All Blacks the All-time Winningest Rugby Team in the World

The New Zealand All Blacks completed their autumn tour of Great Britain and Ireland today, by beating a gallant Wales 37-25, and rolled decisively to their third grand slam over all the home unions in the last five years. The All Blacks outscored the Welsh by five tries to one and in the process set two major world records. The world's best first five-eighth, Daniel Carter, broke Jonny Wilkinson's world record total of 1,178 points with his second kick of the match. The biggest difference between the two champion flyhalves is that Carter accumulated his total from a lot less games, and did so by scoring 4 times as many touchdowns as his English counterpart.

In defeating the Welsh, the All Blacks also raised their all-time, all-comer, winning record to over 75% of their games. This is a phenomenal feat, one that is almost unheard of in any football code. This is especially so when you consider that New Zealand has been playing international rugby for well over 100 years. Even more astonishing is the fact that New Zealand has such a small population, currently estimated at just under 4.4 million persons. Closest rivals Australia has 22 million, South Africa has 50 million, while England has 51 million and France has a whopping 65 million citizens. Not too shabby for such a little nation, New Zealand is currently ranked No. 1 of all the top rugby playing nations and has been at that position for most of the time that the International Rugby Board has ranked international teams. By comparison, the team with the greatest winning percentage in the National Football League in the United States is the Dallas Cowboys with 58%. In truth the All Blacks define international rugby and what it means to win.

The All Blacks: Time for the Surge

With the 2011 Rugby World Cup just around the corner, the complete focus of the legions of Kiwi rugby fans is concentrated on the national rugby team, the All Blacks. Nothing but total dominance and bringing home the Webb-Ellis trophy will be good enough. New Zealanders have the best rugby team on the planet, as testified by the current International Rugby Board world rankings; in fact daylight is in second place, not South Africa. But the last couple of World Cups have been dismal by All Black standards and winning at home is the only way to sweeten the bitter taste that still lingers in Kiwi mouths.

The All Blacks have been labeled by some as chokers on the world's biggest stage, most often from rivals trying to play the psychological game. I wonder if this is a result of being the favourites for every single tournament they play in. Too much expectation can lead to playing in a straightjacket, not with joyful freedom to express. That said, they simply should have done better in Australia and France, but, did not. However, the All Blacks have been clearly the best side for the last decade, their record is envious. They have won so many more games than the next best team it is laughable… or wonderful if you bleed black.

All that remains now is for the current crop of players to stamp themselves on the rugby psyche of their opponents like the great All Blacks sides of yesteryear. Richie McCaw must make his team feared, absolutely feared, every time they take the field, like those teams led by Colin Meads and Wilson Whineray. As Irishman Edmund Burke said a long time ago, "No passion so effectually robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear." When a team can combine their own strength and self-belief with fear in opposing ranks, the power to win is borne.

The All Blacks have a great chance to up-the-ante by going through the Tri-Nations undefeated in 2010; a feat only thus far accomplished by another All Black team in 2003. They only have Australia to beat, a team that is very much under the gun but coming off a morale boosting victory over South Africa. The Wallabies might have their backs to the wall, but an enraged and wounded animal has a fearsome bite. Victory on 9/11 in Sydney will set the foundation for bringing home the cup next year. Kia Kaha, Kia Toa. Black Magic!