Of course there are standouts, such as Richie McCaw, Daniel Carter and Tana Umaga, but some make the grade by default, says Dylan Cleaver.
In the words of Graham Henry: there will be no bolters.
Indeed, several positions in the All Black team of the decade to face the World XV of the decade in a hypothetical match-up pick themselves.
That is both a blessing and a curse.
There are standouts, such as Richie
McCaw, Dan Carter and Tana Umaga, who few would argue with but there are some desperately weak fields, too. At No 8, Rodney So'oialo, fine servant that he is, gets in by default. So does Carl Hayman, though he would likely have made it even if he were up against Ken Gray.
The toughest choices? Left wing, lock and hooker.
15. Mils Muliaina (2003-) Would have desperately loved to have picked thoroughbred Christian Cullen here but after a magical 1996-98 his career went into inexorable decline after being moved to centre for the '99 World Cup. In the end Ben Blair and Ben Atiga were preferred for the 2003 World Cup (pause while you let the absurdity of that sentence wash over you). Instead, you cannot look past Muliaina who has been consistently classy (and, very occasionally, spectacular) at the back for the past seven seasons. Showed worrying signs of decline this year before a strong finish to the campaign.
14. Doug Howlett (2000-07) His look reeked of Auckland show pony but Howlett could never be accused of not putting in a shift. He did not have the silken skills of predecessors like the Wilsons, Jeff and Stu, but he had strength, tenacity, speed and an engine that wouldn't quit. A supreme finisher, Howlett scored 49 tries in 62 tests. For someone who never shirked a task on the field, it was a shame his last act as an All Black was a weak website message apologising for his car-hopping carnage post-'07 World Cup.
13. Tana Umaga (1997-2005) Aside from a couple of World Cup shockers, Umaga was among the finest players of his generation. In '99 he was used on the wing, a selection that saw Wilson move to fullback and Cullen to centre, when history would suggest he should have been the one to shift to centre, and in '03 he wrecked his knee in the first match and was not used again despite his insistence he was good to go. He was a superb centre and an inspirational captain. He maintained the legs, just, to make a break himself, was an under-rated distributor and a fine leader. Hard? Let's just say he wasn't there "to play tiddlywinks".
12. Aaron Mauger (2001-07) When he made his debut against Ireland in Dublin in 2001, Mauger had the makings of a superstar. While he ended up being a very good, and ever so often exceptional, player, there is a nagging sense of unfulfilment with the Cantabrian. He was in many ways the ideal second playmaker alongside Andrew Mehrtens or Carter. He could kick very well, had a nice step and an excellent flat pass that could free up his outsides. Unfortunately, the 2007 World Cup, his swansong, was not his finest moment. It was not coach Graham Henry's either and those two facts are inextricably linked. Not having Mauger suited up for the quarter-final seemed strange at the time and plain bone-headed on reflection.
11. Josevata Rokocoko (2003-) At one stage Joe Roks was a monty to pass Howlett's try-scoring record, but the five-pointers have dried up in the past couple of seasons and there are no guarantees he will get another shot. Still, 45 test tries in 61 matches is an exceptional record. Even that goes nowhere close to explaining the thrill of anticipation you got when Rokocoko received the ball in space during his peak years of 2003-04. An under-rated defender and physically strong, Rokocoko looked the ultimate try-scoring machine until rule changes saw the game move to a kick-and-chase one, somewhat nullifying his talent. Strong competition for this spot from Sitiveni Sivivatu.
10. Daniel Carter (2003-) Basically a rugby genius. When Carter is on song, which is most of the time, he makes rugby look ridiculously easy. He can kick for space, he can kick for territory, he can kick goals; he glides through gaps, he can run over fellow flyhalves; he passes beautifully; he tackles brilliantly. What more can you ask for? Well, would a World Cup be too much to ask?
9. Justin Marshall (1995-2005) A supremely competitive individual, you could guarantee that even if Marshall was not at top form he would still leave nothing on the park. Often criticised for his passing, Marshall made up for it in other areas. He was a strong defender and excellent sniper around the fringes (24 tries in 81 tests is an excellent return for a halfback); he possessed an excellent kicking game and badgered his forwards to despair. Was almost left out of this side after making derogatory, almost infantile comments about Pinetree Meads towards the end of his career, but has since redeemed himself as a television analyst of rare promise.
