Andy Dalton is remembered most for All Blacks tests he did not play.
Anyone with any skerrick of knowledge about rugby and its history will remember the scene at the end of the 1987 World Cup when David Kirk coaxed Dalton to hold up the tournament prize.
A hamstring injuryprevented Dalton from taking his place as a captain and hooker in that event but with his dry line of comedy, Dalton talks about his sacrifice to kickstart Sean Fitzpatrick's career.
Dalton's path to the top was slow but it gained traction when he shifted to Counties and came under the coaching gaze of Barry Bracewell and Hiwi Tauora, men who needed grafting solid forwards so their teams could support attractive rugby.
Dalton with Gary Knight and John Ashworth all made their national debut on the 1977 tour to Italy and at almost 26, Dalton then made his test start against France.
He was compact in the frontrow, deadly with his lineout throws as the first All Black hooker to perform that art and busy around the field.
Those frisky days seemed a distant memory when Dalton captained the All Blacks against the Boks in their tempestuous visit in '81, as the Geriatrics (Dalton, Knight and Ashworth) took the brunt of the visitors' set piece onslaught.
Victory in that series was offset in '86 when Dalton led the Cavaliers to South Africa but had his jaw broken when he was blindsided by a punch, 40 minutes into the first game.
Dalton was determined to have one final crack at test rugby and was on course until he strained his hamstring on the soft training grounds before the '87 World Cup.
His playing time was done but not his connections to the sport. Dalton coached Counties, farmed his property in Bombay, became the NZRU president and then chief executive of Auckland and the Blues.
Statistics Date of birth: 16 November 1951 Position: Hooker Matches: 58 Tests: 35 Test debut: 19 November 1977 v France, Paris Final test: 29 June 1985 v Australia, Auckland Province: Counties-Manukau Test tries: 3 Test points: 12
