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1981 v South Africa (Auckland) W 25-22
1982 v Australia (Christchurch) W 23-16
1982 v Australia (Wellington) L 19-16
1982 v Australia (Auckland) W 33-18
1983 v British Lions (Christchurch) W 16-12
1983 v British Lions (Wellington) W 9-0
1983 v British Lions (Dunedin) W 15-8
1983 v British Lions (Auckland) W 38-6
1983 v Australia (Sydney) W 18-8
1983 v Scotland (Murrayfield) D 25-25
1983 v England (Twickenham) L 15-9
1984 v France (Christchurch) W 10-9
1984 v France (Auckland) W 31-18
1984 v Australia (Brisbane) W 19-15
1984 v Australia (Sydney) W 25-24
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1985 v England (Christchurch) W 18-13
1985 v England (Wellington) W 42-15
1985 v Australia (Auckland) W 10-9
Career Record: P18, W15, D1, L2
Test Points: 8
Tries: 2
Steve became a regular in the New Zealand
side following his debut against South Africa
in September 1981, missing just four of the
next seventeen Internationals.
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Steve Pokere in action for The All Blacks on 1st. October 1983.
Photo George Herringshaw. ©
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Steve Pokere was a fleet footed centre/fly-half whose early soccer background stood him in good stead when he took up the oval ball game. Despite his slight build, Pokere was also a determined defender and put down many a heavier man when it seemed he would be brushed aside. Steve's debut was one to remember, a nailbiting series decider against South Africa in Auckland which was played behind barbed wire fences due to the level of unrest surrounding the match. In 1982 he lined up against the Wallabies for the first time in the Bledisloe Cup, an entertaining rubber which saw several future Australian stars grab the headlines. Steve scored his first international try in the tight 23-16 opener to augment scores by Graham Mourie, Murray Mexted and Bernie Fraser. In 1983 he then played in all four tests of a series against the Lions that was won 4-0, though was probably disappointed not to get on the scoresheet in any of them.
However, in the fourth test he came desperately close to a sensational try when he eluded a swarm of British defenders only to be stopped inches short of the line. By the time the New Zealand commentary team had finished drooling over Steve's run on the action replays, Jock Hobbs had touched down from the resulting scrum! More was to come in the second half when his exquisite chip ahead put Stu Wilson in for a try, and he was also part of the move that sent Alan Hewson over late on. However, perhaps the most important moment of his career came in the second match of the 1984 Australia series at Ballymore. Steve scored his second (and last) try in the corner following good approach work by Murray Mexted and Andy Donald. That touch down proved decisive and the test was won 19-15 after the Australians had lead by 12 points in as many minutes. Steve turned out in the 2-0 series win against England a year later, and his final test came in another victory over the Wallabies later in the season. (Jon Collins)
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