Stu Wilson, a Rolls Royce wing with a smart swerve

THOSE of a certain age will fondly remember All Black Stu Wilson, who died suddenly this week aged 70, as a Rolls Royce wing.

- BRENDAN GALLAGHER

Very quick but unhurried, smooth, unstressed and perfectly balanced he engaged top gear very quickly indeed but with the minimum of fuss and his record of 50 tries in an All Black shirt, including 19 in 34 Test match appearances, speaks for itself. He used to run sumptuous geometric angles and the straightest line imaginable from A to B until, that is, he produced one of his late trademark swerves.

Us greybeards also remember he wore that famous jersey with his starched collar stylishly up, which, with his sleeked back hair, rather added to his classy demeanour. I'm pretty sure he also used to occasionally wear some flash sock garters which you don’t see anymore these days.