page_title: The Original All Blacks
section_title: Early matches
hierarchical_section_title: The Original All Blacks / History / Early matches
caption_attribution_description: English: The All Blacks playing Somerset at Jarvis' Field, Taunton.
context_page_description: The Original All Blacks were the first New Zealand national rugby union team to tour outside Australasia. They toured the British Isles, France and the United States of America during 1905–1906. Their opening game, on 16 September 1905, was against Devon whom they defeated 55–4. They defeated every English side that they faced, including a 16–3 victory over English county champions Durham, and a 32–0 victory over Blackheath. They defeated Scotland, Ireland, and England with the closest of the three matches their 12–7 victory over Scotland. The team's only loss of the tour was a 3–0 defeat by Wales at Cardiff Arms Park. A try claimed by winger Bob Deans was not awarded by the referee and later became a subject of controversy. However, Wales were generally considered the better team with the All Blacks playing particularly poorly in the first half of the game. They managed narrow wins against four Welsh club teams and went on to play France in France's first-ever test match. They returned to New Zealand via North America where they played two matches against Canadian teams.
context_section_description: Their first match took place on 16 September 1905 against Devon, who had been runners-up in the most recent English county championship, and for whom played ten members of Devonport Albion, the top club in England. Because of this, Devon went into the match as favourites, however the crowd of 6,000 at the match were soon stunned by the New Zealanders as they scored 12 tries and eventually won 55–4. Billy Wallace scored 28 points, including three tries, and it would be another 51 years before another All Black would score more points in one match. The score caused a sensation in Britain, and some newspapers even incorrectly reported the score as Devon 55, New Zealand 4. Eventually the reports were corrected, and the New Zealanders returned to Newton Abbot to be greeted by a brass band and cheering crowd.
  Five days later New Zealand faced Cornwall at Recreation Ground in Camborne. Although the score was only 12–0 at half time, the New Zealanders ended up with 11 tries, and a 41–0 victory. The team then travelled to play Bristol, who they played on 23 September. The game was played in front of 6,500 spectators, with the same result as the Cornwall match, a 41–0 victory for New Zealand. They then travelled to Northampton, after stopping in London. The game resulted in another victory, this time 31–0, to the All Blacks. By now, the All Blacks had scored 169 points in their four games, with only four against.
  The next match was against Leicester at Welford Road on 30 September. Four players in the Leicester team would go on to play in the England Test; more than any other club. Although the All Blacks were held scoreless for the first 25 minutes, at the time the longest period that the All Blacks had gone without scoring on tour, George Smith eventually crossed for the All Blacks first score of the game. The All Blacks ended the match 28–0 winners.
  After the following match against Middlesex, won 34–0 by the All Blacks, The Daily Chronicle said "These New Zealanders turn defence into attack with such bewildering rapidity as to prove that scrummaging is a mere detail. There is nothing in the game in which they do not excel."
  The toughest game of the tour so far was against Durham County, on 7 October. Durham were the English county champions, and were the first team to score a try against the All Blacks on tour. Despite the small 6–3 advantage to the All Blacks at the break, they scored 10 unanswered points in the second half to win 16–3. The All Blacks' closest game of the tour so far was immediately followed by their largest win. The match against Hartlepool Clubs, one of the strongest teams in northern England, was won 63–0 by the All Blacks.
  The All Blacks next three games were against Northumberland, Gloucester, and Somerset. None of the sides scored against the All Blacks; with them losing by 31, 44, and 23 points to nil respectively. Four days following the Somerset match, the All Blacks faced Devonport Albion. Devonport Albion were England's club champion, and the runners-up for Great Britain club champion. 20,000 spectators witnessed another All Blacks victory; this time by 21–3.
  For the match against Midland Counties at Leicester, 17,000 spectators, as well as officials from the Welsh rugby union attended the match. Although Midland Counties scored a converted try, the All Blacks retained their winning record with a 21–5 victory. The victory over Midland Counties was followed by an 11–0 victory over Surrey, and 32–0 victory over Blackheath. The seven try win over Blackheath was considered by Wallace to be the end of the All Blacks' peak—"Unfortunately, after this game injuries began to take their toll and prevented us ever putting in so fine a team again on the tour."
  The next three game for the All Blacks would be played in five days. The All Blacks scored 13 tries, and Jimmy Hunter five of them, as they ran up a 47–0 victory over Oxford University. Their next match, two days later, was against Cambridge University. The Scotland Test was approaching, and the All Blacks decided to rest several players, Hunter, Billy S
caption: The match vs. Somerset at Jarvis's Field.
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