The ULTIMATE All Blacks Starting Line-Up
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- Опубликовано: 26 сен 2024
- We begin a new series looking back at some of the greatest players, teams and moments in the history of the game. Throughout there will be some tough choices as we look to decide who makes our ultimate series! But to get us started we have compiled what we think would be the greatest all blacks starting line-up! Featured in this video: Richie McCaw, Dan Carter and Jonah Lomu.
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The good thing about New Zealand Rugby is that in most positions you could debate 4-5 players whom should feature in an ultimate starting line-up with only a few shoe ins. I myself couldn't see a team without Cullen
I'm with you here re. Christian Cullen.
Then I'll put the late great Jerry Collins instead of the great Jerome Kaino I need to see the way too underrated Conrad Smith in the middle field, then on the wings maybe Rockocoko, or I don't know, way too many option... :-)
@@RogerBiwandu i know right rockocoko, or sivivatu a plethora of flying fijians
except for 11 and 7
Love Ben Smith but Christian Cullen is my favorite fullback ever.
Cullen has a ridiculous knack of being at the right place at right time
Cullen was ahead of his time
true... wicked step too
since he cant be 15 but he did play 14, he is the best 14 of all time for the ABs
It's a close run race that's for sure isn't it?
Christian Cullen was NZs best fullback by far.
Never played a WORLD CUP as a 15... if you can believe it.
Not by far, but yeah just over smith
Na he was bad on D, bad under the high ball - justifiably dropped for Muliana
No Christian Cullen??? Possibly one of the finest players I've seen play the game.
Agreed but I'm not sure he was as consistently good as bender in black
Cullen, JK, Bodie, Jerry Collins, the Bus, Goldie, Naholo all missing.
@@canadiancontent352 Agreed. Smith was more consistent but Cullen had more raw ability. His knees and being played out if position didn't help his consistency or career. A poor hurricanes team also didn't help.
@@marcusd9192 don't get me wrong Cullen was a seminal talent. And absolutely right about being played out of position, especially in 99. Also didn't have a proper 8 at that tourney, really overthinking things.
The crazy thing being that Tana played on the wing, when his best position was centre, and Cullen played at 13 when his best position was 15 and Wilson played 15 when he was a wing.
Ben Smith is a tremendous 15 but C. Cullen is unforgettable. So is Zinzan Brooke at 8 !
55 year all black fan here agree with you but Michael Jones or kaino toss the coin
Cullen never played RQC at 15... head to believe, he only played centre
I’d probably have Christian Cullen at 15, John Kirwan at 14, Conrad Smith at 13, Zinzan Brooke at 8 and Michael Jones changed the way an open side flanker plays, Carl Hayman at Prop
Totally agree... Michael Jones, JK and Zinzan ...
Come on mc caw is the king
Started tough with the All Blacks, so many legends of the game.
Definitely Jk over Howlett but I’d go for BJ any day of the week. Jones at 6, and Colin meads as lock. Maybe Sid going at 9...
I thought of the same changes except for Carl Hayman and would suggest Michael Jones at 6 in place of Jerome Kaino.
What. No. 15 is Christian Cullen. Whoever created this should not be making any more rugby lists.
Amen
Agree 💯
Agree Amen
No argument bro, growing up Cullen along with Lomu were my childhood heros... But Ben Smith has become one of my all time favorites, solid, dangerous and huge on defense. Respect to you mate. 💯
Facts he should make soccer list instead of rugby cause he doesn’t know hahaha
Turned this off as soon as I saw Christian Cullen wasn’t at fullback
How is Cullen not 15? I'm South African even I know he should be there.
Thank you mate your totally right👌
ben Smith was more complete as player
Extremely recent list. Many legends missed
To be fair, the level has so much increased in the last twenty years that legends of the game can't compete with the actual players in terms of skills. Respect to these legends but they are no match in my opinion
@@benjaminp8640 if you go on that thinking then Jordan,Pele and Senna are not as good as current sportsmen applying there trade in 2021. Alot of 2nd division players are fitter and faster than legend's of the past so does that mean they're better?
