They are known as “The Incomparables”, a nickname to daunt a group of successors to whom they will find themselves inevitably compared. When Dave Rennie unveiled his New Zealand squad for the tour of South Africa, present were a selection of the 1996 All Blacks who, 30 years ago, conquered the reigning world champion Springboks in their own backyard and launched rugby union’s professional age. Three decades on, the echoes of that series still sound; again, this much-anticipated meeting of men’s rugby’s two ruling powers carries with it a significance beyond simply the sport at its centre.
