The Deans try
Wales 3, New Zealand 0, Cardiff Arms Park, Wales, 1905
Story: There is no-one left alive who can remember the game but we are all pretty certain Bob Deans got the ball over the chalk. The incident has gone down in folklore. But according to Billy Wallace's account, the ball was a good six inches over the line. But when the referee, who was in street clothes and had no studs on his boots, finally caught up with the play, Wales halfback Dicky Owen had supposedly moved the ball and then convinced the official it had been grounded short of the line.
Response: Seventy-three years later All Black lock Andy Haden took a flop during a lineout in a cynical attempt to win a penalty. A penalty is awarded but for a different incident. Brian McKechnie kicked the goal and the test was won 13-12.
Lions roar
Lions 13, New Zealand 3, Athletic Park, Wellington, 1971
Story: Athletic Park was known for its strong winds and in 1971 the All Blacks were very much blown away in the first 20 minutes. With the series tied at 1-1, the All Blacks found themselves trailing 13-0 after 18 minutes against a rampant Lions team. Had tries been worth five points back then, it would have been 17-0. The All Blacks offered some resistance from that point, but managed to peg back just one try.
Response: Needing a win to level the series, the All Blacks came up short at Eden Park. JPR Williams kicked an iconic drop goal to help the Lions to a 14-14 draw, giving them their only series win in New Zealand. Since then, however, the Lions have not beaten the All Blacks in a series.
The birth of the Bledisloe
Australia 12, New Zealand 6, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, 1979
Story: A loss that became one of the big reasons we love to hate the Aussies. Having just split their series with France 1-1, the All Blacks were beaten in a try-less game, losing the Bledisloe Cup for the first time in 30 years in the process. The Australians proceeded to parade the cup around the SCG, grating for every New Zealand rugby fan.
Response: Lost the next year's series 2-1, after alleged food poisoning before the third test. More significantly the Bledisloe Cup became the most important trophy other than the World Cup and the drive to win sparked from that day remains ever-present.
The battle of Nantes
France 16, New Zealand 3, Beaujoire, Nantes, 1986
Story: Possibly the most brutal test the All Blacks ever played, notable for Buck Shelford having his scrotum ripped open. They were swept off the park by a seemingly possessed French team, which last year was alleged to have been fuelled by drugs.
Response: ``Remember Nantes'' became the catch-cry in the ensuing years as the team won the World Cup, beating France 29-9 in the final, and became virtually unbeatable in the years that followed.
The greatest backlash?
Lions 20, New Zealand 7, Athletic Park, Wellington, 1993
Story: There is nothing worse than losing to the Brits, particularly a British team that has lost four of its last six games. That's what happened to the All Blacks when they took their biggest beating from the Lions in the second test of the 1993 tour. The team was subsequently slammed by the media and the public for what was one of its worst performances.
Response: Started slowly in the decider, but ended up delivering an almighty backlash. Two tries in the 10 minutes before the break gave them a 14-10 lead, before they ran away in the second half to win 30-13, clinching the series 2-1.
Try from the End of the World
France 23, New Zealand 20, Eden Park, Auckland, 1994
Story: You know what happened. Stephen Bachop missed touch with victory in sight. Philippe Saint-Andre ran the ball back and got dumped in a big tackle but somehow got the ball to Jean-Michel Gonzalez. The French continued to pass the ball around. Two million other French players handled the ball before Jean-Luc Sadourny eventually dived over. It was brilliant and we've hated them for it ever since.
Response: That was the last time the All Blacks lost at Eden Park but the next match against the French was another defeat. Sacre Bleu!
Was their food poisoned?
South Africa 15, New Zealand 12, Ellis Park, Johannesburg, 1995
Story: All the planning in the world and everything still went wrong in the lead up to the 1995 World Cup final. The alleged food poisoning, a mysterious waitress called Suzie and the ensuing scenes described aslooking like a battleground all made for a disaster at precisely the wrong time. Yet there was still life in the All Blacks as they battled through to extra time, before Joel Stransky's boot delivered the final blow with a sweetly struck drop goal.
Response: Got their revenge a year later, becoming the first All Blacks to win a test series in South Africa.
13 Englishmen
England 15, All Blacks 13, Westpac Stadium, Wellington, 2003
Story: Goalkicking really cost the All Blacks. England's Jonny Wilkinson was methodical, kicking four penalties and drilling a dropped goal, whereas Carlos Spencer had an off day. But it was the sight of the men in black being repelled by a 13-man English team which really hurt. The tourists lost the services of loose forwards Neil Back and Lawrence Dallaglio for 10 minutes each early in the second half. Crucially, England held out against a 5m scrum which became the talking point of the game.
Response: Pumped England - which was by then world champion - 36-3 at Carisbrook a year later. The rocket man, Joe Rokocoko, made a telling 70m run early which set the tone for what was a jolly good thrashing.
Aw, ref!
France 20, All Blacks 18, World Cup quarterfinal, Cardiff, 2007
Story: We've let it go ... well, sort of. But for a long time it was hard to accept the All Blacks' premature exit at the quarterfinal stage. Referee Wayne Barnes bore the brunt of the defeat initially. He missed an obvious forward pass which led to a French try, and he put his whistle away late in the game when the All Blacks were pressuring France. But ultimately it was the failed ``rotation policy'' which was blamed for another World Cup failure.
Response: A whitebaiter in an undersized shirt kicked a crucial penalty which helped seal a tense 8-7 win against France in the 2011 World Cup final.
Irish stew All Blacks
Ireland 40, All Blacks 29, Soldier Field, Chicago, 2016
Story: Apart from the odd rabid talk-show host no-one seemed to mind all that much that their mighty team had just been crushed while enjoying a promotional trip in Chicago. It was Ireland's first victory against the All Blacks in 111 years of trying. Did everyone remember to stand on one leg?
Response: Another repeat of that lacklustre showing will not be greeted with such good grace. Richie McCaw may be forced to return from his new day job flying helicopters.