All Blacks claim World Cup glory
John Kirwan scoring a try in the 1987 World Cup final
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1987
New Zealand beat France 29-9 at Eden Park in Auckland to lift the inaugural Rugby World Cup. The game was packed with legends on both sides but it was the All Blacks who ran out winners with tries from Michael Jones, David Kirk and John Kirwan. Grant Fox scored four penalties, one conversion and a dropped-goal for the All Blacks with Pierre Berbizier scoring France's solitary try. It was New Zealand's first and only World Cup victory to this date.
2009
The British & Irish Lions fell agonisingly short in the first Test against South Africa at Kings Park in Durban, losing 26-21 to the Springboks. The Lions were comprehensively outplayed by a heavyweight South African pack over the opening hour, with tries for skipper John Smit and openside flanker Heinrich Brussow. Tom Croft scored a try in either half for the Lions and scrum-half Mike Phillips scored a third for the tourists but it was not enough. "In such high-intensity clashes you must take your chances and the Lions failed to do so and paid the price. A brave second half comeback saw the tourists out-gun the hosts three tries to two but they were left to rue a slow start and a series of butchered scoring opportunities," wrote ESPN Scrum's Graham Jenkins.
1971
All Blacks flanker Josh Kronfeld was born in Hastings, New Zealand. Kronfeld was an expert at winning the ball at the breakdown and went on to win 54 Test caps and played for the All Blacks in the 1995 and 1999 World Cups.
1928
The All Blacks scored five tries - two by Freddie Lucas - on their way to beating the Western Transvaal 19-8 at Potchefstroom.
1933
Jockey Kelaher was the first Australian to score a hat-trick of tries on the African continent. His scores came in Australia's 24-5 win against Rhodesia in Salisbury.
1953
John Solomon's Wallabies opened their 27-match tour of South Africa with a 15-14 defeat by Natal at the Kingsmead Ground in Natal. Roy McLean, a South African Test cricketer, dropped a goal for the home side.
1980
Italian hooker Carlo Festuccia was born in L'Aquila, Italy. Festuccia has won 47 caps for the Azzurri. In 2009 he was granted compassionate leave from the Italian squad to face Australia and New Zealand on tour in order to aid in the effort following a devastating earthquake in his home region.
2009
The All Blacks won their second Test with France 14-10 but lost the silverware in a titanic arm-wrestle at Westpac Stadium in Wellington. An improved New Zealand forward effort proved the difference in a contest spoiled as a spectacle by freezing conditions and constant rain but the tourists claimed the Dave Gallaher Cup thanks to their 27-22 upset win in Dunedin the previous week.
1959
Ron Dawson's Lions opened the New Zealand leg of their visit by running up a then record score by a tour side on New Zealand soil, winning 52-12 against Hawke's Bay at Napier.
1970 Brian Lochore's All Blacks began their tour of South Africa with a 28-3 win against Border in East London; the tourists scored seven tries and conceded none.
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