A look in detail at their results clearly establishes that the All Blacks of 2006 are now the deserved the number one ranked rugby team in the world. The IRB 'Official' rankings system confirms this as well.
The only questions relating to the New Zealand team as their coaching staff and the fans consider the Rugby World Cup year 2007 is whether the team can go against recent tradition and continue their winning ways right through the upcoming year and maintain their form until the conclusion of the World Cup event.
The results of 2006 suggest they have the potential to do that but Rugby World Cup history from the last four events suggests they might not. The New Zealand teams of 1991, 1995, and 2003 went into their Cup events as definite favourites to be winners. In 1999 there were difficult days before the tournament which hinted that the World Cup would be difficult for them to win. And so it proved; 1987 remains the only year the All Blacks have won at the World Cup. It could be argued that though the All Blacks were deserved winners all those years ago the World Cup then was far from the championship of total commitment, understanding and significance that it has become since.
With the grateful help of Wellington statistician Peter Marriott we provide here a detailed summary of the All Blacks in 2006. You will note their 12 wins from 13 full test games against the best in the World. Though it may seem churlish to criticise, it might be considered slightly poignant to note that the year could have been a clean sweep of victories for New Zealand but for some risky selections, identified beforehand, in the third game v South Africa at Rustenburg.
For that game the New Zealand coach Graham Henry put out some out of the ordinary choices (Doug Howlett at fullback, Joe Rokocoko on the unaccustomed right wing side, and new starting players Jimmy Cowan and Andrew Hore). No doubt he was moved to do this because the test was deemed to be a 'dead' game (The TriNations tournament having been won in Pretorisa the previous week) However, such is the goodwill Mr. Henry has carefully nurtured with the fans and a largely conforming rugby media hardly a whisper was raised that the odd selections led to a loss. It goes without saying no All Black coach in the past would have dared to experiment in a test match or a loss would have been passed into history with as little criticism.
Below are some notes about the 2006 All Black season followed by a full statistical review;
1. The All Blacks won a record equaling 12 tests this year, from 13 games. In 2003 they also won 12 tests but from 14 games.
2. A record 46 players appeared in at least one test in 2006 surpassing the previous record of 45 who appeared in 2002.
3. Only six new players made their test debut in 2006. We have to go back to 1997 when that few last made their debut in a single year.
4. Richie McCaw and Malili Muliaina appeared in the most tests in 2006 - 12 each. McCaw started in all of his tests including the last 10 in succession. Muliaina was a replacement in one of his appearances.
5. Seven other players appeared at least 10 times including Daniel Carter whose 11 tests were in succession.
6. Andrew Hore made the most appearances as a replacement - 8.
7. Seventeen players appeared in 3 or less test matches including 5 who played just once.
8. Twenty three players (plus a penalty try) scored 44 tries between them.
9. The highest try scorer was Sitivini Sivivatu (6) followed by Luke McAlister and Joe Rokocoko with 5 apiece.
10. Daniel Carter was the highest point scorer with 186 points (4 tries, 26 conversions, 37 penalties and a drop goal). He established a new points record for an All Black in a calendar year surpassing the 166 Andrew Mehrtens scored in 1999.
Tests 2006
2005 Ire1 Ire2 Arg Aus1 SA1 Aus2 Aus3 SA2 SA3 Eng Fra1 Fra2 Wal Total
M.Muliaina 35 FB FB - C C C FB C C FB r C FB 47
L.MacDonald 35 - - FB FB* FB FB r FB* - NU FB* FB - 43
D.Howlett 50 W W - - W - W - FB - - - - 55
R.Gear 10 - - W W - W - W r W* - - W 17
J.Rokocoko 30 W W - W - W W - W W W W - 39
S.Sivivatu 7 - - - - - - - W W* r W W W* 13
S.Hamilton - NU - W - W - - - - - - - - 2
I.Toeava 1 - - C r NU NU C* r - - - - - 5
M.Nonu 11 C NU NU - - - - - - C r 2? r 16
C.Smith 6 - - - - - - - - - - C - C 8
C.Laulala 1 - C - - - - - - - - - - - 2
