Eroni Clarke never quite did himself full justice despite being given many chances in the All Blacks in the 1992-93 seasons. But he still gained a special place in the game after a long, consistent service at provincial and Super 12 levels in a career which lasted more than a dozen years.

Clarke looked destined for greatness when he entered Auckland sides as a 22-year old in the 1991 season after showing considerable promise in age group rugby, particularly with the Auckland colts in 1989 and 1990.

In just his second match for Auckland, playing on the wing, Clarke made an immediate impact scoring two spectacular tries in the early season clash against Queensland. Of Samoan parentage and born in Apia before coming to New Zealand at an early age Clarke chose to pursue his national options with the country of his adoption even though there were strong efforts to persuade him to join the Manu Samoa side at the 1991 World Cup.

That season Clarke made the New Zealand XV which under the coaching of John Hart met Romania and the Soviet Union and played in the All Black trials. Clarke was rewarded with an All Black spot the following year when in the trials in Napier he scored a dazzling solo try when the Saracens XV, in which he played, scored an upset win over the shadow test selection.

Clarke was at second five eighths that day, an inkling of some of the problems which later were to plague him in All Black teams. For he was frequently chopped and changed in his positions from wing to second five eighths especially.

But he never had quite the extreme pace needed for the outside position and at second five was handicapped by a lack of kicking skill. It soon became apparent that his size, strength and solid tackling were best suited to centre but in that position he was soon overshadowed in national calculations by Frank Bunce.

Clarke played in 1992 as a second five in two of the Rugby Union centenary matches against the World XV, which though arguable were given official test status, and then the two tests against Ireland in Dunedin and Wellington. He finished his first four test appearances with five tries.

Clarke was taken on the subsequent tour of Australia and South Africa but by then he had become the second five understudy to the more skilful Walter Little and though he played in eight matches he failed to win selection for any of the tests.

Four tries as a wing in an early season Ranfurly Shield defence by Auckland against Hawke's Bay saw him used in this position for the first test in 1993 against the British Lions. He met with only moderate success and was even less conspicuous when tried as a second five eighths in the All Blacks' dismal second test loss at Athletic Park.

Clarke missed the remaining three tests of the 1993 New Zealand season but was taken on the tour of Scotland and England, with coach Laurie Mains still clearly having faith in his abiliity. He replaced an injured Matthew Cooper late in the international against Scotland and was at second five against England.

But the latter match resulted in a loss. Clarke was replaced for the tour finale against the Barbarians and despite appearing in trials during the 1994, 1996, 1997 and 1998 seasons was then consistently overlooked for All Black sides.

Ironically, in these seasons he probably produced his best and most mature rugby. By now he had settled into the centre position and he became a mainstay for Auckland at NPC level and for the Blues in the Super 12. And when the All Blacks were in South Africa in 1996 he captained Auckland occasionally, most notably in the shield defeat to Taranaki.

Clarke was at his best when the Blues won the first two Super 12 titles in 1996-97 and received a surprise recall because of injuries to the All Blacks for the last two tests of the 1998 season. This was one of the worst years in All Black history and the tests in which Clarke played at centre, against South Africa in Durban and Australia in Sydney, were both lost narrowly. But Clarke played well and in neither case could the defeats be attriubuted to him.

Unfortunately, Clarke's return was to be brief. In the first match of the 1999 Super 12 season playing for the Blues against the Highlanders he seriously injured a knee. That put him out of running for a World Cup spot, but he did return to help Auckland win that season's NPC title. In the latter part of his career Clarke suffered a number of knockbacks but remained cheerful and thoroughly professional throughout. He failed to make the Blues Super 12 squad in 2001 but was drafted to the Highlanders for the latter part of the season and was able to bring up 50 Super 12 games.

In 2002 in the course of helping Auckland to another NPC title, even though out of the starting XV over the final stages, he brought up 150 games for the union. Clarke also scored in excess of 100 first class tries.

Profile by Lindsay Knight
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.

