Almost from the very beginning of their history, the All Blacks have laid claim to being the greatest rugby team in the world.
In 1905, the 'Originals' embarked on a mammoth 35 match tour of the British Isles, France, and North America. Over a five-month period, the All Blacks won 34 of their 35 matches, the one blot on their copybook being a 3-0 loss to Wales at Cardiff Arms Park.
From that point on, the legend of the All Blacks as the world's greatest rugby team was born.
For much of their history though, this legend did not match the reality.
New Zealand's rugby history has not been defined by its clear superiority over other nations, but by the rivalries that spurred them on to reach the top.
For the first 50 years of All Blacks history, it was by no means clear who the best rugby team in the world was.
With test matches being played on an irregular basis, and with no world cup to put the matter to rest, deciding on the best team was an inexact science at best.
Throughout the period from 1903-1953 though, there were two teams with a clear head-to-head advantage over the All Blacks.
From 1905-1953, Wales played the All Blacks four times – and on three occasions finished the game as victors.
Since then however, the rivalry has tapered off. In the 56 years since, Wales have failed to register a single victory in 29 attempts.
While the Welsh were considered a great opponent during that time, for the All Blacks the ultimate rival had to be South Africa.
Springboks
The All Blacks played the Springboks much more frequently than they did the Welsh, and right throughout the amateur era the two were in competition for the title of the world's best team.
Frustratingly for New Zealanders, while the competition was always tight, the All Blacks could never quite seem to get the edge over the Springboks. At the close of the amateur era in 1995, South Africa had a head-to-head edge of 21 wins to the All Black's 18 – punctuated by a victory in the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
Since the advent of the professional era, the tables have turned somewhat. While the Springboks have had brief periods of dominance over the All Blacks, the rivalry has become much less close.
In the 49 games played since 1996, the All Blacks have won 35 to the Springboks 14.
Over the last two weeks of August, another great rivalry looked as if it may be under threat.
While South Africa have the best winning record of any of New Zealand's opponents, the oldest and longest-running rivalry is held against Australia.
For a long time, although the two teams played each other regularly,this was not a particularly competitive rivalry.
However, from the beginning of the 1980s, things began to change. Australia were becoming more competitively consistent, and for the first time began to present a genuine challenge to the All Blacks.
With South Africa in the sporting wilderness due to their apartheid political regime, the Wallabies slowly began to assume the title of New Zealand rugby's number one rival.
Australia
For my generation, growing up watching rugby in the late 90s and early 2000s, there was no question that Australia were the team to beat.
Not only were they competitive, but there was even a nagging feeling in minds of many New Zealanders that they might even just be better than us. Not only did they inspire respect, but at their zenith they even inspired a little fear in All Blacks supporters.
In the All Blacks two fixtures against theWallabies at the beginning of the Rugby Championship last month – there was not a trace of fear for New Zealand fans.
What was disconcerting about the games was not the fact that the All Blacks won, but the ease with which they did so. In every department, the All Blacks outclassed the Wallabies.
In previous years, New Zealand fans would be wary of an Australian comeback – they always seemed to find a way to claw back into games that seemed beyond reach.
Not this time though. In the test match in Wellington, the Wallabies at least were gritty – running and tackling hard – but they never looked like scoring.
What makes sport memorable is the rivalry and competition between great teams. What has made All Black history great has been its rivals – Wales, South Africa, and Australia.
To be truly great, you need to be able to take on and beat the best.
We need you back to your best Australia – it's just no fun beating you like this.
Tim Newman lives in Christchurch, New Zealand. He is a keen sports fan, particularly following Rugby and American Football.
Tim Newman's previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/tim-newman.html