Terry Wright

In the modern, professional era, with an increasing emphasis on a crash-bash, robotic type of game, there may not have been a place for Terry Wright, the lithely built wing who gave Auckland and the All Blacks such superb service in the seasons between 1984 and 1993.

Which would have been a shame. For at his best there were few more skilful and clever attacking backs in New Zealand rugby and both for his province and country he provided an excellent balance in partnership with the bigger, but slightly less skilful, John Kirwan.

Though they were to play together for much of their careers, Wright actually owed his accession to top class rugby to Kirwan’s misfortune with injury in 1984. When he was ruled out for all of the season after badly injuring a shoulder with the All Blacks in Australia Kirwan’s replacement was Wright, who at the time was ranked about only seventh among Auckland wings.

But having marked his debut in first class rugby with a record 27 points against King Country in an early season match, Wright made the most of his chances. With pace and a sharp swerve Wright finished the season with 19 tries in only 11 matches. He also showed himself to be a useful goalkicker though that talent would be used only occasionally by Auckland in later years because of the presnece of Grant Fox.

Wright’s sensational first season left him with a dilemma for it coincided with the formation of the North Harbour union and Wright’s club had always been Northcote, for which his father, Harvey, had been a leading member.

But the temptation to stay with Auckland and not drop back to the lower divisions of the NPC with the new Harbour union was too much. And in 1985 Wright switched club allegiances across the bridge, joining Kirwan at the Marist club.

In taking Kirwan’s place in 1984 Wright, of course, had played on the right wing. But he showed his talent and versatility with Kirwan now available by switching to the left wing where he was even more at home.

Wright’s progress continued in 1985 and he scored three tries playing for the North Island. But he was overlooked for national honours that year probably because of reservations about his size. Though inaccurately described in some quarters as being only 1.72m Wright was near 1.83m but had a lean, wiry build and no amount of weight lifting was going to ever get him anywhere near 80kgs.

Wright got his chance in the All Blacks because of the Cavaliers’ tour of South Africa and the subsequent suspension of most of those players.

He was one of the Baby Blacks in the tests against France and the Wallabies but was dropped when the Cavaliers returned.

He made the end of year tour of France but Kirwan and Craig Green were the test wings, as they were the following year in the World Cup triumph. Wright was in the 26-man squad but played only the pool match against Argentina.

He then made the short tour of Japan and with Green moving to Italy took his chance to establish himself as the All Blacks’ first choice left wing for the next three or four seasons. By the time he ended his All Black career in 1992 he had appeared in 30 tests and scored 19 tries.

Wright was an even more prolific try scorer for Auckland. In 135 matches between 1984 and 1993 he scored 112 tries and in Ranfurly Shield rugby he finished with a staggering, record 53 tries in 52 matches.

His skill was such that with Matthew Ridge suddenly moving to league he was used at fullback by Auckland for much of 1990 and the All Blacks switched him there because of problems at fullback for a good part of the 1991 season including the World Cup.

Wright was also a regular member of national sevens sides between 1986 and 1992, appearing in 11 major tournaments.

Considering his many feats Wright was given a farewell by both the All Blacks and Auckland that he didn’t really deserve. Taken on the 1992 tour of Australia and South Africa, he was given few chances and was not considered for any of the tests. And after just three matches early in the season for Auckland in 1993 he was summarily axed from the squad.