The 2005 New Zealand rugby union tour of Britain and Ireland was a Grand Slam rugby union tour played by the New Zealand national team (the All Blacks) in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland as part of the 2005 end-of-year rugby union tests. Played through November, it consisted of 4 matches against Wales, Ireland, England and Scotland.
It was the first Grand Slam tour by the All Blacks since the 18-match tour of 1978.
New Zealand won all of their matches with a touring squad of 35 players selected by Head Coach Graham Henry.
The matches were played during November 2005. The first match was against Wales on the 5th, the second was against Ireland on the 12th, the third was against England on the 19th, and the last match was against Scotland on the 26th to complete the first successful Grand Slam tour of the professional era. The last successful Grand Slam was by Australia in 1984 in between 14 other matches.
Touring squad A total of 35 players were selected for the touring squad: five props, three hookers, four locks, seven loose forwards, three halfbacks, seven midfielders and six back three-quarters, including five new caps.Article from Cape Times – All Blacks to blood new talent on Grand Slam tour Graham Henry was Head Coach with Wayne Smith and Steve Hansen as his assistant coaches. Tana Umaga was named captain for the tour.
2005 New Zealand Grand Slam touring squad Props John Afoa Carl Hayman Saimone Taumoepeau Neemia Tialata1 Tony Woodcock
Hookers Andrew Hore Keven Mealamu Anton Oliver
Locks Jason Eaton1 Chris Jack James Ryan Ali WilliamsLoose forwards Jerry Collins Sione Lauaki Angus MacDonald1 Chris Masoe1 Richie McCaw Rodney So'oialo Mose Tuiali'i
Halfbacks Jimmy Cowan Byron Kelleher Piri WeepuMidfielders Dan Carter Nick Evans Aaron Mauger Ma'a Nonu Conrad Smith Isaia Toeava1 Tana Umaga (c)
Back three-quarters Rico Gear Doug Howlett Leon MacDonald Mils Muliaina Joe Rokocoko Sitiveni SivivatuCoaches Graham Henry (head) Wayne Smith (asst.) Steve Hansen (asst.)
– Most players are capable of playing multiple positions.
– Squad only include players who have been named in a starting 15 or reserves bench.
– (c) = Captain – 1 = New cap
Tests A total of four matches were played during the 2005 Grand Slam tour against the four home unions of Wales, Ireland, England and Scotland. The tour was played over four weeks, with one game each week.
DateOpponentScoreVenueAttendance5 NovWales41–3Millennium Stadium, Cardiff74,40212 NovIreland45–7Lansdowne Road, Dublin42,00019 NovEngland23–19 Twickenham, London62,00026 NovScotland29–10Murrayfield, Edinburgh47,678New Zealand scores in bold
Wales Wales were looking to beat the All Blacks for the first time since 1953, when they won 13–8 at Cardiff Arms Park.Match Review at NZ Rugby Museum They came into the match and tour as the most recent Six Nations champions and the last of the Home Nations to agree to play the All Blacks on the 2005 tour. New Zealand came in after a successful British & Irish Lions tour and another Tri Nations win.
The All Black coaching staff named three debutants for the first test in Cardiff: Neemia Tialata and Chris Masoe were chosen ahead of regular starters Tony Woodcock and Richie McCaw, while Angus MacDonald came on for James Ryan for his first international.
