It's been a fantastic year for the All Blacks, as they have looked to erase the memories of last years early exit from the World Cup.

And erase them they have.

Out of the fifteen games they've played (14 Tests and the game against Munster) they've won thirteen, which is an impressive result for a team that many people thought would struggle after Graham Henry was re-appointed as coach.

Henry, along with Steve Hanson and Wayne Smith, has moulded this All Blacks side into a very well drilled unit, and they've built up a squad capable of going through to the 2011 World Cup. Henry may have had his doubters, but no one can argue with the results he's helped produce on the field. The best thing about the way he's run this team is that he's abandoned his rotation policy, which was undoubtedly one of the main causes for the poor showing at the World Cup. Players are benefiting from regular game time, rather than being switched out every other week. We want to congratulate Henry, Smith and Hanson on their efforts this year - and it's nice to see that Smith has decided to stay on with the All Blacks, instead of taking the Ospreys job.

The only concern with this team is the lack of a genuine back-up for Richie McCaw and Dan Carter. Adam Thomson and Scott Waldrom are the two contenders as McCaw's understudy, but still have a long way to go before they're close to his level. They need more game time at the highest level, but it's not that easy to take McCaw off when he's such a vital part of the team. Stephen Donald has shown glimpses of brilliance, but was shown up for his lack of experience in the game against Munster. He too needs more time, but we feel he can get better over the next year.

Other than that, we feel the All Blacks are looking unstoppable right now - and that should be a worrying sign for all opposition.

Best Performance: vs Australia, Auckland 02/08/08: Only a week earlier they had put in their worst performance of the year, and many people thought the Wallabies would be too good in this Test. But the All Blacks were absolutely outstanding, and never looked like letting Australia into the game. Their kicking was spot on, and they attacked the Wallabies' lineouts causing many turnovers. The final score was 39-10, and most importantly it was the moment the All Blacks turned the corner and began to look unbeatable.

Worst Performance: vs Australia, Sydney 26/07/08: This was a shocking effort by the boys, who had gone down to the Springboks the week before. Australia weren't necessarily brilliant - rather, the All Blacks were bad, and thoroughly deserved to lose this one. Passes weren't sticking, and there were far too many turnovers - which the Wallabies were able to capitalise on. Not a game we remember fondly...

Newcomer of the Year: Richard Kahui: Many were surprised by his selection at the beginning of the year, but after his first Test against England there weren't many doubting him. He has shown he has the strength and speed to play at the highest level, and has put a lot of pressure on Conrad Smith for the center position. He is such a versatile player, and so long as he can remain injury free we expect to see a lot more of Kahui in the years to come.

Comeback of the Year: Ma'a Nonu: This was a hard one to choose when you consider the number of players who have fought their way back into the team. But Nonu has proven that he belongs in the All Blacks, and has cemented his spot at second-five. Many criticised him for being one dimensional, but this year he has developed his game to where he passes a lot more - which has made him a far tougher player than he was when he just ran it all the time. He may not be the greatest kicker, but his running game makes up for that by the bucket load. We have to give honourable mentions to Piri Weepu, Jerome Kaino and Isaia Toeava, all of whom have returned to the form we knew they were capable of.

Player of the Year: Mils Muliana: Another tough call, and we could quite easily have gone with McCaw or Carter - but we think this has been a standout year for Muliaina. He has developed his running game, and has shown many times throughout the year that he is a real handful on attack. He was as solid as a rock on defence, and very reliable at fullback under the high ball. Muliaina often gets overlooked for the likes of Carter and McCaw, but we certainly wouldn't be as good if he wasn't there. We really think he has been the standout of the All Blacks in 2008.

Now the countdown can begin until the 2009 All Black season begins - only 195 days to go.