100 Greatest All Blacks: Malcolm Dick

Amongst the many shrewd decisions he made in an illustrious playing and coaching career, Fred Allen's idea to move Malcolm Dick from midfield to the wing was one of his most judicious.

Dick was a determined footballer with plenty of pace who could cope with the buffetings in midfield. But his Auckland coach wanted someone with a few more deft touches in that position and persuaded the 21-year-old Dick that he would gain even more enjoyment and success on the wing.

It was not long before he was grateful. By the end of that year he was an All Black reserve and in 1963 was the star wing on the tour to the UK when he played in 24 matches including the five tests and scored 19 tries.

Dick seemed set for a long and productive career but leg injuries interrupted the flow to much of his career after that mighty beginning and when he finished after touring South Africa in 1970, Dick had only gathered 15 caps around another 40 All Black matches.

The son of an All Black, Dick was a compact, bustling player whose aggressive intent gave him the edge on many bigger opponents. His power allowed him to break inside tackles while he was also very adept at lining up the corner flag.

Dick was reliable although his frame did not always conform. He was neat and classy in all aspects of his play which perhaps reflected his training as a chartered accountant.
Once he was done with playing Dick became heavily involved in the administration of the game with stints on the Auckland and NZRU while he also managed the All Blacks when they toured Japan after their triumph in the 1987 World Cup.

Statistics
Date of birth: 3 January 1941
Position: Wing
Test debut: 7 December 1963 v Ireland at Dublin
Final test: 12 September 1970 v South Africa at Johannesburg
Matches: 55
Tests: 15
Province: Auckland
Test tries: 4
Test points: 12