FB 15Gareth Thomas (c) RW 14Kevin MorganOC 13Mark TaylorIC 12Ceri Sweeney LW 11Shane WilliamsFH 10Stephen JonesSH 9 Mike Phillips N8 8 Michael OwenOF 7 Colin Charvis BF 6 Jonathan ThomasRL 5 Robert SidoliLL 4 Brent Cockbain TP 3 Adam Jones HK 2 Mefin Davies LP 1 Duncan JonesReplacements:HK 16T. Rhys Thomas PR 17Chris Horsman LK 18Luke Charteris FL 19Robin Sowden-Taylor SH 20Gareth Cooper FH 21Nicky Robinson WG 22Lee Byrne Coach: Mike Ruddock FB 15Mils Muliaina RW 14Rico Gear OC 13Conrad SmithIC 12Tana Umaga (c)LW 11Joe RokocokoFH 10Dan CarterSH 9 Byron Kelleher N8 8 Rodney So'oialoOF 7 Chris Masoe BF 6 Jerry CollinsRL 5 James Ryan LL 4 Chris JackTP 3 Carl HaymanHK 2 Anton Oliver LP 1 Neemia Tialata Replacements:HK 16Andrew Hore PR 17Tony Woodcock LK 18Angus Macdonald FL 19Richie McCaw SH 20Jimmy Cowan CE 21Ma'a Nonu FB 22Leon MacDonald Coach: Graham Henry
Key Substitution Blood bin Yellow card Red card
Match summary The All Blacks started off their tour with a 41–3 victory over Wales in Cardiff on 5 November, the 100th anniversary of rugby between the two teams. Dan Carter scored 26 points for New Zealand, including two of the five tries by the visitors. Rico Gear scored the other three tries for his team.
First half The All Blacks took control of the ball and position on the field, to deter the chance of the Welsh team's offensive attack.
New Zealand struck first with an early penalty before Byron Kelleher lost the first chance for a try in the 16th minute of play. The halfback took a quick tap at halfway, running 45 meters through a gap before getting tackled downfield, failing to offload to the open Tana Umaga at his shoulder. Carter converted to be two from two and put the All Blacks out in front 6–0.
Wales also missed a chance for a try that had to be substituted for penalty because of poor play. Gareth Thomas made it happen with a break through a missed tackle to set up a ruck inside the All Blacks' 22-meter line. A penalty was called for poor ball handling. First-five Stephen Jones converted it into points and decreased the deficit to a penalty's-worth, 3 points.
Rico Gear scored the only try of the first half. With the scores at 6–3 in favor of the visitors, Chris Jack took the ball from the line-out in Welsh territory and provided the ball to the backs. Umaga straightened and feed back to Carter who spread it to Mils Muliaina. He then passed to Gear who scored in the right hand corner. Carter converted the sideline conversion and put the All Blacks out to 13.
The Rico Gear try in the corner nine minutes from the half-time break gave the All Blacks the upper hand going into the second half.
Second half The All Blacks scored two converted tries in the first ten minutes, both from Gear. Gear scored his second, set up by Carter, and third in the same corner as his first; his second came from a pass from Carter who put him through the gap and it was an easy run to the try line, while his third was as simple as his first two with some easy passing out wide where Gear got outside his man and scored another five-pointer. Carter converted and New Zealand secured the win with still half an hour to play with a 27–3 lead.
Both sides shifted down a few gears dominating much of the final half-hour.New Zealand scored their fourth try of the game, coming from a play by Carter who broke a tackle and ran down the line to score his 17th and, after the conversion, 19th points of the match. In the final minute of play Conrad Smith put a kick through for Umaga; Umaga ran to catch the ball, but went down with his challenger and popped the ball up to a supporting Carter who went in for his second try and then his fifth conversion of the night.
Carter finished with 26 of the team's 41 points and the All Blacks started off their tour on the highest possible note.
Both teams used all of their replacement players, bringing them on at some point during the match. Richie McCaw and Tony Woodcock were the two usual starters on the bench making room for run-on debutants Neemia Tialata and Chris Masoe, while Angus MacDonald made his debut off the bench.
Ireland Ireland were looking for a historic first win over the All Blacks. Throughout the entirety of their test rugby back catalogue, Ireland had failed to register a single victory. The closest they had come was a 10–10 draw in 1973 at Lansdowne Road.
