Horowhenua StarOne of the oldest surviving All Blacks who celebrated his birthday in Levin last week is still fond of a chocolate biscuit.
Don McIntosh, now 94, saw plenty of them during his time as an All Black flanker in the late 1950s. When he wasn’t representing his country in rugby he worked at the biscuit factory in Lower Hutt for Sir Charles Griffin.
“He said to me, ‘you take as much time off as you want. Your wages will go on’,” Ron says. “That allowed me to play rugby.”
Don, who later became a farmer, played a total of 13 games for the All Blacks, including four test matches – two home games against South Africa in 1956 and two tests on the tour of Australia in 1957, scoring a total of three tries.
Don McIntosh at 94, and at right in his official All Blacks photo from his playing days in the 1950s.
He played for the Petone club and became the first player to reach 100 games for Wellington. He played 120 matches for Wellington, many as captain, including games against the touring Springbok team in 1956 and a British Lions team in 1959.
The South African tour in 1956 was described as brutal. The visitors hadn’t lost a test series since 1896. The entire tour gripped both nations. Don played against the tourists three times.
He made his test debut in the 10-6 win against South Africa at Carisbrook and three weeks later played in the 8-3 loss to the tourists at Athletic Park. Earlier in the tour, South Africa beat Wellington 8-6 at the same ground.
The All Blacks won the final two tests in the four-test series, at Lancaster Park in Christchurch (17-10) and Eden Park in Auckland (11-5), to record a famous series victory against the old foe.
The All Blacks were unbeaten on the 1957 Australian tour, retaining the Bledisloe Cup with wins in Sydney (25-11) and Brisbane (22-9).
Don is a huge fan of the way rugby is played today. He says it’s fast and exciting. While he was the fastest runner at Featherston High School over 100 yards he doubts whether he would keep up with the pace of the game today, or match the size of the players, with some as heavy as 140kg.
“I wouldn’t be fast enough,” he says.
He was 1.88m tall and 94kg when he played. He says before the South African tour there was a directive from the All Black management to all players telling them to get fit and beef up before the tourists arrived.
“We were told if we weren’t heavier than 15 stone 3 (96kg), look out,” he says.
“It’s a different game today. They’re bigger and they’re very astute players, and there is pattern in their play. If they [the All Blacks] keep playing the same game they’ll be the best in the world again eventually.”
He says one thing that has changed is that players “don’t swing their dukes around any more”.
“[Back then] you’d get a belt between the eyes if you weren’t careful. I got a boot in the mouth and lost three teeth.”
Don’s mother was Irish; his father Scottish and a huge boxing and football fan.
“He didn’t like rugby and insisted we box and go with him to watch the stop outs. I put the gloves on and won a couple of titles,” he says.
When asked to name the best player he played with or against, he paused for a while before giving a wry smile.
“I was,” he says. “Ron Jarden . . . Morrie Dixon . . . Wilson Whineray was as good as any.”
OLDEST SURVIVING ALL BLACKS
BILL McCAW, b 26 August 1927, age 97, All Black no 527: played 32 times for NZ including 5 tests, 1951-54.
BRIAN STEELE, 19 January, 1929, age 96, All Black no 529: played 9 times including 3 tests in 1951.
TUPPY DIACK, 22 July 1930, age 94, All Black no 602: played 1 test, the 2nd vs the 1959 British Lions.
MICK BREMNER, 2 August, 1930, age 94, All Black no 545: played 18 times including 2 tests from 1952-60.
LLOYD ASHBY, 15 February, 1931, age 94, All Black no 594: played 1 test vs Australia in 1958.
DON McINTOSH, 1 April 1931, age 94, All Black no 575: played 13 times including 4 tests between 1956-57.
STUART FREEBAIRN, 12 January, 1932, age 93, All Black no 554: played 14 times, no tests from 1953-54.
NEV MacEWAN, 1May, 1934, age 90, All Black no 578: Nev played 52 times including 20 tests from 1956-62.
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