Worst Individual Test Performance XV
Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2020 2:34 am
Hello chaps - looking for suggestions to help fill this one in for NZ, but feel free to select your own country's XV.
15 Bob Lendrum, vs. England, Auckland, 15 September 1973. This will shock a lot of punters who would have expected Colin Farrell to be nailed on for this slot. But Lendrum's performance in his debut test was so atrocious across the board - goal kicking, positioning, handling - he sneaks ahead to win this slot. Directly responsible for two of England's three tries, and nearly responsible for a fourth at the death. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgP5li-8F-g
14
13 Leon MacDonald vs Australia, Sydney, 15 November 2003. Of all the AB fullbacks shifted into center over the years, this was the worst, and most consequential, performance.
12
11
10 Stephen Donald, vs. Australia, Hong Kong, 30 October 2010. We all know this story. With the AB's up 24-14 at sixty minutes, Dan Carter took a well-deserved early shower, and Donald came on to sub. Oops. With his first touch of the ball he chip-kicked straight to the Wallabies, who went on to score. Donald then missed touched from a penalty, gave away a penalty for a high shot, then missed a sitter of a penalty with seven minutes to go that would have put NZ two scores ahead. Finally, after the ABs had survived minutes of relentless Aussie attack, they turned the ball over; all Donald had to do was put the ball out. Nek Minnut... That blew a fifteen-test AB winning streak and was the only game the AB's lost all year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up4RvszwN2E
9
8 Rodney So’oialo, vs. South Africa, Rustenberg, 2 September 2006. Sometimes even the most solid players have a day when everything goes wrong. Threw an intercept pass that gifted SA a try; had an AB try ruled out; gave away the winning SA penalty that blew another AB fifteen-test winning streak. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RAC9AfDoMQ
7 Sione Lauaki, vs. Australia, Sydney, 26 July 2008. This is almost a double-header. When Richie McCaw was ruled out of this test, Daniel Braid was drafted into the squad. He was a decent alternative, but the problem was he hadn't played for five weeks due to injury so after just 30 minutes of the test he was almost dead on his feet – not helped by the fact the All Blacks had run from everywhere that night. Braid couldn’t get anywhere near the ball and was subbed after 50 minutes. When Lauaki came onto the field the All Blacks were leading 19-14. However after coming on, he immediately missed a tackle that allowed Rock Elson score under the posts. He then knocked the ball on five times in eight minutes, missed a further tackle that allowed James Horwill touch down, and was turned over on a number of occasions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td3yJhumajo
6
5 Jerome Kaino, vs. Ireland, Chicago, 5 November 2016. A tough call for perhaps NZ's greatest ever blindside flanker. The All Blacks arrived in Chicago 2016 to play Ireland without regular locks Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick, who were injured. Luke Romano, their next most experienced lock, had to leave three days before the game due to a personal matters and so the All Blacks had two specialists – Patrick Tuipulotu and the uncapped Scott Barrett. But Steve Hanson decided it was too much to ask Barrett to start so he shifted Kaino into the middle row, which went about as well as you'd expect. The hapless Kaino was subbed five minutes after halftime while Ireland beat NZ for the first time after 111 years of trying.
4 Brian Lochore, vs. the Lions, Wellington, 31 July 1971. Another great loose forward, and former captain, brought out of retirement and played out of position three matches into a four test series.
3 Jamie Mackintosh, vs. Scotland, Edinburgh, 8 November 2008. Great things were expected; one of the biggest All Blacks ever at 1.93m, 130kg, “Whoppa” captained the NZ Colts for two consecutive seasons, was immediately drafted into provincial then Super Rugby and then the national squad, debuting at 23 years old. And then in his debut match he was completely demolished and never played another test.
2
1 Frank McAtamney, vs. South Africa, Wellington, 4 August 1956.
15 Bob Lendrum, vs. England, Auckland, 15 September 1973. This will shock a lot of punters who would have expected Colin Farrell to be nailed on for this slot. But Lendrum's performance in his debut test was so atrocious across the board - goal kicking, positioning, handling - he sneaks ahead to win this slot. Directly responsible for two of England's three tries, and nearly responsible for a fourth at the death. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgP5li-8F-g
14
13 Leon MacDonald vs Australia, Sydney, 15 November 2003. Of all the AB fullbacks shifted into center over the years, this was the worst, and most consequential, performance.
12
11
10 Stephen Donald, vs. Australia, Hong Kong, 30 October 2010. We all know this story. With the AB's up 24-14 at sixty minutes, Dan Carter took a well-deserved early shower, and Donald came on to sub. Oops. With his first touch of the ball he chip-kicked straight to the Wallabies, who went on to score. Donald then missed touched from a penalty, gave away a penalty for a high shot, then missed a sitter of a penalty with seven minutes to go that would have put NZ two scores ahead. Finally, after the ABs had survived minutes of relentless Aussie attack, they turned the ball over; all Donald had to do was put the ball out. Nek Minnut... That blew a fifteen-test AB winning streak and was the only game the AB's lost all year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up4RvszwN2E
9
8 Rodney So’oialo, vs. South Africa, Rustenberg, 2 September 2006. Sometimes even the most solid players have a day when everything goes wrong. Threw an intercept pass that gifted SA a try; had an AB try ruled out; gave away the winning SA penalty that blew another AB fifteen-test winning streak. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RAC9AfDoMQ
7 Sione Lauaki, vs. Australia, Sydney, 26 July 2008. This is almost a double-header. When Richie McCaw was ruled out of this test, Daniel Braid was drafted into the squad. He was a decent alternative, but the problem was he hadn't played for five weeks due to injury so after just 30 minutes of the test he was almost dead on his feet – not helped by the fact the All Blacks had run from everywhere that night. Braid couldn’t get anywhere near the ball and was subbed after 50 minutes. When Lauaki came onto the field the All Blacks were leading 19-14. However after coming on, he immediately missed a tackle that allowed Rock Elson score under the posts. He then knocked the ball on five times in eight minutes, missed a further tackle that allowed James Horwill touch down, and was turned over on a number of occasions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td3yJhumajo
6
5 Jerome Kaino, vs. Ireland, Chicago, 5 November 2016. A tough call for perhaps NZ's greatest ever blindside flanker. The All Blacks arrived in Chicago 2016 to play Ireland without regular locks Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick, who were injured. Luke Romano, their next most experienced lock, had to leave three days before the game due to a personal matters and so the All Blacks had two specialists – Patrick Tuipulotu and the uncapped Scott Barrett. But Steve Hanson decided it was too much to ask Barrett to start so he shifted Kaino into the middle row, which went about as well as you'd expect. The hapless Kaino was subbed five minutes after halftime while Ireland beat NZ for the first time after 111 years of trying.
4 Brian Lochore, vs. the Lions, Wellington, 31 July 1971. Another great loose forward, and former captain, brought out of retirement and played out of position three matches into a four test series.
3 Jamie Mackintosh, vs. Scotland, Edinburgh, 8 November 2008. Great things were expected; one of the biggest All Blacks ever at 1.93m, 130kg, “Whoppa” captained the NZ Colts for two consecutive seasons, was immediately drafted into provincial then Super Rugby and then the national squad, debuting at 23 years old. And then in his debut match he was completely demolished and never played another test.
2
1 Frank McAtamney, vs. South Africa, Wellington, 4 August 1956.