All-time All Blacks Mo XV

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Every year November is accompanied with some moustaches all in the name of charity.

However, some players do not need November to grow a weird ‘mo’ they choose to cover their top lip throughout the year and the All Blacks official website have delved into the archives to bring you the all-time All Blacks ‘Mo XV’

15 Allan Hewson

Allan Hewson may be best remembered for his part in the famous “flour bomb test” against the Springboks at Eden Park in 1981, but his moustache through the 1980s was also unforgettable. Hewson scored more than 200 points for the All Blacks as a reliable goal kicker and gliding runner from broken play.

All Blacks number: 804
Tests: 19
Games: 15
Total appearances: 34
Test debut: v Scotland, 1981
Final Test: v Australia, 1984
Test points: 201 (4t, 22c, 43p, 4dg)

14 Terry Wright

Terry Wright wasn’t a big man, even by the standards of backs in the 1980s, but he more than made up for it with his blistering pace and uncanny ability to find the try line. Wright’s moustache was often sleek like his physique. He was known to many fans as “bendy man” for his ability to take a big tackle and still manage to somehow absorb the impact and the ball over the try line in the corner.

All Blacks number: 875
Tests: 30
Games: 64
Test debut: v France, 1986
Final Test: v Scotland, 1991
Test points: 72 (18 tries)

13 Joe Stanley

‘Smokin’ Joe Stanley was a man of few words, but many hair follicles. The Aucklander was a stoic defender who could put his outsides away with perfectly timed passes, or a deceivingly quick outside break. Known at the time as a hit man on defence, modern rugby fans will be surprised to learn he played at just 83kg (including moustache).

All Blacks number: 874
Tests: 27
Games: 22
Total appearances: 49
Test debut: v France, 1986
Final Test: v Scotland, 1990
Test points: 16 (4 tries)

12 John Schuster

Johnny ‘The Shoe’ Schuster had a huge sidestep and a huge moustache.

The Samoan-born Wellingtonian memorably turned a Fijian defender inside out at the 1989 Hong Kong Sevens. Schuster had a short-lived All Blacks Test career after joining an exodus of All Blacks to rugby league when he took a contract with the Newcastle Knights in 1990, but his moustache remained.

All Blacks number: 889
Tests: 10
Games: 16
Total appearances: 26
Test debut: v Australia, 1988
Final Test: v Ireland, 1989
Test points: 4 (1 try)

11 Bernie Fraser

An obvious selection for any team based on facial hair. Bernie Fraser’s smile was as big as his moustache, which was a fixture on his upper lip during the Wellingtonians stellar rugby career. By today’s standards, his six Test tries seem small, but the 46 tries in 55 matches in the black jersey paints a more accurate picture of one of the great finishers.

All Blacks number: 797
Tests: 23
Games: 32
Total appearances: 55
Test debut: v Scotland, 1979
Final Test: v Australia, 1984
Test points: 24 (6 tries)

10 Bob Burgess

A mo like Bob Burgess’ was likely commonplace during his days at Massey University in Palmerston North during the hairy decade of the 1970s, but nonetheless, his was a beauty. The moustache matched his long flowing hair for style and was as classy as his decision to decline nomination for the All Blacks trials for the 1970 tour of South Africa in opposition to apartheid.

All Blacks number: 690
Tests: 7
Games: 23
Total appearances: 30
Test debut: 1971 v British & Irish Lions
Final Test: v France, 1973
Test points: 6 (2 tries)

9 Aaron Smith

One of the best passing halfbacks the game has ever seen, Aaron Smith has been a mainstay of the All Blacks since bursting onto the international scene in 2012. Smith was a hairdressers’ apprentice before his rugby career took off, so knows a thing or two about male grooming. His well-manicured moustache has come and gone over the years, but like his form, it’s never off for long.

All Blacks number: 1112
Tests: 80*
Test debut: 2012 v Ireland
Final Test: N/A
Test points: 82 (16 tries)

8 Murray Mexted

Moustaches were a prominent fashion statement in the 1980s and it is no surprise that the forward pack is rounded out by one of the All Blacks leading players from that era – Murray Mexted. From his debut in 1979 to final Test in 1985, Mexted played an unbroken sequence of 34 Tests and was regarded as one of the finest No.8s in the world game. At an imposing 6 foot 4 and weighing close to 100kg, Mexted was a thunderous defender, strong ball runner and reliable lineout target. The final word must sit with his moustache though. With his greasy locks shimmering from a physical 80-minute contest and his piercing moustache dominating the landscape above his lips, Mexted could have easily looked at home on the poster of a 1980s action movie as he did on the field for the All Blacks.

All Blacks number: 798
Tests: 34
Games: 38
Total appearances: 72
Test debut: 1979 v Scotland
Final Test: 1985 v Argentina
Test points: 16 (four tries)

7 Dave Gallaher (Captain)

No list of great moustaches in All Blacks history would be complete without the inclusion of the great Dave Gallaher. A legend of All Blacks rugby, Gallaher was the captain of the All Blacks ‘Originals’ team in 1905/06 that set the standard for All Blacks rugby for years to come. The Originals played 35 games on their epic tour with just one loss and an incredible 976 points scored for and just 59 points conceded. Gallaher was a pioneer on the field too, with his dynamic play in the wing-forward position paving the way for the role of the modern-day flanker.

All Blacks number: 97
Tests: 6
Games: 30
Total appearances: 36
Test debut: 1903 v Australia
Final Test: 1906 v France
Test points: 0

6 Andy Earl

From farming stock, Andy Earl was a no-nonsense blindside flanker with a moustache that meant business. Tireless around the park and tenacious on defence, Earl was a workhorse for the All Blacks throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s. While overshadowed by his contemporaries Mike Brewer, Zinzan Brooke and Michael Jones in the loose forward trio, Earl showed his value to the side by racking up an impressive 45 All Blacks appearances in his career (14 Tests, 31 games.

All Blacks number: 870
Tests: 14
Games: 31
Total appearances: 45
Test debut: 1986 v France
Final Test: 1992 v Australia
Test points: 12 (three tries)

5 Murray Pierce

There’s no one better to partner Gary Whetton in the second row than his fellow 1987 Rugby World Cup winner Murray Pierce. Pierce was equally adept as Whetton at line out time and offered a strong running game which saw him cross for four Test tries for the All Blacks. Pierce was a policeman in Wellington during his time in the All Blacks and his moustache reflected his profession. It was always finely manicured and never extended beyond the lip line.

All Blacks number: 852
Tests: 26
Games: 28
Total appearances: 54
Test debut: 1985 v England
Final Test: 1989 v Ireland
Test points: 16 (four tries)

4 Gary Whetton

Gary Whetton’s towering frame and bristly moustache was a constant feature of All Blacks rugby in the 1980s. Instantly recognisable by his upper lip growth, his moustache was as imposing as his unrelenting drive for success with both the All Blacks and Auckland rugby. Not quite a handle bar, but too bristly for a pencil, Whetton’s moustache was a perfect look for a player who never shirked any of the tough work during his 101 appearances for the All Blacks (58 Tests and 43 games).

All Blacks number: 827
Tests: 58
Games: 43
Total appearances: 101
Test debut: 1981 v South Africa
Final Test: 1991 v Scotland
Test points: 4 (1 try)

3 Karl Tu’inukuafe

Although used predominantly as a loosehead for the All Blacks so far, Tu’inukuafe takes the number three jersey in this ‘Mo XV’ to complete a formidable front row. Not many players have made as big a splash as Tu’inukuafe in their debut international season and he has been rewarded with a nomination for the World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year Award. While he faces stiff competition for that award from South Africa’s Aphiwe Dyanti and Ireland’s Jordan Larmour, if World Rugby had a ‘best moustache’ category there is no doubt that Tu’inukuafe would be a shoo-in.

All Blacks number: 1171
Tests: 10*
Test debut: 2018 v France
Final Test: N/A
Test points: 0

2 Tane Norton
A late bloomer into the All Blacks at the age of 29, Tane Norton never had any trouble blooming a finely shaped moustache which he still sports to this day. Norton had a great career in the black jersey which was bookended with Tests against the British and Irish Lions. The undoubted highlight of Norton’s career was leading the All Blacks to a 3-1 series victory over the Lions in 1977 to avenge the 1971 series loss to the same side.

All Blacks number: 694
Tests: 27
Games: 34
Total appearances: 61
Test debut: 1971 v British and Irish Lions
Final Test: 1977 v British and Irish Lions
Test points: 0

1 Richard Loe

Tough and uncompromising on the field, Richard Loe had a moustache that matched his style of play – bristly and in your face. While never known to take a backwards step during his 49-Test career, Loe never let a razor touch his upper lip either. His front row combination with Sean Fitzpatrick and Steve McDowall was the stuff of legend, and now so too is his moustache.

All Blacks number: 881
Tests: 49
Games: 29
Total appearances: 78
Test debut: 1987 v Italy
Final Test: 1995 v France
Test points: 25 (six tries)

Coach: Alex ‘Grizz’ Wyllie

Was there really any contest in this coaching selection? With a nickname like Grizz, you knew there was one hell of a moustache coming your way. During his four-year tenure as All Blacks coach from 1988-1991, there wouldn’t have been much need for a pep-talk in the changing room. Just one look at Wyllie’s bountiful, walrus-like moustache is all it would have taken to run through brick walls in the black jersey. With that in mind, Wyllie is the obvious choice to lead this pack of moustachioed rugby heroes.

@AllBlacks