Since New Zealand's first official rugby international (against Australia in Sydney in August 1903), the coveted black jersey and tries have become practically synonymous. And there've been a few. In fact, when Waisake Naholo dotted down in the 78th minute of the All Blacks' crushing 66-3 victory over Italy in
Rugby: Ranking the 15 best individual All Blacks tries of all time
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Dan Carter, Christian Cullen, Jonah Lomu, and John Kirwan. Photos / Getty Images, Photosport
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A dummy encourages Wallaby forward Rob Simmons not to work hard as an inside defender, Barrett takes the gap on halfway, makes Will Genia look like a plodder, and flies away from wing Jack Maddocks' attempt at a cover tackle.
14. Frank Bunce v South Africa, Tri Nations, Johannesburg 1997
Bunce flew on to a Carlos Spencer pass 55 metres from the line and went on a glorious angled run to the line which stunned the Springbok defenders.
At 35, he was the All Blacks oldest-ever back, and his blinder of a test came after calls for his axing. The second of Bunce's tries in this game, while involving a shorter run, was probably just as good.
13. Peter Jones v South Africa, fourth test, Auckland 1956
There is no more important try in All Black history, sending the Springboks to their first series defeat. It also helped atone for the All Blacks' humiliating 1949 series loss in South Africa.
The atmosphere around this tour and the final test was not good. There had been some vicious exchanges.
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An exhausted Jones' controversial declaration to the Eden Park and radio audience after the game, that he was "buggered", provided rare levity.
And his try left a golden glow. The lineout tail gunner, a terrific athlete, had picked up a loose ball about 35 metres from the line. He then charged ahead for the try with no defender getting near him.
"Could it be said that the result of the game and the tests series win over our fiercest rivals was a glorious day for New Zealand nationhood?" the great sports commentator Keith Quinn once asked.
"Maybe it was, as rugby was definitely 'King' in those days."
12. Julian Savea v France, World Cup quarter-final, Cardiff 2015
Strictly speaking, not a solo try in the true sense because there was plenty of team build-up. But it makes the cut because of what Savea did to complete it.
Left-wing Savea received the ball just outside the French 22-metre line and then obliterated hefty opposite Noa Nakaitaci, treated big fullback Scott Spedding in similar fashion, and then brushed off the famously strong tighthead prop Rabah Slimani.
It was an amazing exhibition of brute strength and aggression which many commentators reckoned was the equal of Jonah Lomu's great World Cup moments. And there is no greater compliment than that.
"I was eager to get to the try line, whoever was in my way, I just reacted to what was in front of me," said Savea, who scored a hat-trick.
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"I've always said it, no one can come close to Jonah. I watched him run over people when I was a kid and it's awesome to be compared to him, but I'm just doing my job the best I can."
11. Grant Batty v British Lions, first test, Wellington 1977
The back story seals this deal.
The fabulous little wing was a physical mess because of a long-standing knee problem which also contributed to his straining a hamstring the day before the test. Initially, he couldn't straighten the injured leg on the morning of the game.
"I was in bad shape," he recalled years later.
So bad that this would prove to be his last test, the battered Batty about to call it quits.
But not before he produced one more spark of genius.
With the Lions leading by two points and about to attack the line with a four-man overlap, Batty anticipated brilliantly, intercepted flanker Trevor Evans' short pass, and hobbled about 50 metres to the line with the nation cheering him on.
Batty was in such bad shape that prop Graham Price kept pace with him, and fullback Andy Irvine almost cut him down.
Batty tried to deflect credit to Bruce Robertson's strong tackle on Evans, but the try was pure Batty.
10. Murray Mexted v Scotland, Edinburgh, 1979
It's the elegance of Mexted's try, scored on his test debut, which stands out in this classic.
From Andy Dalton's throw to a short lineout, Mexted was already on the move towards the try line as if what followed was always meant to be.
The lanky No 8 took the ball effortlessly with his trailing hand, removing the Scottish lineout forwards from the play.
He then glided between the two Scottish props, sent wing Bruce Hay the wrong way, and crashed over the line in the tackle of halfback Alan Lawson.
It is hard to think of anything similar in the long history of international rugby.
9. Christian Cullen v Australia, Tri-Nations, Dunedin 1997
Representative – there are a host of great Cullen tries. The amazing fullback had it all, speed, extraordinary strength, balance, anticipation – his running lines are superb.
This is probably his greatest moment though. Receiving a long Zinzan Brooke infield pass, he sped 80 metres leaving a high-quality Wallabies backline in his wake, with only one defender getting close.
When pushed, it's the try that Cullen himself singles out as his best. It's the one he said he always "enjoyed" the most, a word which hardly relays the true quality of the score.
8. Brodie Retallick v Australia, Rugby Championship, Sydney 2018
The giant All Black lock, making a comeback after a long test hiatus for personal and injury reasons, set up this classic then finished the job off with a storming 38-metre run to the line.
Having won the initial turnover, Retallick dummied Australian back Bernard Foley before going on his mighty rampage.
Retallick had already played a big hand in overpowering the Wallabies, so this fourth-quarter try was a great feat of late-game energy from an engine-room forward.
It was named World Rugby's try of the year.
