John Schuster

In early 1990, just when it seemed he was on the brink of a lengthy All Black international career, John Schuster joined what had become an exodus into professional rugby league. John Gallagher, Matthew Ridge, Frano Botica and Schuster, all of whom had been on the tour late in 1989 of Ireland and Wales, all departed, with Schuster joining the Australian club, the Newcastle Knights.

Schuster enjoyed reasonable success in league, even revealing himself as a goalkicker with the Knights, and after his Australian stint he moved to Britain where he played for some years.

But had he stayed in rugby there must have been every chance that Schuster might have been rated as one of the best All Blacks in his position. Indeed, second five eighths was to be a problem the following year with indecision as to whether the position should be held by either Bernie McCahill or Walter Little.

Eventually Little established himself as a world class player in a midfield duo with Frank Bunce but in the absence of Schuster there was an unhappy vacuum especially during the 1991 World Cup.

Schuster was one of a prominent Samoan rugby family and actually played internationally for Samoa in the 1986 season, along with Michael Jones. But there were only loose international eligibility rules in place at the time and there were no repercussions when the following year both became All Blacks.

Schuster came to New Zealand as a teenager and entered senior club rugby with Marist in Auckland in 1983. But though playing for New Zealand Colts in 1985 he could not break into the strong Auckland backline of those years and it was not until a move to Wellington that he became a provincial representative.

In Wellington Schuster, who had a superb sidestep, became a lethal attacking force in combination with Gallagher and they continued this in their time together in the All Blacks.

Wellington won the NPC first division title in 1986 and such was Schuster’s impact he made that year’s North Island side. He appeared to be on the All Blacks’ short list for the 1987 World Cup after making the Barbarians’ early season tour of Britain, along with a number of other rising candidates, playing for the Central zone in the George Nepia Trophy series and then in the final trial.

But Schuster narrowly missed a place in the World Cup squad, Bernie McCahill being preferred. His promotion to the All Blacks, however, was only a matter of time and he duly came into the side for the end of season short tour of Japan. He played in four of the five matches including both of the internationals, which did not carry test caps, against All Japan.

He was the second five understudy to Warwick Taylor on the tour the next year to Australia. But Taylor was hampered by injuries and Schuster gained a place in all three tests, marking his debut in Sydney with a try.

Schuster remained a first choice all through 1989, playing all of the domestic tests against France, Argentina and Australia and going on the tour of Ireland and Scotland, where he played both of the internationals.

All of Schuster’s 26 matches for the All Blacks were at second five except what proved to be his last. To accommodate the inclusion of Little for an injured Joe Stanley Schuster moved out to centre.

Schuster played in the South Pacific championship matches early in 1990, before his move to league, to bring his Wellington appearances to 62.

After finishing with league Schuster returned to rugby in Britain. In 1999, when he was aged 35, Schuster played a few internationals for Samoa in a bid to gain World Cup selection. But injuries thwarted him achieving this goal.