Ed Hillary v George Mallory (mountaineering)
They didn't go head-to-head, but the race up Mt Everest - the world's highest peak - did pit these two giants against each other. Kiwi Sir Edmund Hillary and Nepalese-Indian Tenzing Norgay made it to the top in 1953, a great moment for mankind. While Englishman Mallory (along with compatriot Andrew Irvine) lost his life on his third attempt, there have been claims he did make the summit in 1924. History has somehow shackled Hillary and Mallory together thanks to the tantalising speculation about Mallory's fate.
Anthony Wilding v Arthur Gore and Herbert Roper Barrett (tennis)
New Zealand tennis ace Anthony Wilding won three of his four consecutive Wimbledon titles in the early 1900s against England's Gore and Barrett which, to be a little unkind, was about the last time either country was any good at the game. Or to put it another way, these epic battles led to diddly squat in terms of a New Zealand-England tennis rivalry.
All Blacks v England (rugby)
There are so many matches to choose from, including the Jonah Lomu-crushes-Mike Catt classic at the 1995 World Cup semifinal. But as far as non-World Cup tests go, the 2003 match in Wellington was an epic, with the Martin Johnson-led England winning despite having two men in the sin bin at one stage. This was rugby trench warfare at its finest and most memorable. England drew a line in the sand, stuck a flag in the opposition's territory ... and went on to win the World Cup that year.
Kiwis v Great Britain (league)
Mud, glorious mud at the Addington Showgrounds in 1988 produced an amazing duel led by opposing props Adrian Shelford and Kevin Ward. The Kiwis' two point victory put them into the world final against Australia at Eden Park that year ... but luckily we don't have to go into that. Addington is now the home of Canterbury rugby but those who saw this classic will never forget its previous life as a rather modest - to put it nicely - league test ground.
