New Zealand Profile

Colours: Black
Nicknames: All Blacks
Major Honours: World Champions (1987), Tri-Nations Champions (1996, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2003), World Cup runners-up (1995), World Cup semi-finalists (1999, 2003)

Coach: Former headmaster Graham Henry first made an impression as a coach with Auckland, where he won the NPC four times between 1992 and 1997. He then coached the Blues to Super 12 titles in 1996 and 1997 and made the final again the following year. He made his international coaching debut in 1998 with Wales, where he stayed for four years. His major achievements in that role included wins over England and South Africa. In 2001, he became the first non-British or Irishman to coach the Lions on their tour of Australia. He returned to Auckland as a Technical Advisor during 2002 and 2003.

Captain: Jonathan Falefasa Umaga, better known as Tana, is the current All Blacks captain. He is the Hurricanes and Wellington Lions skipper and an inspirational leader. He became the 20th player to have played 50 Tests for New Zealand in 2003. Acknowledged as one of the hardest tacklers in the game (he is a former junior international at Rugby League) he made a successful transition to a Test centre at the end of 2000 after playing his first 18 Tests on the wing. Umaga appeared at both second five-eighths and centre in the All Blacks 2003 campaign, but his Rugby World Cup was cut short after a knee injury in the opening match against Italy put him out of the tournament. He is the only remaining original Hurricanes squad member and recently register 100 Super 12 appearances. His elder brother Mike played rugby professionally in England and also represented Manu Samoa. The pair opposed each other in a Test match in 1999. He was New Zealand's Player of the Year in 2000. His 12 Super 12 tries in 1997 are the most scored by a New Zealander in one season. Roger Randle (Chiefs) in 2002 and the Doug Howlett ( Blues) matched that record in 2003.

Key player(s) to watch: Arguably one of the most talented and versatile backs in world rugby, Dan Carter's rise to prominence has been nothing short of spectacular. After debuting for the Crusaders in 2003, he became an All Black that same year, displaying huge talent at the tender age of 21. He is elusive on attack and fearless in defence while his kicking game has gone from strength to strength, culminating in his being named first-choice fly-half and goal-kicker for the All Blacks in 2004 for their end-of-year tour. He was a member of the title-winning Crusaders Development squad in the 2002 season and top-scored for New Zealand at the 2002 Under-21 World Cup in South Africa with 72 points, including a haul of 25 against England. He made an immediate impact in the black jersey with a strong debut against Wales in 2003, featured as an impact player off the bench during the Tri-Nations success and then rubber-stamped his potential with an outstanding Rugby World Cup. Carter capped a sublime 2004 winning New Zealand rugby's ultimate accolade, the Kel Tremain Memorial Player of the Year.

Profile: The most feared and arguably the most consistent of all the rugby playing nations, the All Blacks have been unable to reclaim the William Webb Ellis trophy since they won the inaugural event in 1987.

But to label a team as dominant as New Zealand underachievers is incredibly harsh; they have consistently beaten all the top rugby-playing nations over the past decade. The All Blacks are still the measure of all international teams and the verdict is still unanimous - to beat the All Blacks is to beat the best.

Current coach Mitchell has once again instilled a sense of pride in the jersey and picks his players on form and not reputation, his decisions to omit some of the most popular players in New Zealand have brought plenty of criticism but results speak for themselves.

After the forwards were found wanting by an England pack in the All Blacks' first Test of the 2003, Mitchell consolidated and reshuffled his pack. There was public outraged over the dropping of former captain Anton Oliver as hooker - replacing him in the No.2 jersey with Keven Mealamu. Mitchell took the criticism in his stride and silenced the critics when the All Blacks thumped Wales 55-3 the following week.

A clean sweep in the Tri-Nations series followed - one which saw the Bledisloe Cup return to New Zealand for the first time in six years - and record wins over the Springboks and Australia left the fans eager for more.

Mitchell attempted to return the All Blacks to their origins, with gritty forward play and hard running backline moves, rather than the exhibition style of play that began to creep into the side's game during the 1990s and the team seem to excel under the soft-spoken tutelage of the former Waikato No.8.

But then came defeat to Australia in the semi-finals of the 2003 Rugby World Cup and the wheels fell off the All Blacks' well-oiled machine. Mitchell took on the under-whelmed New Zealand press - and lost. He was fired by the NZRU as an unseemly - perhaps undeserved - witch-hunt enveloped the All Blacks.

Former Wales and Auckland coach Graham Henry assumed the throne and promised to get back to basics, and won friends by inviting a few of Mitchell's exiles back in from the cold.

Henry's tenure started with a impressive double victory over England, but his insistence on playing a flat backline tested the patience of an expected public and ultimate saw the All Blacks finish third in the 2004 Tri-Nations.

Henry persevered, and his labours bore fruit in Paris in November 2004 when the All Blacks put together one of the greatest performance of modern times, recording a 45-6 over France.  

But the visit of the 2005 British & Irish Lions will be the acid test for King Henry and his troops.