Extra spice for the All Blacks' Test with France, in Paris on Sunday (NZT), will be provided by defending the Dave Gallaher Trophy with the side sporting a commemorative poppy on their jersey that, due to the clash of colours, will be a white jersey.
Captain Sam Whitelock said it had happened only three or four times in his 131 Tests. While every New Zealand rugby player growing up wanted to wear the All Black jersey, the novelty of playing in white was something the players appreciated for its uniqueness.
Because of how schedules fell, some players could play 50-60 Tests and never experience playing in a different coloured jersey.
There were no qualms in not wearing the black, so long as the silver fern was there, that was all that mattered, he said.
Whitelock said he was sure everyone knew the significance of Dave Gallaher and the trophy that will be on the line in his memory in the game.
Gallaher had been one of the 13 All Blacks killed in the First World War, and the trophy had a special place in the New Zealanders' hearts.
“It is one of those things we do talk around every time we play for it because, even though he lived so long ago, a lot of the standards that the All Blacks live by now he set up as the leader he was. We understand the history of it, and it is something we don't take lightly.”
Sam Whitelock
Whitelock said Ireland's success in starving the All Blacks of the ball last week was likely to influence France's approach to some degree during the game.
He said it had been good having Sam Cane back in the team. He provided useful backup leadership wise and in bouncing ideas off him given his captaincy experience.
"Having another senior voice out there is really good. It is something I have always said, it is never up to one person out there to lead this team, it is down to a number of people and Sam is one of those guys," he said.
Leadership didn't centre around the captain on the day, he said. There were players on the bench or not in the playing 23 who contributed to the leadership.
"It takes leadership across the whole team to achieve what we want to achieve. That's something I've driven this week and as a leadership group I think we've nailed that balance of who speaks and when they do speak," he said.
FAQs
Extra spice for the All Blacks' Test with France, in Paris on Sunday (NZT), will be provided by defending the Dave Gallaher Trophy with the side sporting a commemorative poppy on their jersey that, due to the clash of colours, will be a white jersey.
Who is the father of rugby in New Zealand? ›
The man long credited with introducing rugby to New Zealand was Nelson-born Charles Monro. Charles was the son of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, David Monro, and was initially educated at Nelson College. In 1867, having turned 16, he left for England to be educated for a possible career in the army.
Where is Dave Gallaher buried? ›
Dave Gallaher is buried at Nine Elms British Cemetery, Poperinghe, Belgium.
Who was Gallagher New Zealand All Black? ›
Gallaher was the captain of the Original All Blacks (often simply referred to as 'The Originals'), New Zealand's first national rugby union team to tour outside Australasia. He captained the team from 1903 to 1906. The legendary All Blacks five-month tour of Britain in 1905 constitutes the highlight of his career.
Who is the most successful All Black captain? ›
Richard Hugh McCaw ONZ (born 31 December 1980) is a retired New Zealand professional rugby union player. He captained the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks, in 110 out of his 148 test matches, and won two Rugby World Cups.
Who is the best New Zealand rugby player ever? ›
Jonah Lomu is widely regarded as one of the greatest rugby players of all time, he scored 37 tries in 63 appearances for the All Blacks. He was a key player in the 1995 Rugby World Cup and helped popularize the sport around the world.
Who was the first All Black captain? ›
Dave Gallaher was captain of the 1905 'Originals' rugby team, the first to be known as the All Blacks.
Who was the captain of the Irish All Blacks? ›
David Gallaher (30 October 1873 – 4 October 1917) was an Irish-born New Zealand rugby union footballer best remembered as the captain of the "Original All Blacks"—the 1905–06 New Zealand national team, the first representative New Zealand side to tour the British Isles.
Who was the captain of the Donegal All Blacks? ›
Dave Gallaher hailed from Donegal but ended up captaining the side known as the "Original All Blacks" during their 1905 tour of Europe and North America.
Who was the youngest all black? ›
At the age of 19 years and 45 days, Lomu became the youngest All Black test player as he debuted on the wing against France in 1994, breaking a record that had been held by Edgar Wrigley since 1905.
Gallagher is an Irish surname. It originates from the Irish noble Gallagher family of County Donegal, Ireland. In Ireland, the anglicized version of the name "Gallagher" is pronounced /ˈɡɒləˌhər/ in County Donegal in Ulster, while elsewhere in the country it is most frequently pronounced as /ˈɡæləˌhər/.
Who are the famous All Black fullbacks? ›
The four fullbacks were Bob Scott (17 tests from 1946-1954), George Nēpia (9 tests from 1924-1930), Christian Cullen (58 tests from 1996-2002) and Mils Muliaina (100 tests from 2003-2011).
How did rugby start in New Zealand? ›
19th-century rugby
The first known football match in New Zealand under rugby rules was played in Whanganui in 1869. Charles Monro organised a match in Nelson in 1870 after playing at school in London. Other old boys of English public schools persuaded clubs to adopt rugby rules.
Where did the New Zealand rugby team originate? ›
Formation of New Zealand Rugby
On Saturday 16 April 1892, at a meeting held in Wellington, the NZRFU was formed. Inaugural members were the Provincial Unions of Auckland, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu, Marlborough, Nelson, South Canterbury, Taranaki, Wairarapa, Wanganui and Wellington.
Who are the three NZ rugby brothers? ›
Beauden, Scott and Jordie. The Barrett Brothers are the star rugby family from New Zealand, making sure the All Blacks stay on top of the world.
Who founded the All Blacks rugby team? ›
David Gallaher (30 October 1873 – 4 October 1917) was an Irish-born New Zealand rugby union footballer best remembered as the captain of the "Original All Blacks"—the 1905–06 New Zealand national team, the first representative New Zealand side to tour the British Isles.