The All Black coaches named a completely different squad than their team that played against Wales with loose forward Sione Lauaki and prop John Afoa making their debuts. Afoa was selected in the initial squad for the Tri Nations earlier in the year but had to wait until the 2005 end-of-year tour be he got on the field. Richie McCaw was named captain while regular captain Tana Umaga was rested. They also named five forward replacements and only two back replacements.
FB 15Geordan Murphy RW 14Tommy BoweOC 13Gordon D'ArcyIC 12Shane HorganLW 11Anthony HorganFH 10Ronan O'Gara SH 9 Peter StringerN8 8 Denis LeamyOF 7 Johnny O'ConnorBF 6 Simon Easterby (c) RL 5 Malcolm O'Kelly LL 4 Donncha O'CallaghanTP 3 John Hayes HK 2 Shane Byrne LP 1 Marcus HoranReplacements:HK 16Rory Best PR 17Simon Best LK 18Matt McCullough FL 19Neil Best SH 20Kieran CampbellFH 21David Humphreys FB 22Girvan Dempsey Coach: Eddie O'Sullivan FB 15Leon MacDonaldRW 14Doug HowlettOC 13Ma'a NonuIC 12Aaron MaugerLW 11Sitiveni SivivatuFH 10Nick EvansSH 9 Piri Weepu N8 8 Mose Tuiali'iOF 7 Richie McCaw (c) BF 6 Sione LauakiRL 5 Ali WilliamsLL 4 Jason EatonTP 3 John AfoaHK 2 Keven Mealamu LP 1 Tony Woodcock Replacements:HK 16Andrew Hore PR 17Saimone Taumoepeau PR 18Carl HaymanLK 19Chris JackN8 20Rodney So'oialo SH 21Jimmy Cowan FB 22Mils MuliainaCoach: Graham Henry Key Substitution Blood bin Yellow card Red card
Match summary The All Blacks' second test was as good as their first with good win over Ireland on 12 November. The score would have been a shutout, but a late try by Marcus Horan left the full-time score at 45–7. Two tries each to wingers Sitiveni Sivivatu and Doug Howlett and another 20 points contributed by Nick Evans helped the All Blacks to a perfect 2–0 start to their Grand Slam tour.
First half Ireland struggled in the first ten minutes, unable to get out of their own half from the pressure the All Blacks applied. The result was inevitable as Sitiveni Sivivatu broke a tackle and scored the first try of the match in the ninth minute of play. Nick Evans converted and the All Blacks were up 7–0.
As possession switched between teams, New Zealand were the first to do something with it when stand-in captain Richie McCaw offloaded to busy halfback Piri Weepu for their second try. Evans missed the conversion, but a penalty five minutes later brought the All Blacks up to 15–0 26 minutes in.
With another penalty in the 35th minute, New Zealand gained a chance at a counter-attack off a kick from Ronan O'Gara that failed to clear the touchline. New Zealand soaked up the Irish pressure and gained possession, No. 8 Mose Tuiali'i broke down the right hand line, passed to Leon MacDonald who fed Sivivatu for his second and New Zealand's third. Evans converted and New Zealand went into half-time with a 25–0 advantage.
Second half New Zealand started where they finished off in the second half with Ireland trying to perform better than their poor first half when Nick Evans kicked two penalties in the first eight minutes from some disappointing play from the home side.
A dangerous tackle by Ma'a Nonu on Gordon D'Arcy brought memories of the Tana Umaga "spear tackle" on Brian O'Driscoll in the 2005 British & Irish Lions tour and he was lucky to leave with just a warning.
Five minutes after the tackle, winger Doug Howlett got the wide ball and scored what looked like New Zealand's fourth try of the night, but referee Jonathan Kaplan referred to the television match official and awarded Ireland a line-out instead, after it was determined his leg was out of bounds before the ball was grounded in goal. Ma'a Nonu was also called back after he knocked the ball on over the line. Howlett gained what he thought he had five minutes later with the first of his tries as the All Blacks spread it wide beyond Ireland's capacity, Evans converted and New Zealand were up 28–0.