@@donuttime2507 I don't think it impact the same way in some other sports, basketball kept a insane level of performance since the 80s with only the way of playing changing a lot. But in rugby, as it became professional very late, the game wasn't developped to a greater potential, we are only seeing it now for the last 20 years whereas football, basketball, boxing, tennis etc.. where more popular and serious and so better in terms of skills I think
@@benjaminp8640 I take the point and this starting 15 is so subjective imo. I'm a Scotland fan so I could argue that Hogg is a better fullback than Campese? When it comes to strength and fitness and speed and skill then he would be but we all know he's not....
It's an age old argument that no-one ever wins. I'm a romantic so legend's are legends no matter the era.
It's like saying the Welsh teams in the 70s would get smashed from any international side in 2021....yet the Welsh team in that era was one of the best teams to ever play the game.
@@donuttime2507 Campese was a specialist winger. So there are plenty of players better than him at fullback.
Kieran did well at 8, but I'd rather have Zinzan Brooke. He wrote a new definition of that role
If Kieran didn’t have the head issues I think he would’ve been 1 the very best abs ever
Agree, Zinny has slotted test drop kicks, not easy ones either (England 1995).
Either Zinzan or Buck.
Both way better.
Kieran was a good player but he was also part of a legendary team
@@ianmarsden1130 Recency bias for sure. Both Zinzan and Shelford were better
Great line-up but with all due respect Nonu and Conrad Smith are the most dangerous pair together. But put them apart and you will see something is missing. Tana Umaga is a great player but I'll still go with a Nonu & Smith midfield combo, any day.
@Jacobite Jones unsure about that. C Smith was a special kind of intelligent player. Umanga was amazing, but so was Conrad. Conrad in more ways perhaps to my eyes.
@Jacobite Jones vision and setting up.plays, organising defence and defending I think Conrad better. Not just passing. Umanga better at the hits and rucks, but not overall defensive package, nor offensive package for team mates around. Conrad made the team around him shine, and was snakingly brilliant doing his own things. Deceptively so. Umanga one of the best for sure.
Absolutely
Michael Jones should feature. Also think Carl Hayman would have featured if he'd have been in more world cups as he's one of the best tightheads I've seen.
Yes, Hayman left NZ much too early to be considered is my guess. But good for him, he’s made a bunch of money and is set up for life.
A fine man of God
Yep...Cullen at fullback hands down.
Mills is so over looked
This looked like this was the modern area rugby. Frank Bunce, Jerry Collins, Christen Cullen, Michael Jones, Kronfeld. Then again, Richie McCaw is the only #7!
Michael Jones was a superior open side flanker than Richie McCaw in almost every metric.
Cullen at 15, Wilson at 14, couldn’t argue about the rest
Which Wilson, Goldie or stu
kirwin on the right..lomu on the left..2 best ever
They showed a Ben Franks clip for his brother.. haha
Here's my picks😂 Microphone DROP
⬇️🎤⬇️
*Greatest AB 1st 15*
1. Tony Woodcock
2. Sean Fitzpatrick
3. Olo Brown
4. Colin Meads
5. Brodie Retalick
6. Jerry Collins
7. Ritchie McCaw
8. Zinzane Brooke
9. Aaron Smith
10. Dan Carter
11. Jonah Lomu
12. Ma'a Nonu
13. Frank Bunce
14. Doug Howlett
15. Christian Cullen
*Greatest AB 2nd 15*
1. Carl Hayman
2. Dane Coles
3. Owen Franks
4. Sam Whitelock
5. Brad Thorn
6. Jerome Kaino
7. Michael Jones
8. Buck Shelford
9. Sid Going
10. Grant Fox
11. Joe Rokococo
12. Tana Umaga
13. Conrad Smith
14. John Kirwan
15. Ben Smith
*Greatest AB 3rd 15*
1. Ken Gray
2. Kevin Mealamu
3. Wilson Whineray
4. Robin Brooke
5. Ian Jones
6. Waka Nathan
7. Josh Kronfeild
8. Kieran Read
9. Justin Marshall
10. Andrew Mertains
11. Julian Savea
12. Joe Stanley
13. Walter Little
14. Jeff Wilson
15. Mils Muliaina
*Greatest Māori AB 15*
1. Joe Moody
2. Dane Coles
3. Carl Hayman
4. Robin Brooke
5. Waka Nathan
6. Zinzane Brooke
7. Daniel Braid
8. Buck Shelford
9. Piri Weepu
10. Carlos Spenser
11. Hosea Gear
12. Luke McCalister
13. Rua Tipoki
14. Rico Gear
15. Israel Dagg
*Greatest Polynesian ABs*
1. John Afoa
2. Kevin Mealamu
3. Olo Brown
4. Sione Lauaki
5. Rodney Soialo
6. Jerome Kaino
7. Ardie Savea
8. Jerry Colins
9. Graeme Bachop
10. Richie Mo'unga
11. Jonah Lomu
12. Ma'a Nonu
13. Tana Umaga
14. Julian Savea
15. Mils Muliaina
Very extensive 15s squad right here 🙌🏽
@@OyeaAlliyea thanks. I'm genuinely interested in everybody else's picks? So go ahead 😁
@Poua Kai nice!! Kees Muews, Craig Dowd, Billy Bush, Glen Osborne, Taine Randall, Jono Gibbs, George Nepia, Berryman, Reihana. So many....
