane (53); Keven Mealamu (132); Brad Thorn (59); Owen Franks (108); Wyatt Crockett (71); and Kieran Read (127).
• The page highlights some of the most famous All Blacks players of all time, including Colin Meads, Jonah Lomu, and Richie McCaw, as well as their contributions to the team.

• The text includes quotes from notable rugby figures discussing the All Black’s success, including George Smith who claimed “The All Blacks have a way of going up by a gear when the big matches come and they thrive on pressure.”

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• The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks, is the men’s international rugby team representing New Zealand.
• The All Blacks have won the Rugby World Cup three times, in 1987, 2011, and 2015.
• The team has a 76% winning record in test-match rugby, and has secured more wins than losses against every test opponent.
• Since their international debut in 1903, the All Blacks have played test matches against 19 nations, of which 12 have never won a game against them.
• The team has played against three multinational-all-star teams, losing only eight of 45 matches.
• Since the introduction of the World Rugby Rankings in 2003, New Zealand has held the number-one ranking longer than all other teams combined.
• The New Zealand All Blacks compete with Argentina, Australia, and South Africa in the Rugby Championship and have won the trophy 19 times in the competition’s 27-year history.
• The team has completed a Grand Slam tour against the four Home Nations four times (1978, 2005, 2008, and 2010).
• World Rugby has named New Zealand the World Rugby Team of the Year ten times since the award was initiated in 2001.
• An All Black player has won the World Rugby Player of the Year award ten times over the same period.
• Fifteen former All Blacks have been inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame.
• The team’s top players in terms of caps, points scored, and tries scored are Richie McCaw (148 caps), Dan Carter (1,598 points), and Doug Howlett (49 tries).
• The All Blacks are famous for performing a haka before every match, which is a Māori challenge or posture dance.
• Traditionally, the All Blacks use Te Rauparaha’s haka Ka Mate, although players have also performed Kapa o Pango since 2005.
• The team’s early uniforms consisted of a black jersey with a silver fern and white shorts. By the 1905 tour, the team wore all black, except for the silver fern, and the name “All Blacks” dates from this time.
• The team’s first match took place in 1884 in New South Wales, and their first international test match was against Australia in 1903.
• During the 1905 tour of Europe and North America (which included five test matches), the All Blacks suffered only one defeat, their first test loss

• The webpage lists down records achieved by different All Blacks players in the national rugby union team of New Zealand between 1884 and recent time and their career span.
• The New Zealand national rugby union team is also known as the All Blacks and they have been playing Test rugby since their match against Australia in 1903.
• The world record for Test appearances is held by Richie McCaw, who played 148 Test matches between 2001 and 2015. McCaw was also the first All Black to play more than 100 Test matches; a record he achieved during the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
• The record of most Test points by an All Black is held by Dan Carter, who scored 1598 points between 2003 and 2015.
• Doug Howlett holds the record for the most number of Test tries scored by an All Black, having scored 49 tries in 62 matches between 2000 and 2007.
• A list of the most capped All Blacks of all time is listed on the page, with the number of matches played, position, and their win percentage.
• Richie McCaw tops the list of most capped All Blacks with 148 matches, followed by Sam Whitelock with 143 matches, Keven Mealamu with 132 matches, Kieran Read with 127 matches, and Tony Woodcock with 118 matches.
• The page shows the most tries scored by various All Blacks players with Doug Howlett at the top with 49 tries, Julian Savea at second place with 46 tries, and Christian Cullen and Joe Rokocoko joint third with 46 tries each.
• The record for the most points in a match by an All Black is held by Simon Culhane, who scored 45 points during the match against Japan in 1995.
• The record for the most tries scored by an All Black in a match is held by Marc Ellis, who scored six tries during the match against Japan in 1995.
• The most-capped All Blacks captain is Richie McCaw with 110 matches and an 89.09% win rate. At second place is Kieran Read with 52 matches and a win percentage of 84.31%.
• Besides these records, the webpage provides information on the players’ positions, the number of starts or substitutions they made, matches that have been won, lost or drawn, and the percentage of wins they had.
• The records, as listed on the

