That Walter Little was to achieve the distinction of 50 test matches was perhaps a reflection of the ever increasing frequency of their number in the modern era, even before the game became officially professional in 1995.
For in the nine year span between 1989 and 1998 in which Little was an All Black there were prolonged periods when he was on the outer, either acting as a reserve or not even being in the squad.
Little did have a considerable amount of bad luck with injuries and was ruled out of the 1993 tour of Scotland and England after selection at a late stage because of one of them. But he was also out of selectorial favour considerably more than his immense talent warranted.
Originally from Tokoroa, Little came to early prominence as an an exceptional prospect when he attended as a boarder the Catholic Maori college on Auckland's North Shore, Hato Petera. North Harbour coach Peter Thorburn was quick to appreciate his potential and as an 18-year old he was introduced to the Harbour representative side in 1988.
About this time, too, he had played alongside the likes of Inga Tuigamala, Craig Innes and John Timu in some outstanding national age group and secondary school sides.
These players along with Matthew Ridge were in a fine New Zealand Colts side coached by John Hart in 1989 and all of this group were blooded as All Blacks on the 1989 tour of Wales and Ireland. Little fully justified his choice and while he missed the two internationals he was chosen in the midfield for the prestige match against the Barbarians at Twickenham when Joe Stanley was out with injury.
Little, the possessor of a useful if not always accurate boot, had originally been a first five eighths and his All Black debut against British Columbia at Vancouver had been in this position. But that had only been because of the unavailability of Grant Fox and Frano Botica and at this early stage of his career the presence of both these players nationally and at provincial level meant Little had to specialise on second five eighths, a position to which he was ideally suited.
He made his test debut outside Fox against Scotland in 1990 and marked the occasion with a try. But in 1991 he suffered the first of his many test setbacks when for much of that season and for most of the World Cup Bernie McCahill was preferred at second five.
That this had been at some cost to the All Blacks' backline's flair and creativity was emphasised by the belated inclusion of Little for the third-fourth playoff against Scotland when he was the best back in the match and the scorer of its only try.
In 1992 Little, at the behest of Thorburn who had become a selector, was tried at first five for two of the centenary tests and the series against Ireland. But new coach Laurie Mains soon realised he needed Fox's experience and kicking skills and brought him back for the matches that year against Australia and South Africa.
By then Little was forming a potent midfield duo with Frank Bunce and though there were disruptions through 1993 and 1994 they were at their formidable best in the 1995 World Cup and then in the unbeaten year of 1996 in which the Springboks were beaten for the first time in a series in South Africa.
In 1997, though, both Bunce and Little began to wane, Bunce through age and Little with a knee problem which was becoming chronic. In 1998 Little was part of a now struggling All Black side and without Bunce at his side the quietly spoken Little could not impose the authority the backline badly needed. His 50th test came in a decisive defeat to the Wallabies, after which Little became one of many casualties.
Occasionally in 1999 and 2000 Little showed flashes of his old running ability and strong defence in appearances at NPC and Super 12 levels.
He finished with what was a record-equalling 145 appearances for Harbour and 43 matches in the Super 12.
Most of his Super 12 rugby was with the Chiefs, even when the Harbour union had been moved to the Blues franchise. He was with the Blues only for the 2000 season but struggled for meaningful game time and at the end of that year he took up a contract in Japan.
Profile by Lindsay Knight
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.
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FULL NAME |
Walter Kenneth Little |
BORN |
Tuesday, 14 October 1969 in Tokoroa |
AGE |
40 |
PHYSICAL |
1.78m, 76kg |
POSITION |
Five-eighth and Centre three-quarter |
LAST SCHOOL |
Hato Petera College |
RUGBY CLUB
(First made All Blacks from) |
Glenfield |
PROVINCE |
North Harbour |
ALL BLACK DEBUT |
Sunday, 8 October 1989
v British Columbia at Vancouver
aged 19 years, 359 days |
INTERNATIONAL DEBUT |
Saturday, 16 June 1990
v Scotland at Dunedin
aged 20 years, 245 days |
LAST TEST |
Saturday, 1 August 1998
v Australia at Christchurch
aged 28 years, 291 days |
ALL BLACK TESTS |
50 (0 as Captain) |
ALL BLACK GAMES |
25 (0 as Captain) |
TOTAL ALL BLACK MATCHES |
75 (0 as Captain) |
ALL BLACK TEST POINTS |
44pts (9t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m) |
ALL BLACK GAME POINTS |
27pts (6t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m) |
TOTAL ALL BLACK POINTS |
71pts (15t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m) |
ALL BLACK NUMBER |
898 |
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The All Black Games that Little played.
