The oldest living All Black Ron Elvidge has died.
The Otago great and former All Blacks captain played nine tests for New Zealand.
He died in Auckland on Saturday, aged 96.
Elvidge famously scored the match-winning try in the 6-3 third test triumph over the Lions in 1950 despite suffering a bad collar bone injury and a serious facial wound.
Elvidge never played for New Zealand again.
"My memory of the game is pretty minimal," he told the Herald in 2017. "I vaguely remember going over in the corner but the photo reminds me.
"I had been hurt, but not too badly; I remember the crash tackle."
Elvidge was accustomed to dealing with pressure before the Lions tour. He captained Otago to beat Southland 17-11 and secure the Ranfurly Shield in 1947, and led them undefeated with the Log o' Wood through 1948.
He led the All Blacks in the final two test defeats when Fred Allen got injured on the 1949 South African tour and applied his medical skills during a rail crash from Rhodesia to Pretoria which resulted in the death of a coal trimmer. And he specialised in juggling study and rugby while living in Dunedin.
"I don't think they [the Lions] intimidated me physically, or mentally for that matter. They were just as good as us, or even a bit better, so we were wary of what they might do.
"However, it was always an honour to be an All Black. It meant you'd played fairly well to be included, but you had to maintain that standard.
"I tried not to subject myself to too much pressure because I didn't respond well to it. I did what I wanted to do most of the time, but conformed as required in a team environment."
Despite playing alongside greats of the New Zealand game such as Scott and Allen, Elvidge got more enjoyment at club and provincial level.
"They were top of the tree, but I preferred playing with my university [club] mates because we were together so often, whereas I'd only play about one game in 20 with the others."
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