One glorious try helped to establish the World Cup for ever. In the first match of that tournament in 1987, New Zealand chose on the right wing the tall, blond, dashing figure of John Kirwan, still relatively new to the All Black jersey.
The image of Kirwan, later a dedicated surfer and coffee society Aucklander, was far removed from that of the traditional All Black, perceived as a glowering, farming forward with beetle brows.
In the first match against Italy, Kirwan was given the ball deep in his own territory. He set off at pace, weaving in and out of blue jerseys and accelerating past cover defenders. He stepped cleverly left and right and ran on to score. It was a glorious try by a
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