Worst Ever All Blacks

Hot on the heels of my popular (if controversial) All Time NZ Crap cricket team, here are my selections for the worst ever All Blacks to pull on the Silver Fern.

Obviously this has been a much more difficult undertaking than selecting our worst cricket team, given the All Blacks' dominance over the rugby world for so long. The standard of NZ rugby is so high that mediocre players simply don't get a chance to slip in to the team. With the following exceptions of course:

1. Prop [undecided- nominations welcome]
2. Hooker- Norm Hewitt. Hewitt is one of those players whose career was overshadowed by his off-field performances. In this case, it was a drunken bender followed by blubbering on national tv which took the focus off his solid, if uninspired, rugby playing.
3. Prop [undecided- nominations welcome]
4. Lock- Troy Flavell. Undoubtedly a talented and aggressive footballer, Flavell disgraced himself with repeated acts of thuggery.
5. Lock [undecided- nominations welcome]
6. Blindside flanker- Reuben Thorne. Perhaps could be considered the Lee Germon of the All Blacks, Thorne was lucky to retain his position for so long given his (relatively) poor record as captain and the fact that there were at least 2 players better than him in his position.
7. Flanker- Mark Carter. Somewhat unfairly was labelled as the 'most hated man in NZ rugby' when perhaps this should have been the 'most over-rated man in NZ rugby', at least where John Hart was concerned. Also loses credit for wearing tape around his head.
8. Number 8- Ron Cribb. Cribb had all the silky skills and vision that you could ask for- in a winger. He was forever trying to be a bit too cute- little grubber kicks through the line and throwing one-handed miracle passes. His worst moment was THAT missed tackled against Toutai Kefu.
9. Halfback- Junior Tonu'u. Not a bad footballer, but had all the flair of a marmite sandwiche.
10. First Five- Simon Mannix. The one test wonder. Got taught a lesson by the French in his only test and never regained his confidence.
11. Left wing- Caleb Ralph. Ralph is without peer in the all time crap stakes. I've yet to meet anyone that could understand his regular position in the All Blacks squad. Even more stunning is that he continued to be selected after playing against England in Wellington, in which he couldn't even punt a ball.
12. Second Five- Mark Mayerhofler. A real journeyman selection, "Bubs" was picked as part of the post-Little/Bunce dark ages of the NZ midfield. Also has the lamest nickname in All Black history.
13. Centre- Bernie McCahill. The official player profile of McCahill on AllBlacks.com describes him as " a worthy contributor to the fine Auckland sides of the 1980s" and having "workmanlike, unselfish qualities". Which all sounds very much like when you describe a woman as having a "nice personality".
14. Right wing [undecided- nominations welcome]
15. Fullback- Shane Howarth. Rounded off his career playing for Wales, which says it all really.

Comments?