Argentina celebrate the win over the All Blacks. Photosport
Argentina celebrate the win over the All Blacks. Photosport
10) Sydney 40 All Blacks 17, Penrith Stadium, July 22, 1992
What is it with the All Blacks and west Sydney? A few All Black careers died a prolonged and agonising death in rugby league heartland.
Not a major upset in terms of result but it was the scale ofthe defeat and the inability of the All Blacks to be even remotely competitive that was most shocking.
This was not even New South Wales, it was Sydney. Semantics? Maybe, but the composite side didn't muck around arguing the toss. Darren Junee scored three of Sydney's five tries, Michael Brial and halfback Anthony Ekert scored the others.
A decent pub quiz question, the All Black starting XV that fateful night was (from 15 to 1): Terry Wright, Eric Rush, Marc Ellis, Matthew Cooper, Eroni Clarke, Stephen Bachop, Jon Preston, Pat Lam, Dallas Seymour, Andy Earl, Mark Cooksley, Blair Larsen, Graham Purvis, Graham Dowd and Steve McDowall (c).
9) Romania 15 France 0, Bucharest, 23 November, 1980
It's easy to forget that Romania was once among the tougher nations to subdue.
In their prime of the 1980s, they beat Wales and France twice, Scotland's Grand Slam team in 1984, gave the All Blacks a fright - losing 14-6, but with two tries disallowed - drew with the Irish and beat Italy in 12 of 20 matches.
It all fell apart when the Iron Curtain began to crumble.
The Oak Leaves were at the first four World Cups but eventually as a shadow of the glory days. At their peak, they had powerful forwards who enjoyed a decent maul, but limited backs.
When France visited Bucharest in 1980, they got a dusting.
No 8 Pompiliu Bors got the only try; centre Ion Constantin kicked the other points.
France were no slugs. Star backs Serge Blanco and Roland Bertranne were on duty that day, with seasoned pack men including Robert Paparemborde, Philippe Dintrans and Alain Maleig.
Twenty thousand spectators were at the Dinamo Stadion. This was perhaps Romania's finest moment of their finest period.
8) South American Jaguars 21 South Africa 12, Bloemfontein, April 3, 1982
In the first half of the 1980s, South African officials teed up eight matches against composite South American teams as a makeweight for being rubbed out of the international game because of their government's apartheid policies.
The Springboks won seven of them; this was the exception. The Jaguars, captained in every match by the great Argentine first five-eighth Hugo Porta, included players from Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay.
This game had a doozy brawl in it too but Porta was the king, kicking all 21 points for the Jaguars.
7) Tonga 19 France 14, Wellington, October 1, 2011
Tongan players celebrate their win 2011 Rugby World Cup win over France. Photosport
Maybe France were caught looking ahead to the quarter-finals instead of their final game in pool A.
Winger Sukanaivalu Hufanga gave Tonga the shock lead with a try in the 26th minute and they didn't relinquish it as first-five Kurt Morath kept the scoreboard ticking over with penalties.
A last-minute try to Vincent Clerc flattered the French who advanced to the knockout stage despite two defeats.
France would then go to beat England and Wales to reach a third World Cup final before nearly pulling off their own great upset going down 8-7 to the All Blacks.
6) Llanelli 9 All Blacks 3, Stradey Park, October 31, 1972
View of the scoreboard after LLanelli beat the All Blacks 9-3.
Welsh singer/comedian Max Boyce penned a celebrated (in Wales, anyway) ditty, '9-3', which included the famous line about "The day the pubs ran dry" to mark the occasion at Stradey Park.
It was the second game of the British and Irish legs of a 32-game trek which ran from October 19 to February 10.
Carwyn James, of 1971 Lions fame, coached the side, which was a pretty tasty unit. There were plenty of Welsh internationals - Derek Quinnell, Delme Thomas and Tom David in the pack; Ray Gravell, Phil Bennett, Ray Hopkins and Roy Bergiers in the backline.
Bergiers scored the only try of the game, after halfback Lin Colling's clearing kick was charged down. A solitary Joe Karam penalty was all the All Blacks could muster.
