All Black legend Fred Allen was in Auckland today to celebrate his 90th birthday with friends, family and knights.
It was like the rugby hall of fame - 30 years of All Blacks gathered for just one man, Allen, or 'Fred the Needle' as he's known, and today they honoured him as the only unbeaten All Black coach.
It wasn't long before the stories from the tours began to be told. Former captain Wilson Whineray repeated one of The Needele's tough team talks.
But Allen's players would have died for him. He took the 1967-68 team through Britain, and were only denied a Grand Slam by a foot-and-mouth epidemic in Ireland.
The captain of that team was Brian Lochore.
And while Allen's humour remains as sharp as ever, so too does his remarkable record. His All Black sides were undefeated in 37 internationals, and he's the only All Black coach never to lose a game.
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