Now for the hard part - loose forwards.  We've had some class over the last decade, along with some serious chaff too, but there are genuine contenders for all spots, although I'm picking the voting for openside flanker will be pretty clear cut - almost tempting to put a second vote option in to see who is rated number two behind McCaw.  Again though, that would be pretty clear cut, with Kronfeld front runner there, with Holah and Masoe perhaps snaring a few votes as fans favourites, voting with their hearts, not their heads.

So we'll run three polls here for the three slots, and see how it goes picking the bench spot, I'll devises some cunning plan to get my favourite in - divide votes by letters in middle name multiplied by test caps take away the tries and mix in a blender for five minutes might be the formula.

Without further ado, into the loose forwards, and first up, the blindside flankers.  I've included Taine Randell here, as I think it was his best spot in the loose trio, selectors whimsey on my part, even though there have been no great 8s (Lochore, Buck quality) over the last ten years, Randell was a much better 6 than 8, so there he is placed.

So that was a little ado wasn't it...!

First, the contenders, and then the nominees.  Only three contenders, and none of them make the grade to get onto the voting sheet - two for lack of caps, Jonno Gibbes and Adam Thomson, and the other because I don't think he deserves to be there, Sione 'fat lazy bugger, I play when I feel like it, which is every 4th game in a leap year at a stadium starting with Q' Lauaki.  Gibbes just didn't get enough time on the field, and Thomson has not yet got enough, although he might end upa  serious contender for the next decade team, especially if he keeps Kaino out of the side in the next few seasons.  An intriguing battle I'm picking, and there'll be many a thread devoted to this rivalry in the months and years to come!

Jonathan Brian Gibbes  :  b 1977  :  1.94m, 112kg  :  8 tests - Rugby Museum Profile
Adam Thomson  :  b 1982  :  1.96m, 112kg  :  15 tests - Rugby Museum Profile
Sione Tuitupu Lauaki  :  b 1981  :  1.94m, 115kg  :  17 tests - Rugby Museum Profile

Right, so the chaff has been sorted, onto the wheat - the four contenders

Taine Cheyenne Randell
Otago, Highlanders
Loose forward; 1.88m; 110kg; b 5 November 1974, Hastings, New Zealand
51 caps - (35 wins, 2 draws, 14 losses); 60 test points (12 tries).
All Black debut: (test match) 1997 v Fiji at Albany (won 71-5).  Last test: 2002 v Wales at Cardiff (won 43-17).
I remember when he hit the scene, the test scene that is, in 1997 - coming on for Michael Jones I think it was, and playing like a champion.  He did have a pretty handy couple of loosies with him though, in Kronfeld and Zinny though, and a tight five that was worth it's weight in gold.  However, this was not to become his home over the next few years - I think if Taine had stayed at 6 he would have become a genuine great.  However, he was stuffed around all over the park, eight and even seven at times, and he was best suited to the six slot.  He had a bit of Alan Whetton about him when playing at six, the great support player, linking well with the blouses, making the passes that kept movements going.  Jonah and the 'greatest test ever' being a beautiful case in point!  However, perhaps shirked a bit of the hard work that a loose forward needs to do, and while a natural born leader from a young age, not really an All Black captain, not dented and mean enough when push came to shove.
Strengths:  Ball skills, great link man, good lineout option, despite not being a string bean!  Weaknesses:  Work rate on defence.  A cry baby when the All Blacks lose RWC semi finals...
Bart Ratings (out of ten) - Mobility: 7.5  Ball Skills: 9  Scrummaging: 7  Lineouts: 8.5  Defence:  6.5
Rugby Museum Profile:  Click here