FULL NAME

Eroni Clarke

BORN

Monday, 31 March 1969 in Apia

AGE

41

PHYSICAL

1.86m, 90kg

POSITION

Midfield back and wing

LAST SCHOOL

Henderson High

RUGBY CLUB
(First made All Blacks from)

Auckland Suburbs

PROVINCE

Auckland

ALL BLACK DEBUT

Wednesday, 22 April 1992
v World XV at Wellington
aged 23 years, 22 days

INTERNATIONAL DEBUT

Wednesday, 22 April 1992
v World XV at Wellington
aged 23 years, 22 days

LAST TEST

Saturday, 29 August 1998
v Australia at Sydney
aged 29 years, 151 days

ALL BLACK TESTS

10 (0 as Captain)

ALL BLACK GAMES

14 (0 as Captain)

TOTAL ALL BLACK MATCHES

24 (0 as Captain)

ALL BLACK TEST POINTS

25pts (6t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)

ALL BLACK GAME POINTS

25pts (5t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)

TOTAL ALL BLACK POINTS

50pts (11t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)

ALL BLACK NUMBER

919

The All Black Games that Clarke played.
(+) = substitute; (-) = replaced

Click on the date to be taken to the Match Card

1992

 22 Apr vs World XV at Wellington 54-26  

 25 Apr vs World XV at Auckland 26-15  

 30 May vs Ireland at Dunedin 24-21  

 6 Jun vs Ireland at Wellington 59-6  

 21 Jun vs Western Australia at Perth 80-0  

 1 Jul vs A.C.T. at Canberra 45-13  

 8 Jul vs Victorian Invitation XV at Melbourne 53-3  

 15 Jul vs Queensland B at Cairns 32-13  

 22 Jul vs Sydney at Sydney 17-40  

 1 Aug vs Natal at Durban 43-25  

 8 Aug vs Junior South Africa at Pretoria 25-10  

 10 Aug vs Central Unions at Witbank 39-6  

1993

 12 Jun vs British & Irish Lions at Christchurch 20-18  

 26 Jun vs British & Irish Lions at Wellington 7-20  

 26 Oct vs Midlands at Leicester 12-6  

 2 Nov vs England North at Liverpool 27-21  

 10 Nov vs South of Scotland at Galashiels 84-5  

 16 Nov vs Scottish Development XV at Edinburgh 31-12  

 20 Nov vs Scotland at Edinburgh 51-15 (+) 

 23 Nov vs England Emerging Players at Gloucester 30-19  

 27 Nov vs England at London 9-15  

 30 Nov vs Combined Services at Plymouth 13-3  

1998

 15 Aug vs South Africa at Durban 23-24 (-) 

 29 Aug vs Australia at Sydney 14-19  

Points scored for the All Blacks

t

c

p

dg

pts

vs World XV, 22 Apr 1992

2

-

-

-

8

vs World XV, 25 Apr 1992

1

-

-

-

4

vs Ireland, 30 May 1992

1

-

-

-

4

vs Ireland, 6 Jun 1992

1

-

-

-

4

vs Western Australia, 21 Jun 1992

1

-

-

-

5

vs A.C.T., 1 Jul 1992

2

-

-

-

10

vs Victorian Invitation XV, 8 Jul 1992

1

-

-

-

5

vs British & Irish Lions, 26 Jun 1993

1

-

-

-

5

vs England Emerging Players, 23 Nov 1993

1

-

-

-

5

Totals

11

0

0

0

50

Test Record by Nation

P

W

D

L

t

c

p

dg

pts

Australia

1

-

-

1

-

-

-

-

-

British & Irish Lions

2

1

-

1

1

-

-

-

5

England

1

-

-

1

-

-

-

-

-

Ireland

2

2

-

-

2

-

-

-

8

Scotland

1

1

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

South Africa

1

-

-

1

-

-

-

-

-

World XV

2

2

-

-

3

-

-

-

12

Totals

10

6

0

4

6

0

0

0

25