Codie Taylor reacts after the All Blacks' loss to the Pumas. Photo / Getty
OPINION:
Ian Foster's 2022 All Blacks are on an exclusive list...of mediocrity.
Their fourth defeat of the year, coming against Argentina on Saturday, means they are just the fourth All Blacks side to lose that many tests in a calendar year.
Cameron McMillan looks over those four seasons to decide whether 2022 could be considered the 'worst All Blacks season ever'.
Played 6 Won 0 Lost 6
Defeats:
All Blacks 11 South Africa 15
All Blacks 6 South Africa 12
All Blacks 6 Australia 11
All Blacks 3 South Africa 9
All Blacks 8 South Africa 11
All Blacks 9 Australia 16
Ah the winter-spring of 1949. What a time. Earlier in the year a referendum on gambling passed but another one on extending hotel hours failed, so it was a confusing time. Even if the All Blacks couldn't go to the pub after a defeat, they could at least check out the latest Fast and Furry-ous at the cinema.
The 1949 All Blacks featured the likes of Fred Allen, Has Catley, Peter Henderson who was the 100-yard national champion at the time, and national heavyweight boxing champion Kevin Skinner, but didn't take any Māori players to South Africa to meet apartheid conditions set by the hosts.
One thing the 1949 All Blacks have over the other teams on this list – they lost twice on the same day. A second team made up of the players of Māori descent and fringe All Blacks was set up to host Australia, although with 30 players in South Africa it was more like a third XV. So it meant the All Blacks played the Wallabies (lost 6-11) at Athletic Park on September 3 and then the Boks a few hours later (lost 3-9) at Kingsmead.
Why this is the worst season ever: They didn't win a test and come on they lost twice on the same day. Double losers! And South Africa hadn't played a test since 1938. The Men in Black rugby bible says: 'Truly, 1949 was a black year for New Zealand Rugby!' And Men in Black doesn't drop explanation points lightly.
Why this isn't the worst season ever: They only played two nations with four of their defeats in South Africa. They also had 15 wins on the South African tour so they weren't complete losers. It was also only four years after the end of World War II and many members of the All Blacks were war veterans.
What happened next: They beat the Lions 3-0 the following year and didn't lose another test until 1952.
Played 7 Won 2 Lost 5
Defeats:
All Blacks 16 Australia 24
All Blacks 3 South Africa 13
All Blacks 23 Australia 27
All Blacks 23 South Africa 24
All Blacks 14 Australia 19
The names in this side - Jonah Lomu, Michael Jones, Christian Cullen, Jeff Wilson, Josh Kronfeld, Ian Jones, Olo Brown... Some greats of their positions for the All Blacks. It was a transitional period with a new captain in Taine Randell while Sean Fitzpatrick, Zinzan Brooke and Frank Bunce had retired from international rugby the previous year.
But it's still bewildering they lost five straight tests to the Springboks and Wallabies.
Why this is the worst season ever: Lost five in a row to our biggest rivals. First time since 1929 that Australia beat the All Blacks three times. Back-to-back defeats to Wallabies and South Africa on home soil. Only scored three points in a home test. Lost to the Springboks in Durban after leading 23-5 with 20 minutes to go. But worst of all, the Wallabies claimed the Bledisloe Cup which the All Blacks didn't get back for another five years.
Why this isn't the worst season ever: The Wallabies were clearly the best team in the world, winning the World Cup a year late. The All Blacks also thrashed a weakened England at the start of the season including a 64-22 win to start the year - their biggest ever win over England. And James Dalton admitted he didn't score the match-winner at Kings Park.
What happened next: Started 1999 with five straight wins including a convincing victory over the Boks at Loftus Versfeld before the Wallabies thrashed them 28-7 at Stadium Australia. Cruised through to the semifinals at the World Cup and were also in control against France at Twickenham before conceding 33 points in 27 minutes to lose 43-31 in one of the All Blacks' biggest shock results.
Played 14 Won 10 Lost 4
Defeats:
All Blacks 22 France 27
All Blacks 19 South Africa 28
All Blacks 19 South Africa 31
All Blacks 29 South Africa 32
Two years after their earliest ever World Cup exit, Sir Graham Henry (not Sir at the time) was starting a build a dominant team. This season in question though, they just got beaten by a better team, over and over again.
Why this is the worst season ever: It's not, it's just on this list because of the number of defeats but three of them were to one side, the defending world champion Springboks. Losing the opening test to France at home wasn't great just because of the rarity of losing matches in June.
Why this isn't the worst season ever: I mean they did win 10 tests including a 4-0 sweep of Australia and victories at Twickenham and in France. They just didn't have an answer against South Africa and were missing Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Ali Williams, Rodney So'oialo, Conrad Smith and Sitiveni Sivivatu for the France series.
What happened next: Following the Hamilton loss to the Boks, the All Blacks won 15 straight with just one defeat in the 2010 season. Richie McCaw lifted the Webb Ellis in 2011 as the All Blacks finally get their hands back on the World Cup and all was fine in the world again.
Played 6 Won 2 Lost 4*
Defeats:
All Blacks 12 Ireland 23
All Blacks 22 Ireland 32
All Blacks 10 South Africa 26
All Blacks 18 Argentina 25
*The season is far from over. I mean it could get better.
Why this is the worst season ever: Losing three consecutive tests at home has never been done in 119 years of All Blacks rugby. And with all due respect to Ireland and Argentina (something you say when you are about to disrespect two sporting teams), it's Ireland and Argentina! Up until six years ago, neither of the two sides had ever beaten the All Blacks. The All Blacks thrashed Argentina 39-0 and 36-13 last season.
Why this isn't the worst season ever: Ireland are really good. The All Blacks won a test at Ellis Park. Also, there are plenty of tests to come.
What happens next: They win the World Cup of course.
We can't judge 2022 until the end of the year but it's already pretty close to the lows of 1998 and 1949. But if they lose the Bledisloe or God-forbid go down to Scotland for the first time in November then yes, this is the worst season ever.
I really want to give it to 1949, mainly for New Zealand Rugby again agreeing to South Africa's apartheid rules which still had implications 32 years later but really putting the quirk of the second All Blacks XV aside, it's just a 4-0 series loss in South Africa.
So congratulations to the 1998 All Blacks who lost five tests in a row and didn't get an end-of-year tour to make amends. The worst All Blacks season of all time.
The missing rugby jersey was found after a two-year search.