Reuben David Thorne
Canterbury, Crusaders
Loose forward, lock; 1.92m; 107kg; b 2 January 1975, Christchurch, New Zealand
50 caps - (42 wins, 8 losses); 25 test points (5 tries).
All Black debut: (test match) 1999 v South Africa at Pretoria (won 34-18).  Last test: 2007 v Romania at Toulouse (won 85-8).
I don't think any player has generated as much media coverage by just playing footy and being a nice bloke off the field than Reuben David Thorne.  I mean, even his name is nothing to write home about!  But Thorne certainly set the airwaves and internet forums on fire during his ten year test career.  And I think that ten years tells the whole story, he was a bloody solid player, a man to build teams around.  Not a Jerry Collins or Jerome Kaino, but then, Collins and Kaino are not Reuben either.  Never a star or a match winner, but often as not, the man doing the work when required.
Strengths:  A real workhorse, from minute one to eighty.  Able to lock just as well as play loose forward, utility value to the max.  Solid lineout option as a loose forward, aveerage as a lock.  Weaknesses:  About as much impact with the ball in hand as a fly on a windscreen, otherwise a pretty fine forward, despite what a million and one threads on the Fern forum might have said!
Bart Ratings (out of ten) - Mobility: 7.5  Ball Skills: 8  Scrummaging: 8.5  Lineouts: 7.5  Defence:  7.5
Rugby Museum Profile:  Click here

Jerry Collins
Wellington, Hurricanes
Loose forward; 1.91m; 107kg; b 4 November 1980, Apia, Samoa
48 caps - (42 wins, 6 losses); 25 test points (5 tries).
All Black debut: (test match) 2001 v Argentina at Christchurch (won 67-19).  Last test: 2007 v France at Cardiff (lost 18-20).
Was a tired old boy when he walked away from his All Black jersey at the end of the 2007 season, aged just 27, but it was time to go, as the 2008 Super 14 season Collins was just going through the motions, and he knew the writing was on the wall.  Now plying his trade in Wales, Collins is certainly not the player he was at his best.  Still, lets dwell on his ups, not the twilight of his career as he counts his pay cheque each week...  Who can forget the tackle that put Colin Charvis into Lala-land?  Or the other thousand killer tackles that he landed during his career.  He was a bit on the high side in his early days, but once he adjusted his sights to rib cage instead of tit line, less tackles slipped up, and he was even more dangerous.  Also a good strong ball carrier, he added some nice subtle touches as his test career went along, slipping passes more often as defences expected him to just bash it up in his standard brutal fashion.  He even had a nice kicking game, the last thing you would expect from the former Garbage Collector!  Able to play 6 or 8.  He started his Wellington and Hurricanes career at 8, with Rodney So'oialo at 6, but after a season or two, that reversed, and the rest, as they say, is history!
Strengths:  Defence, fitness, never say die attitude.  Going as strong after 80 minutes as he was in the first.  Weaknesses:  Prone to have the odd tackle slip a little high - especially early in his career, which would lead to him being a seventy minute player, thanks to a ten minute rest in the bin!!
Bart Ratings (out of ten) - Mobility: 8  Ball Skills: 8.5  Scrummaging: 8  Lineouts: 7.5  Defence:  10
Rugby Museum Profile:  Click here

Jerome Kaino
Auckland, Blues
Loose forward; 1.91m; 107kg; b 6 April 1983, Tutuila, American Samoa
25 caps - (20 wins, 5 losses); 25 test points (5 tries).
Started as a loose loose forward, but of late has developed into a, dare I say it, more Reuben Thorne loose forward, doing a lot more tighter work closer to the coal face of ruck and maul.  Still a sight to see with ball in hand, it always gets a rugby fans blood stirring to see massive mountains of men like Kaino in the open with ball in hand.  Probably not stirring as much as the poor little fullback with the sight of a player almost as big as a combine harvester charging down the field at him, but for we fans, that's half the fun!  Big enough to slip into lock if required, but not really a locking option as Thorne was, but strong enough at a pinch to fill the void.  Skilled big man who is going to have a battle royale over the coming years with the vastly improved Adam Thomson for the six jersey.  Tighter games, Kaino will take the shirt, lo
Strengths:  Great third lineout option, strong ball carrier, and very strong defender too.  Weaknesses:  Prone to 'vanish' on occasions during games - perhaps that i the Reuben Thorne coming out in his play...
Bart Ratings (out of ten) - Mobility: 8.5  Ball Skills: 8  Scrummaging: 8  Lineouts: 9  Defence:  9
Rugby Museum Profile:  Click here

There we are, the hard men of the loose trios.  Jump to the teams forum to vote - and also to vote on the fatties in the tight five....