7. Bryan Williams v Scotland, Eden Park 1975
A never-to-be-forgotten test, played underwater, included this extraordinary try from "Beegee".
Under normal conditions, it would have been a fine try. Given the swimming pool the game was played in, it was something very special from the great All Black wing.
Picking up a loose ball near the touchline, Williams kept his footing, pushed off opposite Lewis Dick, veered in-field, kept Dick at bay, went straight through Scottish lock Alastair McHarg and carried prop Sandy Carmichael over the line.
Test matches have rarely been played in such bad conditions, making a try like that an absolute gem.
"It had rained for 24 hours before the game. My dad went to the game to watch, saw the conditions, threw his tickets out the window and went home and watched it on TV," said Williams, who scored another superb try that day.
6. Dan Carter, v British and Irish Lions, second test, Wellington 2005.
This was an absolute gem of a try by the All Black No 10 during one of the most outstanding individual games in test history.
Jammed near the sideline, Carter glided past three Lions and - without breaking stride - put in a perfect grubber kick past fullback Josh Lewsey, who must have thought he had the situation well covered.
The ball bounced as if it was being commanded by remote control and Carter dived to touch the ball down just inside the sideline.
It is very hard to separate this try from Carter's overall performance in the test. But even on its own, this was an absolute classic involving creativity, skill and poise.
Carter described the game as "life-changing". Britain's Telegraph reckoned the try was "the moment that will provide a free dinner for Carter for the rest of his days".
5. Vaea Fifita v Argentina, Rugby Championship, New Plymouth 2017
The blindside flanker made some rampaging runs in this game. The unforgettable highlight came when he received the ball on the Pumas' 10-metre line and stormed to the corner leaving three backs in his wake.
For such a big man, it was a remarkable display of speed and confidence, in just his second test.
Coach Steve Hansen had described the 1.96m, 113kg Fifita as a "real physical beast" before the game.
"I know he backs himself and his first option is always to try and run over or run around the fullback," teammate Dane Coles reckoned.
4. Jonah Lomu v England, World Cup semifinal, 1995.
The most famous try in all of rugby, one that saw the giant All Black wing reach an audience far wider than rugby's traditional crowd.
Unwittingly, English back Mike Catt became almost as famous, as the man a stumbling Lomu demolished on the way to the line.
The way he evaporated in the face of Lomu's charge was the key ingredient to the story.
On hearing of Lomu's passing in 2015, Catt said: "I can still hear his footsteps in my mind.
"I grasped for something to hold on to. But he was over the top of me, those tree-trunk legs pumping like pistons. And then it was over."
3. John Kirwan v Italy, World Cup, Auckland 1987
The first ever World Cup match, against Italy at Eden Park, will forever be remembered for Kirwan's long-range try.
It was a very one-sided contest, with Italy getting plenty of re-starts. From one of them, Kirwan is fed the ball inside his 22-metre line as the midweek crowd barely raised a murmur.
The noise suddenly built as the big wing set off, weaving his way past and away from about eight Italian defenders.
Size, speed, balance - Kirwan had it all. He even managed to sense that little Marcello Cuttitta was closing in and threw in a final weave to beat the speedy wing's pursuit.
"It is turning out to be as famous as the try Gareth Edwards scored for the Barbarians against the All Blacks," Kirwan said a few years back, referring to the greatest rugby try ever scored, the Barbarians' amazing team effort against the 1972/73 All Blacks.
Kirwan put his try down to getting his training "spot on" and "having a go". Simple enough.
2. Ian Kirkpatrick v British Lions, second test, Christchurch 1971
"And away goes Kirkpatrick," yelled commentator Bob Irvine, a line that became as famous as the try.
Kirky got the ball just inside his half, tearing away from a forward exchange and charging past and away from the British Lions.
It was an incredible try against an incredible team.
"I just pinned my ears back and went for it," the All Black captain reckoned.
But he also told the NZ Herald he "relished the one I got against the Springboks the year before at Cape Town because that helped us win the match".
"You have to remember the try I scored at Lancaster Park came late in the game and the match was already won … it was just one of those things and it happened all so quickly."
Until Springbok prop Richard Bands went on an amazing run against the All Blacks in Dunedin in 2003, Kirky's was the best-ever by a test forward.
All these years later, it is still almost impossible to beat.
1. Jonah Lomu v France, World Cup semifinal, London 1999
In a nutshell, it was eight French players on to one All Black, and the one All Black won.
Lomu stooped to pick up a low pass, in the process beating wing Philippe Bernat-Salles who seemed more interested in chasing a glorious intercept than confronting the giant wing.
What unfolded was sheer mayhem, as Lomu's large frame accelerated on an angle from about 35 metres out.
He shoved off first five-eighths Christophe Lamaison, turned midfield back Emile Ntamack into a muddle, and then waded into a sea of defenders including No 8 Christophe Juillet.
The posse of defenders was cast aside as the All Black behemoth swirled through them before plunging over for a try that, in the history of rugby, could probably only have been scored by one man.
In the end, it looked like a gaggle of geese trying to bring down an elephant.
"Even by Lomu's standards it was a phenomenal display of power and pace," the BBC enthused.
That France had the last laugh, overcoming not only a big deficit but the power of Lomu in this mood, made their victory even more remarkable.
