Wellington against international teams: versus Fiji 1980

Match Details

Result: Wellington 24 – Fiji 8
When: 9 August 1980
Weather: Cold southerly and showers
Crowd: Not known

The Tour

Fiji had previously toured New Zealand in 1939 and 1951, but had not played any internationals. Similarly, the All Blacks had visited Fiji on three occasions, in 1968, 1974 and 1980 (a few months before this in-bound tour by the Fijians) and rugby in the Pacific was growing. This was a 12-match tour taking in matches against leading provincial opposition as well as a match each the New Zealand Maori side and the New Zealand XV.

In Fiji earlier in the year, the All Blacks had played games against local sides Nadroga and Suva before meeting Fiji in front of a record 30,000 spectators in the tour’s Test match. It was fitting that Fijian born Wellington wing Bernie Fraser (Hutt Valley Marist) scored a hat-trick and set up one more try in this 30-6 win.

On arrival in early August, the Fijians promised to bring their brand of exciting and entertaining rugby to the rugby grounds of New Zealand.

They opened their tour with an 11-16 loss to Wanganui, before heading to Wellington to play the second match, which they lost too. They went on to record wins over West Coast (28-12), Southland (22-21), Hawke’s Bay (28-19) and King Country (31-22). Against the New Zealand Maori side they went down 9-22 and against the New Zealand XV they lost 0-33. First five-eighth Tu Wylie (Marist St Pat’s) and centre Jamie Salmon (Athletic) were the two Wellington players in the NZ XV side, while Paul Quinn (Marist St Pat’s), Wylie and Mike Clamp (Petone) played for the NZ Maori side.

The Match

For Wellington, this match came right smack in the middle of what was shaping as being a hotly contested NPC competition. The previous week Wellington had beaten North Auckland (Northland) 13-0 and the following week they were to beat Auckland 10-4. Wellington were to go on and finish second to Manawatu in the 1980 NPC, but if their 12-12 draw with Southland had been a win or if Manawatu scored an end-to-end death-knock try when they played Southland then they would’ve won.

As well as the players mentioned above, Wellington had current All Blacks Allan Hewson (Petone) and Stu Wilson (Wellington College Old Boys), while Murray Mexted (Wellington) was absent from this game with the flu.

Fiji arrived in Wellington from Wanganui and had a short training session at a cold, windy Hataitai Park clad in full tracksuits, balaclavas and beanies before attending a Parliamentary reception at the Beehive.

Perhaps needing to warm themselves up, it was Fiji that stormed out the gates and they scored the game’s opening try after just 90 seconds when Wellington failed to clean up an untidy defensive lineout.

Fiji scored again soon after, this time from a Wellington defensive scrum error, extending their lead to 8-0.

Behind early on the scoreboard, Wellington soon took control in the forwards, leading to a stream of penalties. But Hewson missed all six of his first half shots on goal.

Hewson found his range after halftime, landing three penalties to put Wellington ahead 9-8.

This was followed by Wellington flanker Paul Quinn scoring a try after Wellington caught Fiji napping close to their own line and took a quick tap penalty. Hewson converted from the sideline, extending the lead to 15-8.

The Fijians’ lost their composure and were heavily penalised in the second half for dangerous tackling and rough play. Consequently, the game lost much of its structure and Wellington pulled away towards the end with a second try, to wing Stu Wilson, and a fourth Hewson penalty.

The Teams

Wellington: 1. K.L. Phelan, 2. K.D. Horan, 3. K. MacAulay, 4.B.F. Gard’ner, 5. S.P.Hinds 6. P.B.Quinn,7. M.W. Standish, 8. W.J.Wooton, 9.J.R. Heale,10 T.Wylie, 11. S.S.Wilson, 12. D.T. Fouhy, 13, J.L.B. Salmon 14. B.G. Fraser, 15. A.R. Hewson

Fiji: 1. T.Tubananitu, 2. P.Kean, 3.P. Kina, 4. I. Lutumailagi, 5. I. Kungagogo, 6. K. Ratumuri,7. E Ratudradra, 8. V. Ratudrada, 9. P. Waisake, 10. E. Labalaba, 11. K. Vosailagi, 12. S. Laulau, 13. S. Cavuilati, 14. T. Makutu, 15. P.K. Nacuva

The Players

Blindside flanker and first try-scorer in this game, Paul Quinn, captained the New Zealand Maori team to victory against Fiji in this series.

Quinn played 103 games for the Wellington Lions over eight seasons and was captain from 1981-1983 - leading the side to the NPC title and to Ranfurly Shield glory in his first year at the helm in 1981. He was a Maori All Black from 1979-1982, was awarded the New Zealand Maori captaincy in 1980, and led the side to Wales and Spain in 1982. Quinn was also a key member of the 1975-1983 Marist St. Pat’s club side, playing in the team that won 42 consecutive games in 1978 and 1979 and captaining their 1981 Jubilee Cup team. After retiring Quinn’s rugby links remained strong and he was elected as a NZRU board member in 2002 and he was also New Zealand Maori Rugby Board Chairman and MSP club President and, like his MSP,Wellington and NZ Maori Teammate Tu Wylie, later an MP.

Three other players in the home team’s pack that were the heart and soul of successful Wellington teams of the late 1970s and early 1980s that won the NPC twice and the Ranfurly Shield were prop Kevin Phelan (Athletic), lock Brendon Gard’ner (Wellington) and hooker Kevin Horan (Marist St Pat’s).

‘Butch’ Phelan, who until recently was the WRFU’s President, played 111 matches for Wellington between 1972-82, the third most capped Wellington front rower after Al Keown (149 games) whom he played with and Ken Gray (125). Phelan, who was in Wellington’s NPC winning team in 1976 and 1978 had famously won the Swindale Shield for Athletic in 1978 with a chargedown and runaway try in the decider against MSP.

Hooker Kevin Horan played 98 games for Wellington between 1971-80 and the MSP captain was also Wellington’s captain in 1980. Horan was part of the first MSP teams to win the Swindale Shield and Jubilee Cup titles in 1977 and 1978 and played over 200 games for the club. He later coached MSP to the Jubilee Cup in 2009.

Lock Gard’ner played 79 games for Wellington between 1976-84 and was a member of the team that beat Waikato 22-4 in 1981 to win the Ranfurly Shield. Gard’ner was playing his 50th match for Wellington against Fiji. “Playing against an international side is a nice way to bring up the half century, and I’m looking forward to a good tussle,” he told the Dominion on the eve of the match. He helped the Wellington Axemen win the Swindale Shield and share the Jubilee Cup with Petone in 1982. His son, Sam Gard’ner currently plays for the Wellington Axemen Premiers.

References

• The Dominion and Evening Post newspapers 9 and 11 August 1980.
• WRFU. The Winds of Change: Wellington’s Rugby History Part 3 1979-2004. WRFU,2004.
• The Visitors - The History of International Rugby Teams in New Zealand by Rod Chester, Neville McMillan. MOA Publications, Auckland, 1990
• The Encyclopedia of New Zealand Rugby By Ron Palenski, Rod Chester, Neville McMillan. Hodder Moa Beckett, Auckland 1998
• www.msprugby.co.nz 
• All Blacks A-Z on www.allblacks.com