Ten of the best:
There is a final feel to Saturday’s Rugby World Cup clash between the All Blacks and England in Yokohama.
But only one of the tournament’s two form sides will take their place in the decider on November 2 after this weekend’s semifinals.
The All Blacks and England have met only once in the last five years and fans have been starved of a spectacle between two of the world’s best since the last World Cup in 2015.
England last beat the All Blacks in 2012 and it was their only success in 16 attempts since England’s only World Cup triumph in 2003.
Of their 41 matches, New Zealand dominate the head-tohead record (33-7, with one draw in 1997) and the reigning world champions won their two World Cup encounters in 1995 and 1999.
Here are 10 of the best tests between the All Blacks and England.
1905, London: England 0-15 New Zealand
Their first clash was on the fabled ‘‘Originals’’ tour when the Original All Blacks played outside of Australasia for the first time. Wing Duncan McGregor, a three-quarter back in that era, scored four tries in New Zealand’s 15-0 win at Crystal Palace. No All Black repeated that try-scoring feat until 1987. The test, which was attended by English royalty, was played before a sellout crowd with figures varying between between 70,000 and 100,000.
1936, London: England 13-0 New Zealand
England’s first win came three years before World War II and Alexander Obolensky, who was popularly known as ‘‘The Flying Prince’’, scored twice in the 13-0 triumph at Twickenham. One of his tries is considered one of the greatest in English rugby after he reportedly beat several All Blacks while running the length of the field. Obolensky was born in Russia in 1916 but his family fled to England after the Russian Revolution in 1917. He was a pilot for the Allies and flew in the Royal Air Force in World War II but was killed in a training accident in 1940.
1973, Auckland: New Zealand 10-16 England
England arrived at Eden Park written off having lost all three games in New Zealand to Taranaki, Wellington and Canterbury, and having beaten Fiji by just one point in Suva. Two mistakes by New Zealand in the second half led to English tries and an unexpected victory. On debut, fullback Bob Lendrum missed touch and England ran it back to score. Five minutes from time, Lendrum and rookie wing Terry Morrison got in a tangle under a high kick, and flanker Tony Neary rampaged over to score a try that was converted. Several All Blacks never played another test, Lendrum and
Morrison among them.
1995, Cape Town: New Zealand 45-29 England
The test that launched the late Jonah Lomu towards stardom. The All Blacks wing, then 19, trampled all over England and scored four tries in their 45-29 victory in a 1995 World Cup semifinal at Newlands. Lomu’s performance that day is widely considered one of the greatest in test rugby. In the final, the All Blacks lost 15-12 to hosts South Africa.
1997, Manchester: England 8-25 New Zealand
A test memorable more for what happened after the final whistle. The All Blacks won 25-8 at Old Trafford, but the beaten