Simon Culhane

Simon Culhane’s name seems likely to remain in a prominent place among All Black records for a good many years to come. For in his test debut, the World Cup pool match against Japan in South Africa in 1995, the Southland first five eighths scored a staggering 45 points, from a try and 20 conversions of the 21 tries scored by the All Blacks in the 145-17 victory.

That was a record individual score by an All Black on debut and, of course, a record number for conversions in a test. It was also a record tally for any All Black in a test. As of 2006 the records were still standing.

Small at 1.75m and 76kg even for a first five eighths in the modem professional era, Culhane, however, as a builder by trade was surprisingly strong and wiry and had been a competent player at representative level for some seasons before being promoted to the All Blacks in 1995.

Culhane was unlucky in that he was a contemporary of several accomplished first five eighths. Also playing at the same time were Stephen Bachop, Andrew Mehrthens, Carlos Spencer and Tony Brown. Injuries and the fact he was in the same region as Bachop and Brown meant he only got 16 matches for the Highlanders in the Super 12 between 1996 and 1999.

But even though his All Black career was relatively brief Culhane more than came up to the required standard. He was the first five understudy in each of the 1995 and 96 seasons to the young prodigy Mehrtens and as such went to the World Cup, on the tour of France and Italy towards the end of 1995 and then in 1996 on the tour of South Africa.

Besides his spectacular scoring feat in his one World Cup match Culhane scored heavily in his other test appearances.

These came on the 1995 tour when Mehrtens was injured in the opening match. Culhane thus appeared in the test against Italy and the two against France, scoring in those matches a further 52 points.

And when Mehrtens was injured again during the tour the next year of South Africa Culhane came in for the first two tests of the series against the Springboks. With his accurate boot Culhane collected another 17 points and so finished his six test career with 114 points, an average of 19 a game. In the next few seasons, though, Culhane somewhat unluckily slipped down the first five pecking order behind the younger Mehrtens, Spencer and Brown.

Culhane’s rise to All Blacks was due in large measure to the introduction in the late 1980s of a national divisional side to cover players in the second and third divisions of the NPC. Culhane played regularly for this side in each of the 1992, 1993 and 1995 seasons, making in 1995 the tour of Canada and Fiji just before gaining World Cup selection. He also appeared for the New Zealand XV which early in 1995 beat Canada in Palmerston North.

As a 20-year old Culhane first made the Southland representative side in 1988 and was in the team which in 1989 upset the touring French. At that time, though, Culhane was not a regular kicker for Southland and it was fullback Eion Crossan who kicked Southland’s four winning goals against France.

Only in 1991 did Culhane begin kicking regularly and soon he was gathering nearly every available Southland record. When he stopped playing for Southland after a falling out with the then coach in 1998 Culhane had scored 976 points in 104 games for the union.

In 1999 Culhane moved to Otago, for whom he had played five previous games as a guest on a 1997 tour of Scotland and England, but after just one appearance he suffered an injury which ended his career.

Simon Culhane also played U-Bix Cup cricket for Southland.

In 2007 Culhane was joint coach, with David Henderson, of the Southland Air New Zealand Cup team.