1905 Invincibles vs England

Lore & Background

The 1905 All Blacks were known as 'The Originals', not 'The Invincibles'. The match was played on December 2, 1905, not December 30, 1905. The captain of the 1905 All Blacks is not specified in the source article.

In Their Own Story

The London air bit cold against the faces of the players gathered at Blackheath. Dickie Reynolds tightened his grip on the ball, feeling the weight of expectation from a nation thousands of miles away. As the whistle blew, the crowd roared, a sea of grey coats and bowler hats watching history unfold. There was no padding to cushion the impact, only leather boots on hard turf and the sheer will of men who refused to yield.

Reader's Guide

The Hillary Shield has been awarded to the winner of England – New Zealand test matches since 2008. The shield is only contested in non-World Cup matches, and is named in honour of Sir Edmund Hillary. It was also conceived to recognise the links between New Zealand and England.

Did You Know?

• The All Blacks have never lost more than two consecutive matches to England (once, on losses in November 2002 and then June 2003).
• Of the 47 matches between them, New Zealand have won 36 and England 9, with two draws.
• In 1936 England defeated the All Blacks for the first time when England winger Prince Alexander Obolensky scored two tries during a 13–0 victory at Twickenham Stadium.