Chris masoe over ardie savea? Charles piutau over julian savea? John afoa over ofa tuugafasi? Lol what are you smoking mate
Personally, I would have put Graeme Bachop ahead of Augustine pulu 🤷🏽♂️
This is the team of recent times as judged by a young English person. Olo Brown, Colin Meads, Jerry Collins, Buck Shelford, Sid Going, Frank Bunce, Brian Williams, and Christian Cullen to name just a few you missed...
Michael Jones, John Kirwin ....
I hope they are on the bench.
Bruce Robertson, Graeme Mourie....
@@RBv195 as good as jones was and he was great you going to pick him over McCaw?
@@michaelericksen4269 he would be a possibility at 6
Ben Smith is awesome player but Christian Cullen is the best✨
You can tell this was made by a foreigner
When you leave out Christian Cullen, Frank Bunce, Zinzan and Ian Jones, not to mention Michael Jones have to assume the list was compiled by someone in their late twenties early thirties tops
As a football fan as well, it's fitting that Dan Carter was a number 10. As a Bok fan, the AB's are the greatest team of all time, which is why playing them is always an important match for us, regardless if we're losing the tournament or the series, there's no meaningless match against NZ.
Mate I agree, no game is meaningless between the Springbok's & All Blacks, Springbok's have a habit of bringing us crashing to earth. We never take you guys lively.
Even with many legends missing, this is still a scary team.
15.Christian Cullen
23.Ben Smith
Also wow this clip makes 1 miss Jerome Kaino, his presence and how much NZ miss someone so athletic and brutally strong is underrated
Ha ha. Funny
This is why the AB's all time XV is so hard to pick. So many legends in the same positions.
Maybe I’m bias but I take Cullen
i agree cullen is the best ever not just AB and thats no slight on b.smith who is a amazing fullback
Not bias bro, intelligent😀
Cullen sucked on defense and the high ball compared to smith
That’s a valid argument but to be fair Ben Smith is by far the best nz player taking the high ball ever
@@kiwisaraphim6622 stop making up stuff. Cullen was just as good as Ben was on defense and under the high ball. The difference is Cullen was the faster and better runner with a step.
You guys should’ve made a before 2007 and after 2007 teams because I’d put all my money for the post 2007 team to be better lmao
Pre 2007 ABs had star players but it was all individual skills. Post 2007 ABs was an unstoppable machine with 2 world cups and the best record wins of any team or era of the history of the game.
And here's another XV to take them on 1. Steve McDowell 2. Kevin Mealamu 3. Karl Hayman 4. Ian Jones 5. Gary Whetton 6. Zinzan Brooke 7. Michael Jones 8. Wayne Shelford 9. David Kirk 10. Beauden Barrett 11. Julian Savea 12. Frank Bunce 13. Conrad Smith 14. John Kirwan 15. Christian Cullen
15': Cullen
14: Kirwin
13: Osborne
12: Nonu
11: Lomu
10: Carter
09: Smith
08: Buck
07: McCaw
06: Jones
05: Retalick
04: Whetton
03: Mcdowld
02: Fitzpatrick
01: Brown.
@@colemanpeni3756 Great XV there, I agree with pretty much every position except 13. Deinitely a lot better than the team in the video in terms of all time greats.
An AB’s team put together by the sort of person that has a tik tok type of worldview. The greats go way back.
Unfortunately I guess for you, the 2008-2015 ABs were the greatest you guys have ever been. So can't argue with this side at all.
@@sebp3249 ....Thanks tiktok, your contribution has been noted.
