Harkanwal Singh

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The All Blacks continuing avoidance of Samoa in their travel plans might be New Zealand Rugby's most festering embarrassment, but what of the claim that the All Blacks have pillaged the islands for talent? The answer to that question is not clear cut. The Herald decided to put the theory to the test, collating the birthplaces* of all those who has worn the black jersey and displaying it.

The All Blacks have won 197 tests and lost just 37 during the professional era. Photo / Brett Phibbs The most phenomenal achievement of the All Blacks has been to maintain their primacy once the game went professional. Conventional wisdom of the day went something like this: the All Blacks were, in terms of attitude and preparation, a professional team in an amateur era and once the game went fully professional, the rest of the world would quickly catch up.