Kallis quits tests

South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis will retire from test and first-class cricket after the Boxing Day test against India in Durban. Kallis, cricket’s fourth highest test run-getter, would be available, however, for selection in the limited-over formats, Cricket South Africa said. ‘‘It’s been an honour and a privilege to have been part of the South African test team since making my debut 18 years ago,’’ said the 38-yearold, who has amassed 13,174 runs and taken 292 wickets from 165 tests. These All Blacks were not the most entertaining we have seen, and probably not the most talented.

They did not possess the backline firepower of the 1995 to 1997 ilk, nor were they so far ahead of their rivals as the World Cup-winning class that ran riot from 1987 to 1989.

However, the class of 2013 was the most experienced All Blacks side of all time and possibly the best prepared.

It will be their ability to stay in the moment, absorb pressure and solve the problems they faced that marks them apart.

Wins over France, England and Ireland at the end of a long season highlighted their resilience, character and determination.

But more than that, they showed a team that had been through every conceivable situation before.

These players were the survivors of the 2007 World Cup quarterfinal nightmare in Cardiff, the World Cup winners of 2011, the men who endured an agonising loss to England at Twickenham in 2012, and everything in between.

Their coach was there for all of those moments too and his deep understanding of his players workloads, both mentally and physically, was an enormous asset.