@@biggest23 Aside from maybe B Smith and Cullen who would you swap out? And I hate tik tok mate, im only 21 though.
Corey jane had more skill that spme of the other wingers from the 2015 team his fend,taking the high ball never missed he could fend off the attacker and kick in field at the same time so underrated because he wasn't flashy like jk or brutal like jonah ,meads set the standard for locks and will always be in my team jones instead of kino for obvious reason,s buck shelford for pure passion and captain don Clarke who single handed won the test for New Zealand scoring all 18 points in 1966 when the lions scored 3 tries bruce Robinson for centre all through the seventies automatic choice big tall athletic the rest are all good
@@sebp3249 doug howlet, do you know how many good wingers we have had, thats like owning a fleet of exotic sports cars and picking a tesla, shes fast and stable but boring as all f
Okay so they have to change the title, this is a top all blacks team at world cups, otherwise C Cullen over B Smith and Zinny would be over Read
What is weird is that they had Tana over C Smith but Tana was injured for 03 and we didnt have a good 99 campaign
Also when they mentioned Owen Franks and showed footage of his brother😀
Also Olo Brown and to a degree C Dowd would have claims for props, based on the 95 world cup alone
@@Navigator_Isle i know brother, i basically meant that the title is misleading, its world cup performances, otherwise where's pinetree😀
Ben Smith was a great fullback, but not picking Cullen is an unforgivable sin.
Friday - May 7, 2021.
Allen Hughson
Could you imagine Jonah on one wing and John Kirwan on the other? Unstoppable.
@Poua Kai Even moreso, 83 to 86 Kirwan! He was simply incredible!!
Only three on this list need no discussion. Lomu, Carter and Mcaw. Fitzy would be close but the rest need some serious debate.
Oh and the irony of putting Umanga at 13 (he was very good there), but showing him wearing 14 in most of the clips.
I’d say there’s no discussion also for Retallick and Whitelock probably the greatest lock duo ever.
@@DolanTrain Colin Meads ahead of Sam
Agreed
Imho he was best at 12
Collins over Kaino
Yes yes YES
Christian Cullen was on a different level on his own angles he ran was unbelievable and also Mills milliena would be 2nd pick reliable fast pace solid fullback hardly ever made mistakes
Mils never gets the respect he deserves. He was great in attack but people overlook how solid he was at defence.
Cullen never played 15 at a WORLD CUP... which is unbelievable but true
Haha, number of tries doesn’t”t make a player great. Howlett was fast and ran good lines but he had no step or fend. I’d go with Kirwan or Wilson.
Didn’t need them? 😉
@@speeddemon9555 wingers should be judged on both more than just that fella…
@@speeddemon9555 Lomu is the perfect example yes, he’d be in 99% of most people’s world ever elevens, and that kinda puts that argument to bed son 🤝
@@speeddemon9555 sure they are 😎
11 players from the 2015 rwc proves how good we were, defiantly was our prime
Or how biased the selection was towards modern players
.....or that some people have short memories
Watching this video initially I thought they were only talking about players in the year 2000 onward until Sean Fitzpatrick is mentioned. Met him once, what a player.
I’m in the states, don’t completely understand all the rules but: man this is an exciting game! Awesome clip
I'm a Kiwi watching the MLR highlights for a country "New" to rugby American is a scary prospect for the future
@@oramonika9758 there’s college & pro rugby teams here. Just doesn’t get proper coverage. It’s like our football without pads & helmets. Cool by me
@@oramonika9758 and I sincerely hope that wasn’t a dig. Not nice if it was
@@RMGCBG wow! My apologies if it came out as such but in no way was I being sarcastic. I meant every word.
One of my favorite All Black's of all time Ma'a Nonu is playing in the MLR for the San Diego Legion that's why I stated watching.
@@oramonika9758 thank you for clarifying that. Quite honorable. Sports should unite the world
Sorry but this misses out all the legends that went before. Great team but not the ultimate All Blacks for that reason.
Yes for example Colin Meads would make the list if it was alltime.
Cullen at 15, Kirwan at 14 and Conrad Smith at 13 with his partnership with Ma'a at 12. Zinzan Brooke at number 8 with Brad Thorn at 5 partnering with Brodie Retallick at 4. Everyone else is fine.
It's hard for me between Smith and Nonu as centres or Little and Bunce. Both combinations were amazing. But I'd definitely have Smith over Umaga.
