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I usually steer well clear of these ‘best-of’ exercises. While they can be fun, it mostly comes down to personal preference, everyone having their own bias or subjective opinion on why a certain player is better than another.
Also, the fear of overlooking someone obvious and inviting derision is always close at hand.
But with ANZAC Day again upon us it seems apt to play around with the idea of putting together a combined Wallaby/All Black side – in the best ANZAC spirit of course.
In order to determine a cut-off period, it makes sense to me not to include players from past eras that I haven’t actually seen – live or regularly on TV.
This also helps limit the difficulty of trying to compare players across vastly different eras.
So seeing how this is my side, the cut-off criteria becomes simple – players only who I have seen.
Which means we are considering players who represented Australia and New Zealand during the last 40 years. From 1972 onwards – the year the “Awful Aussies” were belted 3-0 by the Blacks in New Zealand.
The year when, as a schoolboy, I watched the long-haired Russell Fairfax lob onto the Taumarunui Domain to play a tour match against King Country, with a good number of the locals keen to take to him with a shearing handpiece, 1972 being long before the time when fancy hairdos and tatts became an accepted norm.
At first glance some might consider this an exercise of picking the best All Black side and then slipping in a couple of token Wallabies. The reality is far from the case.
While the All Blacks historically have more playing depth and consistency of performance, when we consider the elite players in each position – the best of the best – this becomes a very tough exercise.
And so here is part one, the forward pack, position by position, with the backs, coach, referee and opponent to follow in the next instalment.
Hooker
Plenty of talent on both sides. All Black standouts including Andy Dalton the 1987 Rugby World Cup winning captain who didn’t play a match, Anton Oliver, one of the better post-match interviewees, and Keven Mealamu, who looks sprightly enough this season to add to his 102 Test caps.
For the Wallabies Tom Lawton was a fierce competitor, and I rate Stephen Moore the best of the recent batch.
Phil Kearns deserves consideration as a player but is automatically disqualified on account of gross disservice to rugby commentary.
In truth, this is one of the easiest positions to select. Sean Fitzpatrick revolutionised the hooker role, turning what was originally called ‘seagulling’ into an art-form, scoring overlap tries, in addition to being a shrewd and inspirational leader and enthusiastic referee’s assistant.
He’s our man.
Prop
Matt Dunning and Al Baxter quickly come to mind, but perhaps for the wrong reasons. Ditto Richard Loe and Perry Harris.
Topo Rodriguez was an absolute handful for any opponent, at either tighthead or loosehead. His exotic history also adds appeal – 13 caps for Argentina, 26 for Australia and one for Tahiti.
Andy McIntyre was a hero of the ’84 grand slam tour, Patricio Noriega a respected hard man, Tony Daly a consistent performer over 41 caps and Dan Crowley’s excellent career spanned three Rugby World Cups, for two wins.
Prop was not a position of consistent strength for the All Blacks through the 70s and 80s and Olo Brown in the 90s is the first of the serious contenders.
Since then Steve McDowell, Craig Dowd, Carl Hayman and Tony Woodcock are the standouts, Woodcock matching Daly as a scorer of the only try in a Rugby World Cup final.
The best two? Hayman at tighthead and Rodriguez at loosehead. I don’t see this ANZAC scrum being pushed around.
Lock
The great CE Meads just misses the cut-off, but it hardly weakens this side, given the abundance of alternatives. Peter “Pole” Whiting, Gary Whetton, Frank Oliver, Andy Haden, Robin Brooke, Ian Jones and Chris Jack all enjoyed great All Black careers.
Brad Thorn is special because of his longevity, his prior success in rugby league and, having represented both countries, he is the true ANZAC.
John Eales is the obvious Wallaby standout, his exemplary leadership makes his selection a no-brainer.
In the next band, Steve Williams and Steve Cutler were instrumental in the ’84 success, Dan Vickerman, Nathan Sharpe and now James Horwill are all quality players, but all are definite notch or two below Eales.
So it’s Eales and … ? A very tough call, but the athleticism and all-round ability of Ian Jones wins the day.
Openside Flanker
A fascinating position, on one hand because it’s the easiest to select – Richie McCaw is the only credible choice – but also because the list of other contenders is a stunning roll call of incredible rugby talent.
Graham Mourie, Michael Jones, Josh Kronfeld, Simon Poideven, David Wilson, George Smith, David Pocock – all tough, outstanding players, but ultimately none with the breadth of skills that McCaw has as a pilferer, ball carrier, defender and tactician.
Blindside Flanker
Mark Shaw, Alan Whetton, Jerry Collins, Jerome Kaino. Four very serious contenders right there.
For Australia, Tony Shaw was an outstanding contributor, both as a player and captain throughout the 70s.
I was at Cardiff in 1999 when Owen Finegan, almost reluctantly at first, crowned his career with a Rugby World Cup final try. But this is not a position where, since then, any one Wallaby has made it their own over an extended period.
Some players are dominant and play to a high level right from the start of their career, others show promise and develop over time. Kaino sits in both camps, coming to Test rugby with a high quality game but taking his imposing ball carry and punishing defence to supreme levels in 2011.
That’s enough to secure him top ranking of the recent players, but not enough to top…
…Ian Kirkpatrick who, along with Kel Tremain, helped define the specific role of blindside flanker.
While some of his career is pre 1972, this is the year he became All Black captain and he continued to be an imposing player and try scoring machine right up until his retirement.
No 8
The easiest way to start an argument in New Zealand is to mention Buck Shelford. The ultimate hard-man and inspirational leader, but who somehow never quite gained the universal acceptance of all of the public or the All Black selection panel.
Grizz Wylie was a forceful figure in the 70s, Murray Mexted bought style and panache, but is excluded under the “Phil Kearns” commentator rule, and Zinzan Brooke’s highlights reel is testament to how ridiculously gifted he was.
Greg Cornelsen will always be remembered and respected for his four try feast in 1978, but his Test career lacks the longevity of some others.
Willie Ofahengaue and Toutai Kefu share obvious similarities, one being their consistent, high quality performance at Test level.
In what is a very tough position to call, it comes down to two. Keiran Read’s career still has some way to run, but he is an outstanding athlete and instinctive positional player who may well win the spot in another year or two.
But for now he is edged out by Mark Loane. With only 28 caps to his name it is easy to imagine him having treble that if he played today. Tall, athletic with outstanding ball skills he is a very worthy selection.
Which makes the ANZAC forward pack as follows:
Rodriguez (Aust), Fitzpatrick (NZ), Hayman (NZ), Eales (Aust), Jones (NZ), McCaw (NZ), Kirkpatrick (NZ), Loane (Aust)
Stay tuned for part two where we look at the ANZAC backline, and choose a captain, a referee and an opponent.