Rugby: The shot that split a nation

Allan Hewson initially thought his series-winning penalty against South Africa was going wide. Photo / NZ Herald

A torturous tour had a tortuous conclusion, writes Nick Edlin

'It just had to go over" - that was all All Black Allan Hewson allowed himself to think as he stepped up to take an injury-time penalty in the final test of the tumultuous 1981 Springbok tour.

At that moment, the tour was all square - New Zealand won the first test 14-9, South Africa the second 24-12 and the third was tied at 22-22.

While there was little to split the sides on the pitch, the nation was bitterly divided off it.
The third test was played in surreal circumstances. A pilot circled a Cessna over the ground, dropping flour bombs on to the pitch. One hit All Black prop Gary Knight but, surprisingly, referee Clive Norling allowed play to continue.

New Zealand had led most of the match but, in the dying minutes, Springbok wing Ray Mordt scored to level things up. Naas Botha, usually so metronomic, missed the conversion from the right-hand touchline. The game continued to make up for the time lost dealing with the flour bombs, and New Zealand made their way upfield.

Norling awarded the All Blacks a penalty. Captain Andy Dalton took the ball in hand.

Hewson and Doug Rollerson had been sharing the goal-kicking duties that day, one taking the left side of the field, the other the right.

"My first thought was, 'it's my kick'," says Hewson. "I grabbed the ball off Mr Dalton and I just thought it had to go over - there was nothing else on my mind. No one said anything."

Hewson lined up the ball about 35m out from the posts, halfway between the touchline and centre of the field.

He went through his pre-kick routine as quickly as possible, not wanting to get bogged down in thought. The 49,000 people in the crowd went quiet as he stood in position at the top of his mark.

Hewson ran in and swung his left boot but as the ball went flying into the air, a bad feeling gripped him. He put his hands to his head and listed to one side, willing the ball through the uprights.

"It looked as though it was going to veer to the right and miss," he says. "I was willing it back, all right - I think everyone in the crowd was, too."

A mysterious alchemy of aerodynamics, wind pressure and fate somehow curved the ball enough in its flight for it to sneak between the posts. Hewson lifted his hands from his head, shot up his arms and punched the air in triumph.

It's one of the most iconic visual moments in New Zealand sport.

"Pure relief, that's all that was," Hewson says.

It wasn't until the kick went over and the game had been won that Hewson and his team-mates realised how much was riding on that moment. The tour had left a deep scar across the country but the series win was a moment to savour for the pro-tour contingent.

"In hindsight, it probably should never have happened. It was pretty tough on everyone. We weren't the most popular team in the world at that stage - we were confined to barracks a lot of the time. We had to win to make it worthwhile."

Hewson admits that, despite playing 19 tests in an All Black career that spanned from 1979 to 1984, most people remember him for that moment alone. It's something he's happy to live with.

"It's nice to be remembered for something positive. It wasn't such a positive situation for New Zealand but if we'd lost, the tour would have been all for nothing."

Hewson is now chairman of the board of Petone Sportsville, an initiative designed to bring the community's sports clubs together and boost participation.