A.Mauger 32 2? 2? - 2? - 2? - - 2? 2? - - - 38
S.Tuitupou 6 - - 2? - 2?* - NU r - - - - - 9
L.McAlister 5 2nd 1st?* NU NU r NU 2nd 2nd* NU - 2nd NU 2nd 12
D.Carter 24 - - 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st* 1st* 1st* 35
D.Hill - NU r - - - - - - - - - - - 1
N.Evans 6 - - - - - - - - - - - r r 8
B.Kelleher 39 HB* HB - HB* - HB* HB* - r HB* r HB* HB* 49
P.Weepu 8 - - HB r HB* - r HB* - - HB* - r 15
J.Cowan 4 r NU NU - r r - r HB* - - - - 9
A.Ellis - - - - - - - - - - r - r - 2
R.So'oialo 20 8 8 - 8* 8 8 8* - 8 r 8 8* 8* 31
M.Tuiali'i 8 - - 8 - - - - - - - - - - 9
R.McCaw 36 F F - F F* F F F F* F F* F F 48
M.Holah 34 F* - - - - - - - r - - - - 36
C.Masoe 2 - - F r r r r 8* - 8 NU r - 10
R.Thorne 41 - - - - F - - F - F* - - r 45
J.Collins 29 - - F F - F* F r F - F F F 38
J.Kaino - r F* - - - - - - - - - - - 2
A.Williams 30 - - L r L L* r L L - L L L* 40
J.Eaton 3 - - L L* - r L* - r - r r - 10
C.Newby 2 - r NU - - - - - - - - - - 3
C.Jack 47 L L - L L L L r L* L - L* - 57
G.Rawlinson - L* r - - NU - - L* - - - - - 3
K.Robinson 6 - - - - - - - - - L - - L 8
J.Ryan 7 - - - - - - - - - - L - r 9
T.Flavell 15 r L* NU - - - - - - - - - - 17
C.Dermody - P* P* - - - - - - - r - - - 3
G.Somerville 49 - - P r r r r P* - - - - - 55
N.Tialata 3 r r r - P* - - P r - r r P* 12
C.Hayman 24 P P - P P P P* - P P* P P P 35
T.Woodcock 17 - - P* P* - P* P r P* P* P* P* r 27
J. Afoa 2 - - - - - - - - ý r - - - 3
K.Mealamu 32 H H* - H* - H* H r - H* r H* - 41
A.Oliver 45 NU - H* - H* - - H* r - H* - H* 51
A.Hore 9 - r r r r r NU - H* r - r r 18
* left the field/substituted
r replacement
- did not play
NU replacement/substitute not used.
ý Traveled to South Africa for 3rd test of Tri Nations series but was not required in the playing XV or reserves.
Notes: R.McCaw was captain for 12 test matches. J.Collins was captain v Argentina.
POINTS
(10 June 2006) beat Ireland (first test) 34-23 at Hamilton. Tries by M.Muliaina, D.Howlett and T.Flavell. 2 conversions and 5 penalty goals by L.McAlister.
[Referee; S.Dickinson (Australia)]
(17 June 2006) beat Ireland (second test) 27-17 at Auckland. Tries by B.Kelleher, C.Dermody and L.McAlister. 3 conversions and 2 penalty goals by L.McAlister. [Referee; J.Kaplan (South Africa)]
(24 June 2006) beat Argentina 25-19 at Buenos Aires. Tries by L.MacDonald, D.Carter and S.Hamilton. 2 conversions and 2 penalty goals by D.Carter.
[Referee; N.Whitehouse (Wales)]
(8 July 2006) beat Australia (Tri Nations 1) 32-12 at Christchurch. Tries by K.Mealamu (2), R.McCaw, I.Toeava. 3 conversions and 2 penalty goals by D.Carter. [Referee; J.Kaplan (South Africa)]
(22 July 2006) beat South Africa (Tri Nations 1) 35-17 at Wellington. Tries by P.Weepu and R.McCaw. 2 conversions and 7 penalty goals by D.Carter.
[Referee; J.Jutge (France)]
(29 July 2006) beat Australia (Tri Nations 2) 13-9 at Brisbane. Try by J.Rokocoko. I conversion, 1 dropped goal and 1 penalty goal by D.Carter. [Referee; A.Rolland (Ireland)]
(19 August 2006) beat Australia (Tri Nations 3) 34-27 at Auckland. Tries by J.Eaton, C.Jack and L.McAlister. 2 conversions and 5 penalty goals by D.Carter. [Referee; C.White (England)]
(26 August 2006) beat South Africa (Tri Nations 2) 45-26 at Pretoria. Tries by N.Tialata, L.McAlister, S.Sivivatu, M.Muliaina and R.Gear. 4 conversions and 4 penalties by D.Carter) [Referee; A.Lewis (Ireland)]
(2 September 2006) lost to South Africa (Tri Nations 3) 20-21 at Rustenburg. Tries by D.Carter and J.Rokocoko. 2 conversions and 2 penalties by D.Carter. [Referee; C.White (England)]
(5 November 2006) beat England 41-20 at Twickenham. Tries by A.Mauger, J.Rokocoko, D.Carter and C.Hayman. 3 conversions and 5 penalties by D.Carter. [Referee; J.Jutge (France)]
(11 November 2006) beat France (First Test) 47-3 at Lyon. Tries by S.Sivivatu (2), R.McCaw, C.Smith, L. McAlister, J.Rokocoko and D.Carter. 3 conversions and 2 penalties by D.Carter. [Referee; S.Dickinson (Australia)]
(18 November 2006) beat France (Second Test) 23-11 at Paris. Tries by J.Rokocoko and M.Nonu. 2 conversions and 3 penalties by D.Carter.
[Referee; C.White (England)]
(25 November 2006) beat Wales 45-10 at Cardiff. Tries by S.Sivivatu (3), L.McAlister and penalty try. 2 conversions and 4 penalties by D.Carter. 2 conversions by N. Evans. [Referee; D.Pearson (England)]
Source: ONE Sport