8. Rodney So'oialo (2002-) Let's face it, in years to come So'oialo is never going to be remembered as an All Black great, but this is a time to celebrate what he brings to the table, not what he doesn't. So'oialo is an industrious backrower, a fearless tackler, a supremely fit individual and a capable lineout forward. His days as a test starter might be over now Kieran Read has established himself as a No 8 of real promise, but So'oialo's contribution to the All Black decade cannot be ignored.
7. Richie McCaw (2001-) First name on the team sheet, McCaw's excellence at openside is impossible to discount. He's more than a forager, more than a link man, more than a leader. International coaches have attempted to disparage McCaw as a player who lives too often on the wrong side of the laws, but this is a cop out. In the ever-changing evolution of the breakdown, McCaw has always been one step ahead of the rest (though George Smith has run him close). The Cantabrian does not possess the out-and-out athleticism of Michael Jones at his peak, but you would still find many who would have him in their all-time team ahead of the Auckland maestro.
6. Jerry Collins (2001-07) This is a position that by rights should have been claimed by the athletic Troy Flavell, but his will remain a career blighted by poor personal decisions and mismanagement. Instead, Collins sneaks in ahead of the hot-headed West Aucklander and ahead of the steady Reuben Thorne. Collins was hard, no doubt, but you cannot hide from the fact that he had the potential to offer more than straight-up-the-guts running and hard tackling. He never deserved Henry's offhand dismissal of his selection chances - "he wouldn't have got in the All Blacks in this first selection anyway" - when he decided to up sticks to France.
5. Chris Jack (2001-07) A tough selection as history proved it was not ideal to have Jack and Ali Williams in the same side. In the end, Jack nudged out the garrulous Williams. Jack was an imposing player whose international career faded, rather than flamed, out. It was strange because he was still in his 20s and his combination of size and athleticism should have proved an irresistible combination for years to come. There were questions of whether Jack showed the requisite hunger required when the dreaded rotation curse struck and he found himself benched more than he would have appreciated.
4. Brad Thorn(2003-04, 2008-) No questioning Thorn's hunger: every time he pulls on boots, no matter what code it is, he wants to eat the opposition. Nobody has played with more passion than Thorn, as was amply demonstrated when he started whooping and hollering when the All Blacks were awarded a penalty in the Bledisloe Cup test in Sydney this year, seemingly forgetting that Carter still had to nail a difficult kick for the lead. Thorn lacked rugby nous in his first stint but he cannot be accused of that now. While he will never dominate aerially in the manner of a traditional lock, Thorn more than makes up for that with his raw power and massive workrate.
3. Carl Hayman (2001-07) Nobody has been missed more keenly in the post-'07 exodus than "Zarg" Hayman. Perhaps the finest tighthead prop of his generation, the New Zealand Rugby Union should have been sending envoys to Newcastle on a monthly basis to bring their man home. To date he has resisted, but with the World Cup looming, there remains hope of a return. A scrummaging monster, Hayman was also a supreme lineout lifter and a capable player around the track. Considered too tall to be an ideal prop, Hayman made up for his long levers with an unimpeachable technique.
2. Anton Oliver (1996-2007) Perhaps the toughest choice of them all. Of the three contenders, neither Oliver or Keven Mealamu have been as good as Andrew Hore has been over the previous two seasons, though for much of the decade he was No 3 choice behind these two. Injury aside, Mealamu has enjoyed the most consistent run of selection and is perhaps the most explosive athlete of the three. However, the erudite Oliver wins out because he was a brilliant scrummager, a wholehearted defender, barrelling runner and fine, if somewhat independent of thought, leader. All three have had issues with delivery to the lineout.
1. Tony Woodcock (2002-) Like No 8, not a great field to choose from, though Kees Meeuws would have his fans. Some overseas critics find the New Zealand love affair with Woodcock hard to fathom but that would not bother the North Harbour farmer one iota. When he linked arms with Oliver and Hayman the scrum was never bested. Around the track he can provide moments of rare front-row skill followed shortly after by co-ordination issues.
World XV: Chris Latham (Aus); Rupeni Caucaunibuca (Fiji); Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland); Yannick Jauzion (France); Bryan Habana (SA); Jonny Wilkinson (England); Fourie du Preez (SA); Lawrence Dallaglio (England); George Smith (Aus); Serge Betsen (France); Victor Matfield (SA); Paul O'Connell (Ireland); Martin Scelzo (Arg); John Smit (SA); Gethin Jenkins (Wales).