As for Thorn in the second row..... not sure. I think Whitelock and Retallick are great, but so were Ian Jones and Robin Brooke, and I think Chris Jack doesn't get the love he deserves
YEAH THATS RIGHT MCCAW IS GOOD
Not in total agreement, but it does really just show how dominant the 2015 team was
Yeah there’s plenty of debate to be had here, but just think - if someone suggested this as an all time world XV (pro era) you wouldn’t say it was all that ridiculous. Sure, you’d debate most of the positions and want to make 10 changes or so...but no other nation’s all time XV would come close to being called a world XV too.
That Kaino stop on Digby is still legendary to date!!!
Jerry Collins would have a think to say about that 6 jersey.
Hundred.
both are legends but I'd take kaino
Can’t wait for the Rugby World Cup 2023
8. Zinzan Brooke and 15. Christian Cullen should of been named in the starting line up.
Johna Lomu
They should have included a bench just to put the likes of Cullen, Barrett, Zinny etc
Good idea!
Cullen doesn’t belong on the bench. He should be a first-choice 15.
Great team. Only changes I'd make is shift Ben Smith to right wing and bring in Christian Cullen, and have Zinzan on instead of Read
Good shout, it's so close between so many positions
And Beauden Barrett ?
Wow. Stuff up on 15 14 and 13. It should be Cullen, Kirwan and Bunce. 😊
Pretty close but not quite there. Good effort though just a bit rushed perhaps with some of the info being a bit off.
A cool video nonetheless, too much class in the ABs for anyone to truly nail a top 15.
My other contenders for spots in the team:
Mils Muliaina
Kevin Mealamu
Christian Cullen
Beauden Barrett
Jerry Collins
Brad Thorn
You saying beauden over DC?
@@dariuswebb nope, I mentioned BB as a contender. Can't look passed winners of world player of the year awards.
@@Jordan-ws6jy you can when the person in front of him is Dan Carter. Not even close.
@@dariuswebb you have to consider BB, as is is foolish not to. I said he is a contender meaning someone who is in contention for a placement. Not guaranteed
@@Jordan-ws6jy only person apart from me I’ve seen mention mils I’d seriously consider him over Smith an Cullen
in my opinion, people are choosing Cullen over Smith cause of all his flashy tries, probably the best individual tries ever, but they are not counting all the hard work off and on the ball that Ben did, he rarely missed tackles, kicked decently, he'd never loose in the air, he had a sick offloading game, and he always knew when to attack and when not to, in my eyes he was the ultimate fullback, hands down.
Love them both but I agree with you. Smith slightly outshines Cullen because of his Mr. Reliable aura.
How does Umaga beat out Conrad Smith?! He was one half of the greatest centre partnership NZ has ever had!
I love Conrad, but that’s recency bias lol Umaga was literally one of the best players in the world while he was in his prime
@@mruv5944 so was conrad. Probs the best 13 of the last decade and he only played in half of it!
I agree. Umaga certainly was somewhat of a personality, but in my view, people seem to forget the bad stuff. I remember him dropping a staggering amount of ball.
@@Tom_McMurtry Conrad was never at any time regarded as a Top 10 player in the world. Umaga from 01-06 was.
@@matteich81 that’s weird because his hands were one of his best assets. Intercepts, offloads, long passes were a staple in his game. I think the only thing Conrad did better was defend and even that’s close
15. Christian cullen
14. Doug howlett
13. Conrad smith
12. Maa Nonu
11. Jona lomu
10. Daniel carter
9. Aaron smith
8. Buck shelford
7. Richie McCaw (C)
6. Jerome Kaino
5. Sam Whitelock
4. Brodie Retalick
3. Owen franks
2. Dane coles
1. Carl hayman
Coach: Steve Hansen
Christian Cullen and John Kirwin were at a different level than Smith and Doug Howlett. Also Although Koran Reid was a great player, ZinZan Brooke’s skill level and impact on a game was greater.
I know everyone loves Cullen, and he's great, don't get me wrong.... but there's never love for Mils. He was a great fullback. But either of those 3.
Personally, I would've gone with Conrad Smith for 13, and mabe Grame Bachop for halfback. Otherwise, that's a good back line.
The forward picks here though......
Ian Jones, Chris Jack, Robin Brooke.... they were amazing, with Jones and Brooke being the pioneers of mobile locks and Jack taking it to another level.
