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Jeff "Goldie" Wilson is one of the most gifted all round sportsmen that New Zealand has ever produced, and it is likely that he would have excelled in whatever discipline he chose to specialise. As it happens, Jeff had already represented New Zealand in one day cricket internationals before he made his debut for the All Blacks in 1993, and it was a sport to which he would later return. The world of international rugby first became aware of the Otago winger's presence when he travelled with the All Blacks on their tour of Britain in 1993, whilst fomer golden boy John Kirwan was left fuming at home. Upon arrival, Jeff immediatly caught the imagination of the British media in a way that few overseas rugby players had done before, and was pursued relentlessly by photographers and pressmen. Initially, all went well. New Zealand were on a high having earlier that year seen off the British Lions and also having regained the Bledlisoe Cup.
They skimmed their way through the first ten matches of the tour with ease, winning every game and scoring 315 points. Jeff's test debut was a dream, a line up against Scotland at Murrayfield which the visitors won by a record margin of 51-15. Jeff ran in three tries in his first match and even landed a conversion when goal kicker Matt Cooper was forced off injured. All that remained was to round off the tour with a win in the penultimate match against England at Twickenham. With Cooper still injured and resident points machine Grant Fox not touring, Jeff was given the goal kicking duties from the start. The game would turn into something of a personal nightmare for the youngster and he missed five out of eight penalties. New Zealand's frustration boiled over into indiscipline and a determined England ran out 15-9 winners. From hero to villain in seven short days, Jeff had received both the bouquets and brickbats of international sport at an early age. (Jon Collins)
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Jeff pictured in 1996 by G. Herringshaw. ©
1994-1996
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After experiencing such a topsy turvy start to his international career, Jeff had to wait a relatively long time before his talent started converting itself into caps and points. He played in only one test in 1994, a 16-20 reverse against Australia which saw no tries for the youngster and the loss of the Bledisloe Cup. Jeff could have won the game in the dying minutes when his mazy run brought him inches from the goal line, but was denied a try by an astonishing last ditch tackle by opposition scrum-half George Gregan. His next touch down, some eighteen months since his previous score, came in a 73-7 drubbing of Canada in Auckland. Then, in the World Cup of that year he found himself overshadowed somewhat by the spectacular Jonah Lomu, and managed only three tries in the tournament, all of which came in New Zealand's record breaking 145-17 victory against Japan in the group stages.
Together with Andrew Merhtens, Jeff was one of the worst affected by the bout of food poisoning which wrecked New Zealand hopes in the final. After struggling vainly through the first half, the winger had to be escorted to the toilets at half-time, and would not finish the game. If any doubts were harboured about the seriousness of New Zealand's plight, they were quashed by television pictures of Jeff being sick on the sidelines. If that was the darkest hour of Jeff's fledgling career, then the following season would be one of his greatest. Now physically mature and hardened to the various disappointments that rugby and life had to offer, Jeff really started to take off. He played a major part in New Zealand's all conquering Tri-Nations campaign and scored 5 tries in tests that season. Amongst those were three against South Africa in the space of seven days. They were an opponent that he would enjoy playing against immensely, and he would later become the first All Black player to score five tries in matches against the Springboks. That glorious year of 1996 would prove to be the springboard of his career. (Jon Collins)
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Jeff Wilson in action for The All Blacks on Saturday 29th. November 1997.
Photograph Geore Herringshaw. © (sorry about his colour !)
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In 1997 Jeff Wilson and New Zealand continued where they had left off in 1996 by laying waste to all before them. First of all there were the five tries he scored under the lights against Fiji in Albany, just one away from equalling Marc Ellis's record haul against Japan. Then the Tri Nations tournament was retained with ease and a long season ended with a successful, if tiring, tour of the UK. However, in 1998 the wheels came off the All Black juggernaught in spectacular style. Every Tri Nations game was lost, and the Blacks were cleaned out 3-0 in the Bledisloe Cup series, only the second time in history they had suffered a whitewash by the Aussies, and their first shut out since 1949. Australia had come a long way since the dark days of the early 1970s when New Zealand regarded Wallaby sides with a mixture of pity and contempt. The Blacks did manage a couple of big wins against Clive Woodward's weak England touring side, but were forced to watch from the sidelines as the Tri Nations turned into a raw fist fight for supremacy between the Aussies and the Springboks.
There were several reasons for the poor performances in 1998, one of which being the low productivity of their backline. In that season the gifted back three of Christian Cullen, Jeff Wilson and Jonah Lomu managed a paltry two tries between them, an incredible statistic given their output during the previous two years. Some traditionalists also spuriously suggested that the All Black kit might have something to do with the side's weak showing. The New Zealand shirt had traditionally always featured a white collar, but the that year the team had signed a multi million dollar deal with a new sponsor, and were required to wear an outfit made from space age material which was shorn of the famous trim. Such is the degree to which New Zealand's performances are scrutinised by their fans that all factors are taken into consideration! (Jon Collins)
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| Things started to look more positive for the All Blacks in 1999 when they regained the Tri-Nations trophy, despite a loss to Australia in Sydney. However, in the World Cup later in the year, the defence was still fragile, and Jeff and his fellow backs had to put a lot of points on the board just to stay in contention in their matches (the above photo shows Jeff scoring in the group match against Italy. 14th October 1999. Pic G. Herringshaw. ©). It all went wrong in the semi-finals, when despite scoring 31 points, the Blacks were outgunned by the French at Twickenham. When Jeff returned home after the tournament he was exhausted, both mentally and physically. He had played in 41 consecutive tests since 1996 and the sensitive young man was starting to feel the strain. As a result, he sat out the 2000 campaign, but returned in 2001, only to see the Aussies retain the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Trophies courtesy of a two test whitewash. In a remarkable turnaround against their Trans Tasman rivals, Australia had now won seven out of nine contests since 1997. Then, in May 2002, Jeff stunned the rugby world by announcing his retirement from the international game at the age of just 28. Jeff explained that the decision had been made as a result of a wish to fulfill his cricket ambitions which had had to be shelved back in 1996. Although the news was greeted with sadness by All Black followers, there was no resentment. Instead, New Zealand fans paid homage and respect to a man who had worn their team's jersey with such dignity and pride over so many years, and wished him well for his future. During the course of his career, he annoyed some traditionalists with his habitual "swan dive" when scoring a try, but pleased others by always endeavouring to ground under the posts, a practice that was becoming something of a lost art in New Zealand play. In total, Jeff played in 60 tests and scored 44 tries. (Jon Collins) |