KEY POINTS:
New Zealand rugby owed much to the late Tom Morrison as an All Black, administrator and selector, and even more for his recognising that in Pat Walsh, who died from cancer aged 71 late last week, there bubbled a genius for the game.
In the early 1950s Walsh,
from Ahipara in Northland, had shown such promise at school and then in a star-laden team at the Ardmore teachers training college that he was tossed as a 19-year-old as fullback into the first test battle against the 1956 Springboks.
The All Blacks, and Walsh, struggled in the first test. In a half-gale at Wellington the All Blacks lost the second test, Walsh again at fullback and not comfortable in such difficult conditions.
Don Clarke was passed fit to play fullback in the third test, and the doubters suggested a third test team minus Walsh - which might have snuffed out Walsh's blazing spirit.
Morrison convinced his fellow-selectors Jack Sullivan and Arthur Marslin, that Walsh should be retained - at centre.
Many years later Morrison said that retaining Walsh and re-organising his style to mid-field attack had become one of the totally joyous decisions in Morrison's long career.
And so Walsh was liberated into a lustrous career built around a strong family life, his total love for the game, especially at Counties (he played for four clubs there, and coached the representative side) New Zealand Maori and All Black level.
After an heroic recovery from a serious knee injury during the 1963-64 All Black tour of Britain, which led to the end of his playing days, Walsh was involved in several commercial enterprises, ending in the hotel and hospitality business, and finding ways of helping many sports and sportspeople with financial or logistical support.
A born entertainer and a totally captivating master of ceremonies, Walsh had time for one great, and final gesture - getting Don Clarke, his life ebbing away from cancer, to make a return trip from South Africa.
Clarke resisted, but this was a battle Walsh was always going to win. He met Clarke and his wife Patsy at the airport, handed over the keys of a gleaming monster of a new Mercedes-Benz, sent Clarke away to see folk in the Waikato and then officiated at the Eden Park farewell luncheon which had Clarke, and many other hard-headed folk, in tears.
That was Walsh. He had class, style - and the good luck to have Tom Morrison recognise his qualities.
* Manukau Mayor Len Brown has paid tribute to Pat Walsh, saying he was a favourite son of Manukau. He was an inspiration to many young people and was well respected not only in the Counties Manukau area, but throughout the country.
"He was a legend in the sporting world, not only as a rugby player but as an All Black selector and former Counties coach," Brown said. But he was also extremely well known for his contribution to his community and his amazing ability to fundraise.
