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Subscribe to RSS Feed1987: Home sweet home for ABs
David Kirk kisses the World Cup
"The best side I ever played against."
Ieuan Evans' appraisal of the New Zealand side that won the inaugural World Cup on home soil in 1987.
And that is some assessment given the fact Evans played over 70 times for his country in an international career spanning 11 years.
Yet their performances in that tournament back up the Wales legend's bold claim.
The All Blacks opened the event - and the World Cup as a whole - with a 70-6 mauling of Italy in Auckland on May 22, with the first try going to debutant Michael Jones.
The Kiwis went on to touch down 11 more times to send an ominous message to their rivals, including favourites and great rivals Australia, that they meant business.
The Aussies had an altogether tougher opener as they faced old enemies England, but they too ran out winners - triumphing 19-6 in a hard-fought game which included a controversial try from David Campese.
And with the United States and Japan making up the numbers in Pool One it was no surprise to see the Australians cruise into the quarter-finals as group winners, with England progressing alongside them.
The three other home nations also moved through with varying degrees of success.
Scotland bounced back from an agonising draw with France in their first pool game to reach the last eight at the expense of Romania and Zimbabwe while Wales and Ireland progressed having finished first and second respectively in Pool Two.
Fiji completed the qualifiers from New Zealand's pool, but their shortcomings were all too apparent in the last eight as they were beaten 31-16 by France.
By that stage, the Silver Ferns had continued their imperious progress into the semi-finals with a 30-3 victory that sent Scotland on their way.
Ireland joined the Scots on the plane home after a 33-15 defeat by Australia leaving Wales and England to battle it out for the last semi-final berth.
It was the Welsh who triumphed, with Robert Jones' try setting up a gritty 16-13 victory.
Their brave run ended in the last four, though, as they were swept aside 49-6 by the Kiwis - yet they did have the consolation of beating Australia 22-21 to win the play-off for third place.
The Aussies had been downed by a late Serge Blanco try in their semi-final - a touchdown which sent the French into the Eden Park finale after a thrilling clash.
There they would meet a New Zealand side with some 269 points under their belt in just five matches at the tournament and only 43 conceded.
The French started gallantly - and trailed just 9-3 with 20 minutes to go - but the after-effects of their see-saw semi-final were clear to see in the closing stages.
Jones - who had missed the semi-final as his religious beliefs meant he refused to play on a Sunday - went over for the first World Cup final try of all time and the Kiwis never looked back, triumphing 29-9.
Captain David Kirk became the first player to collect the Webb Ellis Trophy, and a nation that had been split just weeks before by the exclusion from the tournament of the Springboks was united in celebration.
Competing countries: Australia, England, USA, Japan, Ireland, Wales, Canada, Tonga, New Zealand, Fiji, Italy, Argentina, France, Scotland, Romania, Zimbabwe.
Winners - New Zealand, 2nd - France, 3rd - Wales, 4th - Australia.
