Fergus SLATTERY

Gareth Edwards provided an apt description of Ireland and British Lions legend Fergus Slattery: "He was a "put another battery in" type of player - non stop.". Indeed, Slattery showed an intensity and level of professionalism that would not have looked out of place in the modern era, made more remarkable by the fact that he kept this up for fourteen years. His 61 caps made him the most capped flanker of all time on his retirement, and he also captained his country on 17 occasions. Playing in a side that included the likes of Mike Gibson, Willie John McBride, Phil Orr and Willie Duggan, Fergus helped make Ireland one of the best sides in Europe in the 1970s and one also highly competitive against Southern Hemisphere opposition. Slattery first appeared for Ireland in 1970, while an undergraduate student at University College Dublin, in an 8-8 draw against the touring South Africans, and went on to play in all Ireland's Five Nations matches that season.

The highpoint of the year was a momentous 14-0 victory over Wales in Dublin that denied the men in red the Triple Crown. Fergus's reputation grew during 1971 and he earned selection for the British Lions tour to New Zealand. Still just 21, Slattery ousted John Taylor for the openside side slot for the third test, only to be denied by a bout of tonsillitis. He departed New Zealand not having played a test, but the experience he gained would prove invaluable on the Lions next tour in 1974. By 1972 Fergus was now playing for the world famous Blackrock College team in Dublin, and continued his impressive form for Ireland. Unfortunately, his side's chances of winning the Grand Slam were dashed when both Wales and Scotland refused to travel to Dublin on account of the political situation, and Ireland were left stranded on two wins with two matches not played. (Jon Collins)

In 1974 Fergus finally got to feel like a champion when Ireland's two wins and a draw secured them the Five Nations title for the first time since 1951. On the back of this triumph, Slattery headed for South Africa with the British Lions, though he had a fierce rival for the openside position in the form of England's Tony Neary. There was literally nothing between the two players, but Fergus got the nod in all four tests, partially on account of his ability to ride the hardest of tackles and still retain possession. Gareth Edwards would later remark of the selection dilemma: "Fergus deserved to play too, but must have got it on the toss of a coin." Fergus justified the selectors' faith in him by playing superbly throughout the test series which the Lions led 3-0 going into the last game. In the fourth test at Johannesburg, with the scores level at 13-13, Fergus looked to have made it a 4-0 clean sweep, but his last minute try was disallowed. Salttery was sure he had grounded the ball, but reckoned the referee was influenced by opposition scrum-half Paul Bayvel who screamed "He hasn't touched it, no try, no try!". Video replays showed that Fergus had touched down successfully, but it is sometimes forgotten that the referee had awarded a dubious try to Roger Uttley earlier in the game.

At the end of 1974 Ireland played two special matches to celebrate the centenary of the IRU against a Presidents VX and New Zealand. The first match was drawn 18-18 with Fergus scoring his first try in green colours, but Ireland were unable to repeat their heroics of 1973 against the All Blacks and lost 15-6. However, Fergus was again selected for the Barbarians and they held the Blacks to a 13-13 draw in their final tour game. In 1975 Fergus was joined in the Ireland team by his teammate from Blackrock College, Willie Duggan, a player who would eventually go on to become his country's most capped Number 8. Ireland generally performed well in the Five Nations though their record was spoiled by a fearful 32-4 hammering by Wales in Cardiff. Fergus played his 28th consecutive test in 1976 against Australia, but was overshadowed by his opposite number Gary Pearse. Ireland eventually went down 20-10 to tries by Tony Shaw, John Weatherstone and the giant winger John Ryan. Injury then ended his run in the side and he was forced to sit out the entire 1976 campaign, eventually returning to play against Scotland and France the following year. In 1978 Ireland only managed one win in the Championship and Slattery surprised many with his violent display in Cardiff when he kicked out at all and sundry in a 20-16 defeat. (Jon Collins)

Fergus was made captain of Ireland in 1979, a position he would hold until 1981. With only five wins from seventeen matches, his record was not particularly impressive on paper, but it should be remembered that many of Ireland's losses in this period were by very narrow margins. One of the highpoints of Slattery's tenure as skipper was the 1979 tour to Australia where Ireland won the series 2-0 against a side who had dispatched both England and Wales in recent seasons. Wallaby skipper Tony Shaw was left dumbfounded by the loss saying; "Take the English and the Welsh. You hate them and you just want to get out there and beat them. With the Irish its like "Hail fellow well met. They're great socially. They're all over you then out on the field there cold and hard. It was like they came in, made friends and went snatch and grab, and took the two tests." The following year the Irish won two of their four games in the Five Nations but the 1981 season saw them whitewashed, though their defeats by Scotland and Wales were only by a single point, with Fergus scoring his first try since 1974 in the 9-8 reverse in Cardiff. The season also saw the arrival in the Irish side of another colleague from Blackrock College, the stylish Hugo McNeill, and his addition made Ireland a more potent attacking force in the years that followed.

In the summer of 1981 Slattery led Ireland on a tour of South Africa, but his side were undone by the kicking of Naas Botha and lost both tests. However, Fergus did have the consolation of scoring three tries against the South African Presidents VX in East London, a feat matched by Michael Kiernan on the same tour. Upon their return home the Irish were also edged out 16-12 by the touring Wallabies, despite dominating their opponents up front. Fergus was then relieved of the captaincy for the 1982 season, but it turned out to be a memorable year as Ireland won their first Triple Crown since 1949, thanks mostly to the kicking of Ollie Campbell. Ireland could have won the Grand Slam as well, but lost their final game in Paris 22-9. The year after Ireland again dominated the Championship, but a loss against Eddie Butler's Welsh side in Cardiff meant that they had to share the title with France, whom they beat 22-16. In the final match of the campaign, Fergus made his last appearance in Dublin in a 25-15 win over England, and marked the occasion with his third and final try. At the beginning of 1984 he was 34 years old and played in just one match, bowing out against France in Paris, his thirty-third consecutive match since the 21-18 defeat by Scotland at Murrayfield in 1977. (Jon Collins)