Despite their uncanny knack to stumble at the biggest stage of all since their win in the inaugural World Cup in 1987, the All Blacks undoubtedly boast one of the best sporting records since they first stepped onto the grass in 1895.
The stats speak for themselves: they hold a win-loss record of 363-103, having lost to only five nations ever. They have a winning record over every team in the world, including the Pacific Islanders, British and Irish Lions and the World XV.
Since the introduction of the IRB World Rankings was introduced in 2003, the All Blacks have held the top spot for more than 70% of the time, having never dropped below third.
They have won the World Cup once, the Tri-Nations 10 times out of 16, and hold the record for most consecutive wins at 15. Their average scoreline is 25-12, meaning they have historically outscored their opponents more than two to one.
The debate as to who the greatest team is will rage on forever. Many cite the USSR Ice Hockey Team as the greatest sports team of all time, or the New York Yankees, the 90's-00's Australian cricket team, 24-time Stanley Cup winners Montreal Canadiens, or Serie A's 27-time champions Juventus.
Others have identified short-term success, such as the Brisbane Lions of 2001-2003, the 1960's Boston Celtics, or the recent dominance of Barcelona over world football.
However, all of these teams have had patches of glory - nothing like the century-long sustained success of the All Blacks. With a winning record of more than 75% over the last century, in my view, they have established themselves as the most dominant sporting team of all time.