Happy for Fitzpatrick as he created the hooker on the wing-style. Hmmmm, mostly good choices though
My AB's Lineup:
1. Tony Woodcock
2. Dane Coles
3. Joe Moody
4. Brodie Retallick
5. Sir Micheal Jones
6. Jerome Kaino
7. Josh Kronfield (He's a Beast)
8. Zinzan Brooke
9. Justin Marshall
10. Dan Carter
11. Jonah Lomu
12. Ma'a Nonu
13. Tana Umaga
14. Jeff Wilson
15. Cristian Cullen.
I’m with most comments Cullen for sure, Sid going over smith, meads and Kirkpatrick just legends but really there are so many AB’s that could play in this team you’d have to make at least 10 teams to fill the greatest teams ever!
Cowboy mark reid
11,10, and 7 are the only positions without debate. I love Ben Smith and think he is the right choice, but man Cullen was my favourite.
Lomu, Cullen and Ben Smith back 3 for me. Corey Jane was a seriously underrated AB 14. Ok didn’t score as many tries as Howlett, but was rock solid under the high ball, best left fend hand off and won a RWC winner’s medal.
Sam Whitelock standing at 6” 4? Thought he was 6” 7.
Shame Carl Hayman chose to cut his AB career short. He was the ideal tight head. Better than Owen Franks.
I would love to see who would win between the RWC 1995 finalists team (with Michael Jones at 6) and 2015 RWC winning team.
My All time AB 23. As too many great players to just have 15:
1. Woodcock
2. Fitzpatrick
3. Hayman
4. Rettalick
5. Whitelock
6. M. Jones
7. McCaw
8. Brooke
9. Smith
10. Carter
12. Nonu
13. Smith
11. Lomu
15. Cullen
14. B Smith.
16. Coles (special mention to Mealamu for longevity).
17. Dowd
18. Brown
19. Kaino
20. Read
21. Marshall
22. B. Barrett
23. SBW.
No reserve lock eh? Remember Kaino playing lock vs Ireland in the US? I'd throw Brad Thorne on that bench if I were you.
@@cyborgwalker No reserve lock on the 2015 RWC team. Victor Vito played in the 19 shirt and they relied on Rettallick and Whitelock to go 80 and Kaino to cover lock if need be. Read more than good enough as a middle jumper.
Here's my list before watching the video.
1. Tony Woodcock
2. Sean Fitzpatrick(C)
3. Carl Hayman
4. Brodie Retalick
5. Colin Meads
6. Jerome Kaino
7. Richie McCaw
8. Zinzan Brooke
9. Aaron Smith
10. Daniel Carter
11. Jonah Lomu
12. Ma'a Nonu
13. Frank Bunce
14. Doug Howlett
15. Christian Cullen
And the players who are undoubtedly the best in their positions ever are:
7. Richie Mccaw (Also the greatest rugby player in history)
10. Daniel Carter
11. Jona Lomu
Cullen fullback although smith is so bloody close behind! I’d actually put smith at 14 ahead of howlett and Conrad Smith at 13!
Would've been hard to leave out the top try scorer! But it's sooo close!
I don't think you can leave Howlett out. I think Smith has a WC title whereas Cullen doesn't but I'd still take Cullen.
@@gdavies4 true howletts try against England where he smokes jason Robinson for pace was pretty impressive! JK was no mug either
I'm not done - Tana, Dan Ritchie, but the big man with a bigger heart Jonah - man those All Blacks
So apart from 4 All Blacks you basically picked the 2011 and 2015 teams. Here's a few to remind you that there are so much more worthy, Sid Going, George Nepia, Colin Meads, Buck Shelford, Jerry Collins, John Kirwan, David Kirk, BG Williams. I could go on. Not really THE greatest team, but a bloody good one.
Cullen fullback, John Kirwan Right Wing. Michael Jones a must. And of course Zinzan. I also rated Justin Marshall at 9 very highly. Debatable tho.
Marshall for me slightly better
Cool thing is many of these boys play(ed) together! What an era.
You never forget your team mates.
What a class act the all blacks are !!! Every game you watch is pure rugby at its best !! Jonah Luma a man mountain RIP man you where legend who left to soon
The fact that only four players weren't at the 2015 rec shows how good the all blacks were in that tournament
And to think Jonah Lomu was playing sick for a few years. Jonah would of been honoured to be included in any legendary All Blacks side and probably would of rated some of the outstanding Fijian Wingers to be in his place as well etc etc.
