Sporting achievements: The grandest slam of the year

The Taffs and Paddies weren't much better than useless, the Jocks willing but not very able and the Poms rugged without the first clue about actually scoring.

But the fact the All Blacks beat all of them on consecutive weekends at the end of what was a long and brutal season has to be acknowledged as one of the sporting feats of the year.

They played some outstanding football, even if the opponents were largely duff.

Graham Henry's squad also managed to secure only the second Grand Slam in All Black history by making sweeping personnel changes each week with the strongest XV fielded only once - against England.

It should also be remembered that when the All Blacks secured their other Grand Slam in 1978, only Wales were a worthy adversary and that hasn't ever been allowed to diminish the achievement of 27 years ago.

Not only that, the 1978 Slam was disfigured, just a little bit, by that midweek loss to Munster which, if it isn't mentioned much here, certainly is there.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY