The New Zealand rugby squad nicknamed "The Originals" with 27 players (two Māori) arrived in England on September 8, 1905. The touring team would play a total of 35-games, including, five Test matches. When the tour ended in San Francisco on February 13, 1906, the All Blacks' record was an outstanding 34-1.

It is important to remember that the rugby played then was different from the rugby played in the 21st Century. The major changes:

• Try 3 points. Conversion 2 points. Drop Goal 4 points, Penalty kick 3 points;
• No lifting in the lineout;
• No substitutions;
• Kicking for touch allowed from the entire field, not just behind the 22-meter line; and,
• An amateur only sport.

The four Home Countries envisioned an easy contest from the visiting All Blacks. Primarily, they assumed an historic superiority from decades of playing each other in Test Matches and from inter nation top flight club competition. Also, the New Zealanders pre tour warmup matches generated mediocre performances, notably, a 3-0 loss to Wellington at home.

The opening match pitted the visitors again the Devon XV who were runners up in the England County championship. Six thousand fans turned up certain of victory. The All Blacks notched 12 tries in a stunning 55-4 rout. The result was so surprisingly unexpected that newspapers in the U.K., incorrectly at first, gave Devon the 55-4 win. New Zealand totlaed 169 points, English clubs four in the opening four matches.

The U.K. sporting press rummaged for reasons as the All Blacks dominated opponents in one-sided routs. Some postured that the poor showing stemmed from a deterioration of athletic British/Irish manliness in the face of superior colonial opposition. The London newspaper, The Daily Chronicle, stated, "These New Zealanders turn defense into attack with bewildering rapidity. There is nothing in the game in which they do not excel."

With each Kiwi victory, the crowds increased, some to 15,000, then 20,000, until, finally in the Test Match against England at the Crystal Palace, London, on December 5, an estimated 100,000 fans packed the grounds, including, future King George V. This established an attendance record for a rugby or football match in London.

The Kiwis scored an astonishing 976 total points while conceding only 59. Only twice did opposition score a high of eight points: France and Swansea RFC. The All Blacks recorded 23 shutouts, demonstrating consistent defensive excellence.

Test Matches

It was clear that the only hope of a victory against the visitors might come in one of the five Test Matches. The results, four All Blacks wins and one loss. NZ 12 - Scotland 7, NZ 15 - Ireland 0, NZ 15 - England 0, Wales 3 - NZ 0, NZ 38 - France 8.

The Wales Test win on December 23 at Cardiff Arms Park is regarded as one of international rugby's great matches. A throng of 47,000 spectators sat in silent respect as the visitors performed the ceremonial haka ("Ka Mate"). In response, the crowd sang the Welsh national anthem Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau ("Land of My Fathers"), marking the first occasion an anthem had ever been sung at a sporting event. Wales scored an unconverted try for a 3-0 lead. New Zealand's play was spotty and ineffective. Late in the second half, the All Blacks Bob Deans tried to bull over from a five-yard scrum but grounded the ball a few feet from the try line. It would forever be contestesed as Deans argued in vain that he had scored.

New Style of Play

At the outset, the All Blacks trained hard and were physically fit. At home, they engaged in 45-minutes halves and not the 35-minutes of game time played by the Home Countries. Other New Zeland innovations emerged, seen in the U.K. for the first time.

• Discipline and organization, a "scientific approach" to the game;
• Specific role for forwards arriving in loose scrums;
• Proficient line-out practice;
• Introducetion of 2–3–2 scrum formation;
• Use of "five-eighth" position (a player between the half back and three quarter);
• Fullback attacking; and,
• Multi player offloads in open breaks.

Reactions and Results

New Zealanders (1905 population of 900,000) followed the tour with all-consuming pride. Match results were telegraphed back to the press for the next day's shining reports. When the team landed in Auckland on March 1906 (six months after leaving), Prime Minister Seddon greeted the victors along with a crowd of about 15,000. He proclaimed, "Their names would live on in the history of football."

From this tour onward to the present day, the global rugby community would proclaim the Kiwis as the preeminent rugby union nation in the world. The All Blacks achieved an historic 77% Test Match win rate. The justifiable reputation as world champions began on the tour of 1905.