Years later, the famous scoreline still had pride of place in a corner of the scoreboard. Long memories, those Welsh.
5) Tonga 16 Australia 11, Ballymore, June 30, 1973
This was only a year after the Woeful Wallabies toured New Zealand - and they were not so-named because of the nice alliteration.
Still, after comfortably beating the Pacific Islanders in Sydney a week earlier, Australia were expected to roll to another victory in Brisbane.
Tonga, and in particular fullback Valita Ma'ake, had other ideas. Ma'ake kept launching himself like an missile at Australian backs. He knocked himself out early but that only emboldened him.
Taking his lead and that of captain and No 8 Kisione Mafi, the Tongans made life a misery for the hosts.
Tries to wings Samiu Latu and Isikele Vave were followed by the final breakout by centre Tavi Kavapalu after another Ma'ake spleen-buster.
Tonga had a young blindside flanker that day. Fourteen years later Fakahau Valu would captain Tonga in the first World Cup tournament.
4) Argentina 25 All Blacks 15, Bankwest Stadium, November 14, 2020
Argentina celebrate the win over the All Blacks. Photosport
This has to be up there, even if you put aside recency bias.
A full-strength All Blacks side up against a Pumas team that a) has never beaten them, b) hasn't played a test in 13 months c) is ranked 10th in the world and d) scored 25 and the All Blacks just 15.
3) Western Samoa 16 Wales 13, Cardiff Arms Park, October 6, 1991
Pat Lam in action during the match against Wales at the 1991 Rugby World Cup, Cardiff Arms Park. Photosport
That it happened in a World Cup against one of the established nations was remarkable, that it happened on the home ground of said nation put it in the realm of the miraculous.
Four years earlier Western Samoa had missed out on an invitation to the inaugural World Cup, despite having better credentials than Zimbabwe and Romania.
This wasn't a great Wales team and it was, on reflection, a very good Samoan team. But still ... To'o Vaega and skilful flanker Sila Vaifale scored the tries, while Mathew Vaea get the board ticking over via the boot.
Mostly, though, people will remember this for the stinging defence led by the likes of Frank Bunce, Apollo Perelini and a young chiropractor Brian Lima.
2) Munster 12 All Blacks 0, Thomond Park, October 31, 1978
The first Grand Slam-winning side were expected to breeze past Munster. However the pack led by captain Graham Mourie and lock Andy Haden, was smashed apart in front of a Limerick crowd at fever pitch. Moss Keane, Gerry McLoughlin and Pat Whelan tore into their work.
Out in the backs little Seamus Dennison knocked over the All Blacks' most potent attacking force, Stu Wilson, to set the tone. Christy Cantillon scored the only try. The All Blacks replied with exactly nothing, prompting Wilson's famous "We were lucky to get nil" quote.
As Munster celebrated, captain and halfback Donal Canniffe was informed his father had died suddenly during the match. The game has been immortalised by John Breen's hit play Alone It Stands and the best-selling book Stand Up and Fight: When Munster Beat the All Blacks.
1) Japan 34 South Africa 32, Brighton, September 19, 2015
Japanese players celebrate their 2015 Pool B win over the Springboks in Brighton. Photo / Getty
Number one because of the occasion and the 'where the hell did that come?' factor.
Japan went into the Pool B opener having lost 14 straight World Cup games. You had to go back to 1991 for the last time the enjoyed a victory. And what a victory this one was.
No one saw Japan as a remotely serious contender to challenge even for second place in their group. As for their chances of beating the Boks. Nope. No one considered them getting within 10 points - that would have been a shock.
Their pass and catch was superb. Their running angles inspired. Their ability to recycle quick ball as good as any team in the world. Their speed of movement fantastic.
They were relentless and keep coming at the Springboks. South Africa kicked their last penalty to sit three points ahead with six minutes to go and Japan launched a final attack which finished when Napier-born winger Karne Hesketh scored in the corner in the 84th minute.
The Miracle at Brighton it was dubbed. Only the best and most shocking sporting moments are described in those words.
