World of Boxing and Rugby Union
Winger
4. Jeff Wilson
If ever a nickname summed up perfectly the sporting career of an individual it was the 'Goldie' tag that members of the 1993 All Black touring team to Scotland and England bestowed on their new young star, Jeff Wilson.
Truly in New Zealand sport Wilson was a golden one for few in any generation have been as gifted and so diversely accomplished. At a time when many had decided it was a distinction no one could ever achieve again because of the overlaps of sporting seasons and ever increasing professionalism Wilson became that rare animal in New Zealand sport, the so called double All Black. That is someone who has represented the country in the premier winter code, rugby, and the leading summer sport, cricket. Wilson not only joined that select band but he achieved the dual honour while still a teenager.
His All Black debut in 1993 came just one day before his 20th birthday. Earlier that year during the 1992-93 cricket season he had played for the country in four one-day internationals against Australia. A lively medium pace bowler and hard hitting batsman in the late middle order, Wilson excelled in those matches hitting a match winning innings in the New Zealand win in the international at Hamilton.
As a schoolboy Wilson had also shone in other sports, in track and field where he won national and South Island secondary school titles and in basketball. And it was as a schoolboy Wilson shot into early
prominence. In one match for the school he scored a staggering 66 points in one match from nine tries (counting then for four points) and 15 conversions. He scored, too, a sensational try playing at fullback in 1992 for the national secondary schools side against Australia which was another early sign of his colossal potential.
Unlike other schoolboy prodigies Wilson quickly adapted to the higher levels, making his representative debut for Southland while still at school. One year later, having moved to Dunedin to become a trainee teacher, he had quickly established himself in the Otago representative side which at the time had one of the country's best provincial backlines. Among his team-mates were Stu Forster, Stephen Bachop, John Leslie, Marc Ellis and John Timu. But even in that illustrious lineup Wilson shone and a brilliant solo try enabled Otago to secure an upset win over Auckland. Largely on the strength of that effort Wilson edged out the great John Kirwan as the first choice right wing for the 1993 tour of Scotland and England.
In his test debut against Scotland Wilson scored three tries and kicked a sideline conversion in the All Blacks' 51-15 win. He enjoyed less fortune, though, in the international against England. The match was lost 15-9 and while he landed three penalty goals Wilson had a mixed return with his goalkicking, which was something he performed usefully but with some reluctance.
By 1994 Jonah Lomu had emerged, if only for the season's opening two tests against France, Kirwan had been restored and Timu switched from fullback to wing. Wilson only had one test appearance during the season but it was a dramatic one. In the Bledisloe Cup test played at night midweek in Sydney Wilson appeared to be heading for what would have been a spectacular matchwinning try when as he was diving to score a desperate tackle by covering Wallaby halfback George Gregan jolted the ball from his arms.
But Wilson recovered from that trauma and with Lomu gave the All Blacks a pair of contrasting but potent wings for the 1995 World Cup. For the next four seasons Wilson remained an automatic test selection. The only interruptions came from occasional injuries -- he often suffered from double vision -- or whether the All Blacks' game plans were better suited having him at fullback. That was especially so in the late 1990s when the All Blacks found themselves with a dilemma over their back three positions where there were available four world class players in Christian Cullen, Lomu, Tana Umaga and Wilson.
For the 1999 World Cup the solution seemed to be Wilson at fullback, Lomu and Umaga on the wings and Cullen at centre. That, though, fell apart in the shattering semifinal loss to France at Twickenham. Some of Wilson's finest football was at fullback and his 1997 NPC performance for Otago against Wellington at Athletic Park is rated as one of the most consummate fullback displays in memory. But wing at the highest test level was probably Wilson's best position.
He was especially lethal in the 1996-97 seasons and won an accolade from his manager Hart at that time as the finest all round rugby player in the world. Wilson was pretty well a complete player. He could run, kick and defend and did everything with a precise, polished skill. He also had an acute appetite and instinct for scoring tries. He finished his career with 44 tries from his 60 tests, scoring nine alone from two appearances: five against Fiji in 1997 and four against Samoa in 1999. Though subsequently beaten by Cullen he was a for a time the country's record test try scorer, having taken the honour from Kirwan.
Wearied by some of the bitter controversies which followed the 1999 World Cup disappointment, Wilson took a break from rugby at the end of the 2000 Super 12. But he returned to the game at all levels in 2001, playing four games for the All Blacks as a wing and two at fullback. He scored another five test tries and after playing well in the 2002 Super 12 for the Highlanders looked set to continue his All Black career.
But at 28 he finally retired from the game and instead set out to revive a cricket career which had been pretty well neglected for the best part of a decade. It is testament to Wilson that he bowed out on his terms at a time that felt right. It is frightening what records he could have achieved if he had continued.