And imagine LOMU was not sick, man that is terrifying if LOMU was at full fitness 🤯.
Zinsan Brooke is the best no 8 to ever play for the All Blacks.
15 Cullen, 14 Wilson, 13 Bunce, 12, Nonu, 10 Carter, 9 Smith, 8 Brook, 7 McCaw, 6, Jones, 5 Whitelock, 4 Rettalic, 3 Brown, 2 Fitzpatrick, 1 Woodcock
Some tough, tough picks. At number 8, you've got Jerry Collins, Buck Shelford and Zinzan Brooke. Kronfeld and Michael Jones at open side. Wow.
Assuming this is for the World Cup era; I think BenSmith was a great fullback but Cullen was just such special player - I’d pick Cullen at fullback. Michael Jones vs Kaino vs Jerry Collins - I’d pick Michael Jones. I’d also have Kirwan instead of Howlett. Umaga vs Conrad Smith vs Frank Bunce - I’d pick Smith, his combination with Nonu was the best centre combo for years. Zinzan Brooke instead of K Read but only just. I’d have Carl Hayman in the front row as well - then there was Olo Brown.
So many legends of the game.
Side note: I knew some of this list would be an eyeroll as soon as it started with Ben Smith over Christian Cullen 😂🙄🤐 yes Ben Smith did win a world cup and a super rugby title and played more positions but still lol
Cullen is not just the best AB 15 he's the greatest 15 ever he has to get in. Zinzan skill set is unparalleled, and man played before the pro era. Michael Jones was ahead of his time.
3:15 "Not a gentle tackle."
This was in the 1995 World Cup semi-final. Tony Underwood, a young man with a high opinion of his abilities, stated during the week before the game that he was going to show Lomu how to be a wing.
My own thought was that Underwood was going to find that difficult, while lying flat on his face, watching Lomu run away from him.
Which is exactly what happened.
Several times...
It got Tony a pizza ad though. hehe
You can argue about Cullen, Shelford, Collins and Kirwan - I would probably include them myself. But leaving out Colin Meads and Michael Jones is ridiculous. Those positions shouldn't even be up for debate.
Best country to ever play the sport of rugby! No doubt!
near 80% win rate and 3 World Cups, it's hard to argue
South Africa is better overall. And then England and Australia
@@AD-xi9hy lol what’s South Africa’s win rate against all blacks? We’ve stolen a lot of matches in your own back yard and also beat you 57-0 one test match with that being a record score. Don’t think SA have ever kept us scoreless with that big of a margin. n Not to mention we have gone back to back with world cups too, very hard to do. Highest win rate for test match rugby too. SA might be the best right now, but all time and for MOST of the time rugby has been around, New Zealand have been the best and have produced the best players. NZ has held the #1 spot in world rankings for 15 of the last 19 years with South Africa only 3 (2008,2020,2021). So you tell me who the more dominant country is.. and are we really counting 2021 with no test matches? Hmmmm lmao you guys are only scraping 3 years. We are a nation that punches well above our weight. Only 5 million people where I come from, and look at the damage we do as a country. Phenomenal.
@@ucesaftf9383
NZ forces children to play rugby at a young age. Sissy soccer players get abuse...the haka is forced on everyone all in the name of tradition...but how does tradition start?? By force of course.
NZ is a TERRIBLE place for sport...Rugby is all that matters and it us engrained upon everyone.
Those poor people. If only they could see what the rest of the world has known for so long....
RUGBY DOESN'T MATTER!!!!
@@AD-xi9hy lol look at how you’ve avoided my points and have resulted to targeting something else. Do your homework, we’ve come 1st in so many other sports, but that’s something you can do your research on LMAO. Can’t believe that was your comeback lol mustve been speechless after reading my reply huh? Unbelievable BAHAHA. Rugby isn’t forced, we play 95% of sports this world has to offer... and our ‘football’ players do not get abuse, why make such things up? Lol. Don’t be mad you had no comeback about NZ being #1. Take the loss and move on 🤣 OHHH BUT RUGBY DOESNT MATTER ANYMORE AFTER YOU JUST GOT STOMPED ON FROM BARE FACTS 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 it’s okay you’ll always be a sad old man stuck inside that depressing house of yours
15.C Cullen 14.J Wilson 13. C Smith 12. M Nonu 11. J Lomu 10. D Carter 9.A Smith 8. Z Brooke 7. R McCaw (C) 6. M Jones 5. S Whitelock 4. C Meads 3. O Franks 2. K Mealamu 1. T Woodcock . A lot of modern day players as such but remember how dominant we were in those years. Never seen Meads play but put him in there. Kaino Back up 6.
