Originally Posted by
the other bob wilson
I was always something of a grudging admirer of the All Blacks because, when I was growing up they relied on brute force rather than skill to exert their dominance. However, something changed around thirty years ago and they started playing a far more watchable brand of running rugby - more often than not they were the best team, but they were also the most skillful as well.
What hasn't changed in the last half a century or more though is the cynical edge they bring to the game, whether it be Andy Haden diving out of a line out, Sean Fitzpatrick "accidentally" blocking a pass as he came back from an offside position or the brutal and, almost certainly, pre-planned assault on Brian O'Driscoll, the Lions best player, in the first minute of the test series when they toured there, New Zealand can always be relied on to bend the rules as far as they can - they get away with stuff that no one else would and, although I don't see it happening, I'd love the Lions to beat them.