• British rugby website, Ruck.co.uk, conducted an online poll for the greatest all-time XV rugby team that received more than 200,000 responses.
• The team is made up of 15 players including a fullback, two wingers, two centres, a fly-half, a scrum-half, a number eight, two flankers, and three front row players.
• Seven All Blacks were included in the team: Jonah Lomu, Ma’a Nonu, Dan Carter, Zinzan Brooke, Richie McCaw, Owen Franks, and Sean Fitzpatrick.
• Jonah Lomu, known for his size and speed, was named in the team as one of the two wingers.
• Ma’a Nonu was chosen as the inside centre of the team, outside of his teammate Dan Carter, who was selected as the fly-half of the team.
• Zinzan Brooke, a number eight player known for his ball-handling skills, was chosen to represent the team in his position.
• Richie McCaw, New Zealand’s most successful captain with two World Cup victories, was selected as one of the flankers.
• Owen Franks and Sean Fitzpatrick were both selected as front row players for the team.
• Other players selected for the team include Bryan Habana from South Africa, Brian O’Driscoll of Ireland and Martin Johnson of England.
• The website posted a visual representation of the team selected by the fans, highlighting the All Blacks’ dominance.
• Wales’ record-breaking captain Alun Wyn Jones also picked his best forward pack, and he selected two of the greatest locks in Paul O’Connell and Bakkies Botha.
• Jones named Gethin Jenkins, Ken Owens, and Kyle Sinckler for his choice of front row players.
• The website referred to the All Blacks’ dominance of world rugby, winning three Rugby World Cups and the most Tests by any team, praising the seven All Blacks who were selected for the team.
• The website also listed some notable absentees from the team, including Colin Meads, Ian Kirkpatrick, and Michael Jones.
• Two other players from South Africa, Joost van der Westhuizen and Francois Pienaar, were also included in the team.

• The webpage lists and ranks the top 100 greatest All Blacks rugby players of all time.
• The ranking is done in order from 100 to 1, culminating in a top 10 list.
• Each player’s bio on the list includes a brief overview of their career accomplishments and stats.
• Players on the top 10 list include:
  • Richie McCaw, who played from 2001 to 2012 and had 115 matches under his belt
  • Sir Colin Meads, who played from 1957 to 1971 and was a towering lock in many of his games. He played 133 matches, setting a record that still stands today.
  • Maurice Brownlie, who played from 1922 to 1928, was a remarkable forward who was known for his strength and resolution. He played in 61 matches and was a successful Test captain.
  • Bert Cooke, who played from 1924 to 1930, was a brilliant back for the All Blacks. He scored 121 tries in his first-class career, including 39 in 44 matches for the national team.
  • George Nepia, who played from 1924 to 1930, was a fearless fullback who played in 46 matches with the All Blacks. He was highly respected for his defensive play and fierce tackling.
  • Ken Gray, who played from 1963 to 1969, was one of the most naturally strong All Blacks to date. He was admired for his rugby ability and skills as well as his mobility in broken play.
  • Daniel Carter, who played from 2003 to 2012, is now one of the biggest stars of the rugby world. He was well known for his dynamic array of physical and mental skills.
  • Bob Scott, who played from 1946 to 1954, was one of the best All Black fullbacks. He was highly admired for his goal kicking and general play.
  • Bruce Robertson, who played from 1972 to 1981, was a gifted midfield back who was admired for his exceptional attacking ability and skills. He managed 34 tries in his career.
  • Ian Kirkpatrick, who played from 1967 to 1977, was one of the pioneers of the specialist role of a blindside flanker. He scored 50 tries for the All Blacks, the most by a forward, and his 16 Test tries broke a New Zealand record that had stood for 60 years.
• Other players