Great team but there is a bit of recency bias. You missed some legends
Can't quibble with most of these but wonder if Fitzpatrick would hang tough in the modern game ...
Wen. Ruion rion. Vion. Aurtiland. Ruion
I prefer Mealamu over Fitzy but both were top players.
Here’s my XV
1. Tony Woodcock: Backup; Joe Moody
2. Sean Fitzpatrick: Backup; Dane Coles
3. Owen Franks
4. Brodie Retallick: Backup; Collin Meads
5. Sam Whitelock
6. Jerome Kaino: Backup; Sam Cane
7. Richie McCaw
8. Kieran Read
9. Aaron Smith: Backup; TJ Perenara
10. Dan Carter: Backup; Beauden Barrett
11. Jonah Lomu: Backup; Caleb Clarke
12. Ma’a Nonu
13. Conrad Smith: Backup; Jack Goodhue
14. Corey Jane
15. Christian Cullen: Backup; Ben Smith
Will be smashed my the ultimate Bom lineup
Ahh NZers fav pub pastime convo. Although there will always be disagreements, probably a lot more people would have Christian Cullen over Ben Smith at FB. (Not to take anything away from Ben Smith, but Christian Cullen has a claim for best ever FB in the world let alone NZ) Agree with rest of backline. In the forwards, there are a lot of modern picks. A lot of people would claim Zinzan over Read. Obviously playing in such different eras. Also they put Michael Jones at 6 to get Both Jones and Ritchie in the same team. Overall great team tho!
The back row has to be Zinzan, Richie and Michael Jones
Jamie Joseph
This list was made by someone who didn’t know All Blacks rugby history.
No Cullen ? That can’t be right !! Best ever.
No disrespect to Bender - he was a fantastic player who was equally as good at fullback ,wing or center but as for our best ever fullback - thats Cullen
Cullen and Michael Jones many other legends are missed but the game is to tame/soft now for them to feature Colin and Stan would probably be permanently suspended
This was a sensational era. All Blacks all day.
1 - Tony Woodcock
2 - Sean Fitzpatrick
3- Olo Brown
4- Ian Jones
5- Colin Meads
6- Michael Jones
7- Richie MaCaw (c)
8- Zinzan Brooke
9- Sid Going
10- Dan Carter
11- Jonah Lomu
12- Ma'a Nonu
13- Frank Bunce
14- Jeff Wilson
15- Christian Cullen
Bench
16- Carl Hayman
17- Dane Coles
18- Ken Grey
19- Sam Whitelock
20- Ardie Savea
21- Aaron Smith
22- Beauden Barrett
23- Tana Umaga
honorable mentions
Buck Shelford, John Kirwan, Jerry Collins, George Nepia, Ian Kirkpatrick, Kel Tremain, Kieran Read, Justin Marshall, Conrad Smith, Brian Lochore
Sam Whitelock isn’t 6’4 by the way. He’s 6’8.
John Kirwan out? Michel Jones out? a young man made this
1 wooodcock
2 Mealamu
3 Owen franks
4 Retallick
5 Whitelock
6 Ardie Savea (still packing stats)
7 Mccaw
8 Collins
9 Smith
10 Carter
11 Lomu
12 Nonu
13 Smith
14 Smith
15 Barrett
Honestly think that’s a more deadly team lol
Shiet Team
@@toiletsmithy3630 lol what changes would you make?
Some puzzling selections here. What about Christian Cullen, Michael Jones, Ian Kirkpatrick, zinzan Brooke and the first name that should always be the first selection for ever, the great Colin meads
Kirwan's try the best individual try, but Cullen's try's were just 2 of many like that. He just seemed to glide over the field, purely effortless, and part of arguably the best attacking backline World Rugby has ever seen at the time
Cullen 15 b smith 14 c smith 13 umaga 12 lomu 11 carter 10 a smith 9 thats my backline