Flair and attacking ability out wide have long been features of New Zealand rugby teams. More than anyone else, the All Blacks have combined the elements of skill, physicality and composure, with their deadly ability to finish and create on the outside to constantly pose a threat to opposition defences.
The current group is one of their best in this department. Ben Smith, Israel Dagg, Julian Savea, Cory Jane and Charles Piutau all offer different things and now more than ever, the All Blacks go five deep in the wing and fullback positions.
Is it the best group the All Blacks have ever had covering these positions, though? Three others come to mind, and surely this group would have to rate highly among them.
The earliest great All Black back three that readily comes to mind is that of 1954, where Bob Scott, Ron Jarden and Morrie Dixon formed a devastating, although all too brief, trio.
Considered by many to be the greatest fullback New Zealand has produced, and indeed one of their finest in any position, Scott was rugby's first true all-round No. 15. He threatened on the counter with his tricky footwork, smooth swerve and eagle-like vision, but he was also a competent kicker, so famously being known for kicking goals barefoot from halfway.
He was complemented by the skilful Jarden, probably New Zealand's most underrated winger on an all-time scale. Jarden's speed and agility made him a threat with ball in hand, while his in-game intelligence helped him make use of those abilities. He remains among his country's most prolific try-scorers and was a handy goal-kicker too. On the other wing he was paired with Dixon, another flyer who is highly rated by those who saw him play.
As good as that trio is, their lack of depth and lack of time together makes it hard to rate them ahead of the current crop. It is true that in those days rugby was amateur, there were far less tests played and players were not always available. Even so, it is hard to justify rating them above the 2015 edition by virtue of the depth of the current back-three, despite the undoubted greatness of Scott and Jarden.
Moving ahead through the years the wing combination of Bryan Williams and Grant Batty stands out. Indeed as a wing pairing they would rate right at the top of any list, but their lack of a genuine world-class fullback playing with them keeps them out of this argument. Had Fergie McCormick arrived on the scene a few years later, that trio would have undoubtedly been in for consideration.
The trio of the early 1980's, who also formed the Wellington back three, were generally considered to be one of the country's best until more recent times. Stu Wilson and Bernie Fraser, otherwise known as Ebony and Ivory, were as dangerous a duo with ball in hand as the All Blacks have ever had, while Allan Hewson provided a similar threat from the back, despite his perceived defensive frailties.
As far as pure attacking flair goes, these guys were as good as there have been. When he left the game, Wilson held the All Black record for most test tries, with 19. His speed, strength and explosiveness made him a tough player to bring down, while he also possessed a handy set of skills. Fraser on the other hand was one of the early big, bustling wingers that have become so common-place today.
In Hewson, they had a player behind them who could slip through the smallest of gaps and make things happen, although he is best remembered for his kick to win the 1981 home series against the Springboks.
More information on this trio can be found in Ebony and Ivory: The Stu Wilson, Bernie Fraser Story, one of the better rugby books written about New Zealand players.
Again as good as this group were, it is hard to put them ahead of the current five-some due to the differences in depth.
The final group to consider is that of the late-1990's. Christian Cullen, Jeff Wilson, Jonah Lomu, Tana Umaga and Glen Osborne were all on show during that period. Now those were some great players and unlike the other ones mentioned, there was depth in this group to challenge the 2012-2015 one.
On their day, any of those men could be the best in the world, except perhaps Osborne. Cullen was pure magic the way he would glide through gaps, brushing off tackles and stepping defenders as though they were not there.
There was little Wilson could not do, a complete player who would beat you with pace, agility and skill. His cover defence was of the highest class and that their is just one blooper of his that tends to be replayed perhaps shows how good he was; it remains so shocking that he actually made a mistake.
Then you had Lomu. Big, strong, fast and powerful, the man was probably the most dominant player to ever lace up boots and on his day was unstoppable. As good as he was, he received plenty of criticism and struggled for consistency as he so famously played out his career with a kidney disease.
Umaga was a combination of the lot. He had an eye for creation, but was more a bustling runner than the silky ball carriers Wilson and Cullen were, although was not quite as devastating as Lomu. At his best he was so good the selectors moved Cullen to centre to incorporate all four of these men. Eventually Umaga himself would move to centre, filling the gap left by fellow Wellingtonian Alama Ieremia.
Osborne would not rate quite as highly as whomever you termed the fifth best of the current outside backs. He too though, was a dangerous runner with tricky footwork and was more than just an above average player.
Of course, these men played in a different era. Defences were less organised, ruck ball was faster and they had far more space to work with. But unlike many others from years gone by, it is not hard to imagine these men stepping into today's game and being superstars.
Cullen and Wilson would both be shoe-ins to start for the All Blacks. Only Ben Smith would challenge either, but you would be hard pressed to justify leaving out a player of the attacking abilities of Cullen, or the all-round abilities of Wilson.
Lomu and Savea have inevitably drawn plenty of comparisons, both playing similar types of games and possessing a similar physical make-up.
Savea is undoubtedly more skilful, better defensively and a more involved player. But he does not make the sheer impact Lomu could make by simply being on the field, where teams would stack their defences to cover the big man, opening up space over the rest of the park. Even in today's game, Lomu would still be devastating.
Umaga, probably the fourth best of the outside backs from his era, would challenge for a starting spot in the current team and would possibly get one too, with Smith at fullback and Savea on the left wing.
Of course, the argument for the current group is bolstered by the success of the team in recent years. The team of the late-1990s was more mixed in their form, with two of New Zealand's best years and then quite possibly their worst-ever coming in that period.
Perhaps that says more about where the game is won, though, than the quality of the players in these positions.
There is no doubting we are in an era of great All Black outside backs; is it the best ever? It would be up there, and they have gone past some very good back three's, but for now, it is hard to rate them ahead of those lethal combinations of the 1996-1999 era.
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