Such was Joe Stanley's immediate impact
on the International scene that he went on
to play twenty-six consecutive Internationals
following his debut against
France in June 1986.
Included in this unbroken run were six appearances
at the victorious 1987 World Cup.
Career Record: Played 27, Won 23, Drew 1, Lost 3
Test Points: 16
Tries: 4
1986 v France (Christchurch) W 18-9
1986 v Australia (Wellington) L 13-12
1986 v Australia (Dunedin) W 13-12
1986 v Australia (Auckland) L 22-9
1986 v France (Toulouse) W 19-7
1986 v France (Nantes) L 16-3
1987 v Italy (Auckland) W 70-6 (W.Cup)
1987 v Fiji (Christchurch) W 74-13 (W.Cup)
1987 v Argentina (Wellington) W 46-15 (W.Cup)
1987 v Scotland (Christchurch) W 30-3 (W.Cup)
1987 v Wales (Brisbane) W 49-6 (W.Cup)
1987 v France (Auckland) W 29-9 (W.Cup Final)
1987 v Australia (Sydney) W 30-16
1988 v Wales (Christchurch) W 52-3
1988 v Wales (Auckland) W 54-9
1988 v Australia (Sydney) W 32-7
1988 v Australia (Brisbane) D 19-19
1988 v Australia (Sydney) W 30-9
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1989 v France (Christchurch) W 25-17
1989 v France (Auckland) W 34-20
1989 v Argentina (Dunedin) W 60-9
1989 v Argentina (Wellington) W 49-12
1989 v Australia (Auckland) W 24-12
1989 v Wales (Cardiff) W 34-9
1989 v Ireland (Dublin) W 23-6
1990 v Scotland (Dunedin) W 31-16
1990 v Scotland (Auckland) W 21-18
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New Zealands's Joe Stamley pictured on 1st. October 1989 by George Herringshaw. ©
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A famous old saying goes that "good things come to those who wait", and no more was this true than in the case of Joe Stanley. Indeed, "Smokin Joe" certainly had to wait a long time to make his debut for New Zealand, eventually taking the field against France in 1986 at the age of 29. After so many years limited to watching the All Blacks as just another fan, the Auckland centre set about doing a pretty good job of playing for them too, eventually winning 27 caps. The inclusion of Stanley may have initially been an expedient measure in the wake of suspensions to other players, but at the same time the All Black management inadvertently filled a missing piece in their tactical jigsaw. Indeed, after being suspect for several years, the New Zealand midfield was immediately a much tougher and organised place thanks to Stanley's arrival.
Though no mean try scorer himself, Joe's greatest quality was his superb sideways vision which enabled him to feed his wingers at exactly the right time to release them into open space. This skill made him a star of the 1987 World Cup and a key figure in the seemingly endless run of All Black victories that followed. However, with at least another couple of years of international rugby left in him, Joe was then strangely jettisoned by Alex Wyllie after the 1990 series win over Scotland. New Zealand's back play was mediocre by their own standards in the preceding year's World Cup in England, and some say this was due, partially at least, to Stanley's absence. In an apt form of symmetry, Joe had made his debut in the same game as the youthful Sean Fitzpatrick, and his own son Jeremy would also play for New Zealand at the very end of the famous hooker's career. A quiet and diffident man, as many great All Blacks are, Joe was a fine ambassador for New Zealand rugby and will be remembered fondly for a long time. (Jon Collins)
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