• The webpage specifies the top All Black rugby players of all time in various playing positions.
• Christian Cullen holds the record of scoring 46 tries in 58 tests, thus making him the greatest fullback ever.
• John Kirwan played between 1984 and 1994 as a tall and strongly built wing with a considerable pace in 63 tests.
• Frank Bunce is compared to late blooming All Black center Joe Stanley in his ability to read the game and make play for his remotes. He played a total of 69 matches for New Zealand, 55 of them tests.
• Dan Carter is known as the world’s best fly-half but is also known for his strong play at inside-center at the 2003 World Cup. Carter possesses a dynamic array of physical and mental skills and holds records for the most points scored in Super 12/14 history.
• Jonah Lomu was virtually unstoppable, standing 6’5” and weighing up to 120kg, he could run 100 meters in about 11.0 seconds. He was a nightmare for much smaller defenders and trampled over England’s Mike Catt in the 1995 World Cup semifinal.
• Grant Fox dominated the All Black fly-half position and was one of the most potent scorers in New Zealand history.
• Sid Going ranks among the best running half-backs ever. He was a superb runner close to his forwards, with a flair for the unorthodox.
• Zinzan Brooke was one of the most skillful forwards to have played for the All Blacks and was one of the most versatile. His 17 tries in tests were a world record for a forward.
• Richie McCaw is generally recognized as the world’s best openside flanker. McCaw was named as All Blacks captain for the first time for the test against Wales in 2004 and captained the side in all 12 test matches in 2006. McCaw was awarded the IRB Player of the Year award in 2006.
• Michael Jones won many plaudits for his on-field deeds. He has been voted by Rugby World magazine as the third-best All Black of the 20th century. Jones received the ultimate compliment from All Black coach John Hart when he said there would never be another player like him.
• Ian Jones has 79 tests to his credit, second only to Sean Fitzpatrick’s 92. Jones made 38 appearances for Chiefs between 1996 and 1999 and once scored

• W lists the top 10 All Blacks players of all time.
• The players listed are George Nepia, Colin Meads, Michael Jones, John Kirwan, Sean Fitzpatrick, Ian Kirkpatrick, Jonah Lomu, Christian Cullen, Dan Carter, and Richie McCaw.
• George Nepia (1924-1930) was the full-back who starred in the ‘Invincibles’ Tour of 1924/25 and was the first Maori player to make his mark in the black jersey.
• Colin Meads (1957-1971) was a quintessential All Black forward and played for some 15 years, making 133 appearances, including 55 Tests.
• Michael Jones (1987-1998) was an openside flanker who starred in the first Rugby World Cup in 1987, where the All Blacks clinched the title.
• John Kirwan (1984-1994) was a wing who starred in the 1987 Rugby World Cup where he set the template for what wings could do in the years to come.
• Sean Fitzpatrick (1986-1997) was considered one of the greatest and led the All Blacks at hooker for a decade from 1987, leading them from 1992 as a record-breaking captain.
• Ian Kirkpatrick (1967-1977) was a tough and uncompromising flanker who skippered New Zealand in nine Tests from 1972-73 and evolved the role of a blindside flanker to the specialist position it is today while also scoring tries.
• Jonah Lomu (1994-2002) was rugby’s first global superstar and the most physically dominant player of his generation who played two World Cups in 1995 and 1999, where he scored 15 tries.
• Christian Cullen (1996-2002) was touted as arguably New Zealand’s most gifted all-round attacker of the modern era, possessing acceleration, top-end speed, side-step, and immense strength which helped him to score 46 tries from 58 caps.
• Dan Carter (2003-2015) was New Zealand’s most complete and influential fly-half, with an unprecedented skill set which helped him to be the All Blacks’ record points scorer with 1598 points in 112 caps.
• Richie McCaw (2001-2015) holds the record for the world’s most-capped player with 148 Test appearances, leading them from 2011-2015 to win two

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The history and evolution of the All Blacks rugby team

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The top 10 greatest All Blacks rugby players of all time