Greatest rugby sides: New Zealand 2010-15

David Skippers

We take a look at the best ever teams to have graced the sport from years gone by and today we delve into the New Zealand side that dominated the international game.

After a quarter-final exit at the 2007 World Cup and a couple of inauspicious years by their high standards, pressure was on Graham Henry to deliver at their home tournament in the 2011 showpiece.

Deliver they did following an impressive 2010, which saw them claim the Tri-Nations, and, despite successive losses to Australia and South Africa, an excellent build-up to the global competition a year later.

The pain from the ’07 shambles was still prevalent but that experience served them well as the All Blacks went on to win their first World Cup since 1987. Henry duly stepped down from the role of head coach having completed the task set out in 2004 and was replaced by his assistant, Steve Hansen.

What followed was arguably New Zealand’s greatest ever side as a superb team became genuine legends, winning three Rugby Championships in 2012, ’13 and ’14, before they retained the World Cup in 2015.

What made them great

While the team Graham Henry created in 2004-07 revolutionised the game, this side perfected it. There were no weaknesses, particularly following the 2011 World Cup when outstanding combinations emerged. Whether it was Retallick-Whitelock, Kaino-McCaw-Read, Smith-Carter or Nonu-Smith, they had a plethora of world-class players who dovetailed wonderfully.

The style of play did not change but it was simply executed better, while their set-piece was the best around. For the first time in years, their scrum and lineout was dominant as sides struggled to find ways of exploiting this New Zealand outfit.

Hansen’s men only succumbed three times between 2012 and 2015, and as a result they went into the global tournament in England as heavy favourites. With the agonising defeats behind them, the All Blacks dominated, reaching the semi-finals with a series of excellent performances.

They were met by a stubborn South African outfit in the last-four but, after battling their way past Heyneke Meyer’s charges, the Kiwis were too good for Australia in the showpiece event, winning 34-17 and becoming the first team to retain the Webb Ellis Cup.

Key players

Where to start? In every position they were exceptional, whether it was their destructive front-row, a back five of the scrum which contained a series of genuine greats or a backline that was mind-bogglingly talented; they were simply too good for everyone.

Once again generational talents Richie McCaw and Dan Carter led the way after initially emerging in the early 2000s, but they were joined by a number of other exceptional individuals and combinations, especially after the 2011 global tournament.

Up front, Dane Coles had the pace and skill-set of a top centre, Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock formed one of the great lock partnerships, while little needs to be said about Jerome Kaino and Kieran Read who, alongside McCaw, created the perfect back-row.

In the backline, Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith dovetailed superbly in the midfield and that allowed their dangerous back three to thrive. After his sudden fall down the pecking order, it is easy to forget how dangerous Julian Savea was. Following his debut in 2012, the former Hurricanes player was utterly dominant for three years, including a wonderful hat-trick in the 61-13 thrashing of France in the 2015 World Cup quarter-final.

Alongside Savea was the brilliant Ben Smith, who was equally adept at wing or full-back. Smith also came to prominence in 2012 and had everything during that World Cup cycle, from pace to balance and then an outstanding understanding of the game. He was crucial to Hansen’s All Blacks and had a huge influence on the team as they lifted the Webb Ellis Cup for the third time.

Landmark performance

There were so many great displays from this New Zealand side but it is hard to look past the 2015 World Cup final where they defeated Antipodean rivals Australia at Twickenham.

The Wallabies had gone into the encounter with confidence having topped the ‘Group of Death’, which featured Wales and hosts England, before edging past Scotland and overcoming Argentina in the knockout stages.

Michael Cheika had them well-drilled and well-rounded in all facets, including their previously ailing set-piece. On paper, they presented a formidable test of the All Blacks’ capabilities, but Hansen’s men controlled much of the encounter.

Tries from Nehe Milner-Skudder and Nonu put the defending champions in command at 21-3 in front before David Pocock and Tevita Kuridrani touched down for Australia to reduce the arrears. However, the accurate kicking of Carter kept their opponents at arm’s length as New Zealand went into the latter stages with a 10-point buffer.

The title was assured but Beauden Barrett, who would take over from Carter at fly-half after the World Cup, rubberstamped the win with a breakaway try that ended one of New Zealand’s great periods in international rugby.

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