Walrus: England provides most of the greatest teams ever

[Magpie26]

But anyway, my off the dome top 10 (in no particular order)

- the 2010-15 back-to-backers: the greatest collection of players ever assembled and the most successful team of all time by basically any measure

- the ‘37-38 Boks: greatest team to ever tour NZ, followed it up with a series victory over the Lions

- the Invincibles

- the only-slightly Vincibles (the 51-52 Boks)

- the Originals

- the early 70s Lions who toured NZ and SA

- the early 90s Wallabies

- the early noughties English

- the late eighties All Blacks

- the Incomparables

I think I would push the late eighties ABs up a bit, they were undefeated in 23 tests and at times destroying teams for fun.
Really took rugby to a new level.

[naki]

But anyway, my off the dome top 10 (in no particular order)

- the 2010-15 back-to-backers: the greatest collection of players ever assembled and the most successful team of all time by basically any measure

- the ‘37-38 Boks: greatest team to ever tour NZ, followed it up with a series victory over the Lions

- the Invincibles

- the only-slightly Vincibles (the 51-52 Boks)

- the Originals

- the early 70s Lions who toured NZ and SA

- the early 90s Wallabies

- the early noughties English

- the late eighties All Blacks

- the Incomparables

I think I would push the late eighties ABs up a bit, they were undefeated in 23 tests and at times destroying teams for fun.
Really took rugby to a new level.

It’s not in any order

[Magpie26]

But anyway, my off the dome top 10 (in no particular order)

- the 2010-15 back-to-backers: the greatest collection of players ever assembled and the most successful team of all time by basically any measure

- the ‘37-38 Boks: greatest team to ever tour NZ, followed it up with a series victory over the Lions

- the Invincibles

- the only-slightly Vincibles (the 51-52 Boks)

- the Originals

- the early 70s Lions who toured NZ and SA

- the early 90s Wallabies

- the early noughties English

- the late eighties All Blacks

- the Incomparables

I think I would push the late eighties ABs up a bit, they were undefeated in 23 tests and at times destroying teams for fun.
Really took rugby to a new level.

It’s not in any order

Sorry, misread it

[Frodder]

Walrus sits down with his morning cuppa reading the amount of hooks he's got

[AND-y]

The 70's Welsh teams were better than the 70's Lions.

[eldanielfire]

Controversial UK rugby critic Stephen Jones has rated the 1995 All Blacks as the best team of all-time.

a very good team, but one which lost in the RWC final and then lost to France later that year. Let's give them a mulligan on the loss to France and call them the greatest side with no BMT.

It's rugby, any team can lose on the day. The idea RWC wins means the best is flawed. The 2007 ABs were the best team by miles but lost to an inspired France and a bad ref call. They were probably at their best in 2005-2006 where they played, possibly the best rugby I've seen. It happens.

[Jake]

Remarkable omissions:

1. Lions 71, 74, 89, 97, 13, 17 (take any one of those and choose)
2. SA 97-98
3. NZ 87-90; NZ
4. Aus 97-99
5. Aus 84
6. NZ 65-67.

[ZappaMan]

The '97-'98 French double Slammers would be very high on my list.

[booji boy]

Controversial UK rugby critic Stephen Jones has rated the 1995 All Blacks as the best team of all-time.

a very good team, but one which lost in the RWC final and then lost to France later that year. Let's give them a mulligan on the loss to France and call them the greatest side with no BMT.

It's rugby, any team can lose on the day. The idea RWC wins means the best is flawed. The 2007 ABs were the best team by miles but lost to an inspired France and a bad ref call. They were probably at their best in 2005-2006 where they played, possibly the best rugby I've seen. It happens.

In 2007 Graham Henry's ill conceived 'reconditioning programme' happened where he took out all the top AB's and made them spend the first half of Super Rugby on a gym program instead of playing rugby. In my opinion they never obtained proper match fitness and even the brilliant Canterbury Crusaders lost the Super Rugby title handing momentum to the South Africans. Injuries to both Carter and Nick Evan's in that match with France didn't help obviously.

But lesson learned, Henry didn't meddle with the Super Rugby program in the lead up to the 2011 RWC.

[Jake]

The '97-'98 French double Slammers would be very high on my list.

97 to 99 RWC really. Epic side.

[Clouseau]

The '97-'98 French double Slammers would be very high on my list.

They were two very different sides though. The 97 Slammers were humiliated later that year by (a very good) South Africa, a few careers ended that day (Cabannes, Saint-André, Lacroix, Merle and a few others)
The 94-95 side was pretty good. Beat the ABs three times in a row .
None unfortunately would make the top 10

All Blacks 96-97 best ever in my opinion. They were just building in 95.

[obelixtim]

England 1991 RWC...lost to the ABs and Wobs.
England 1995 RWC...ran into Jonah.

So much for number 6.

[naki]

England 1991 RWC...lost to the ABs and Wobs.
England 1995 RWC...ran into Jonah.

So much for number 6.

Are you seriously suggesting that the England team who didn’t have a winning record against any of the SANZAR teams in this period (including downtrous in the WC) but managed some Grand Slams against some of the weakest Irish and Welsh teams of all time AREN’T one of the greatest teams in the history of the game?

You’re mad

[Jay Cee Gee]

The peak Rod Macqueen Wallabies are the greatest team I've seen play and various YouTube highlight reels of other teams before and since has done nothing to change that opinion. They didn't just beat everyone else, they often made them look stupid with the accuracy, speed and innovation of their play. Macqueen's team played the best looking rugby ever played and featured a team of players who individually are some of the greatest of all time. Eales, Kearns, Wilson, Kefu, Gregan, Larkham, Horan, Roff, Tune, and Burke were all the best in their position in that team. Mostly backs and I've still left Herbert, Little and Latham off that list. Phenomenal backs.

You honestly think Phil Kearns was the best hooker in the world in 98/99?

[blindcider]

I still think the best team I have seen is the 05/06 New Zealand team. I think later NZ teams were more consistent but marginally less talented

The England team circa 01-02 also very good as was the French and Australian teams in the late 90's

NZ 93-95 and South Africa post 95 world cup were also very good

Some really good Wales and Ireland teams in the last 10-15 or so years and possibly their best ever but tough to measure them as amongst the best teams ever.

Note: my measure is mostly against the quality of the teams around in those periods rather than trying to measure say the 95 ABs against the 2018 Irish - I suspect the modern teams would win most games

[Jay Cee Gee]

NZ 93-95

95-97. They were pretty inconsistent in 93/94.

[blindcider]

NZ 93-95

95-97. They were pretty inconsistent in 93/94.

possibly getting my years a bit mixed up. 95 is so long ago

[Sonny Blount]

NZ 93-95 and South Africa post 95 world cup were also very good

Wtf?

[blindcider]

NZ 93-95 and South Africa post 95 world cup were also very good

Wtf?

Yes just looked back at some stats, got my years/teams slightly mixed up in my mind there