(+) = substitute; (-) = replaced |
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Click on the date to be taken to the Match Card |
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1989 |
8 Oct vs British Columbia at Vancouver 48-3 |
18 Oct vs Pontypool at Pontypool 47-6 |
21 Oct vs Swansea at Swansea 37-22 (+) |
25 Oct vs Neath at Neath 26-15 |
28 Oct vs Llanelli at Llanelli 11-0 |
8 Nov vs Leinster at Dublin 36-9 |
14 Nov vs Connacht at Galway 40-6 |
21 Nov vs Ulster at Belfast 21-3 |
25 Nov vs Barbarians at London 21-10 |
1990 |
16 Jun vs Scotland at Dunedin 31-16 |
23 Jun vs Scotland at Auckland 21-18 |
21 Jul vs Australia at Christchurch 21-6 |
4 Aug vs Australia at Auckland 27-17 |
18 Aug vs Australia at Wellington 9-21 |
20 Oct vs Languedoc Selection at Narbonne 22-6 |
27 Oct vs French Barbarians at Agen 23-13 |
3 Nov vs France at Nantes 24-3 |
10 Nov vs France at Paris 30-12 |
1991 |
15 Jun vs Rosario at Rosario 81-9 |
22 Jun vs Buenos Aires at Buenos Aires 37-9 |
29 Jun vs Argentina 'B' at Buenos Aires 22-6 |
6 Jul vs Argentina at Buenos Aires 28-14 |
13 Jul vs Argentina at Buenos Aires 36-6 |
10 Aug vs Australia at Sydney 12-21 |
13 Oct vs Italy at Leicester 31-21 |
30 Oct vs Scotland at Cardiff 13-6 |
1992 |
18 Apr vs World XV at Christchurch 14-28 |
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 |
24 Jun vs South Australian Invitation XV at Adelaide 48-18 |
28 Jun vs N.S.W. at Sydney 41-9 |
4 Jul vs Australia at Sydney 15-16 |
12 Jul vs Queensland at Brisbane 26-19 |
19 Jul vs Australia at Brisbane 17-19 |
25 Jul vs Australia at Sydney 26-23 |
5 Aug vs Orange Free State at Bloemfontein 33-14 |
8 Aug vs Junior South Africa at Pretoria 25-10 |
15 Aug vs South Africa at Johannesburg 27-24 |
1993 |
12 Jun vs British & Irish Lions at Christchurch 20-18 (-) |
31 Jul vs Samoa at Auckland 35-13 (+) |
1994 |
23 Jul vs South Africa at Wellington 13-9 (+) |
17 Aug vs Australia at Sydney 16-20 |
1995 |
22 Apr vs Canada at Auckland 73-7 |
27 May vs Ireland at Johannesburg 43-19 |
31 May vs Wales at Johannesburg 34-9 |
11 Jun vs Scotland at Pretoria 48-30 |
18 Jun vs England at Cape Town 45-29 |
24 Jun vs South Africa at Johannesburg 12-15 |
22 Jul vs Australia at Auckland 28-16 |
29 Jul vs Australia at Sydney 34-23 |
25 Oct vs Italy 'A' at Catania 51-21 (+) |
28 Oct vs Italy at Bologna 70-6 |
1 Nov vs French Barbarians at Toulon 34-19 |
4 Nov vs Languedoc-Roussillon at Beziers 30-9 |
11 Nov vs France at Toulouse 15-22 |
18 Nov vs France at Paris 37-12 |
1996 |
22 Jun vs Scotland at Auckland 36-12 |
6 Jul vs Australia at Wellington 43-6 |
20 Jul vs South Africa at Christchurch 15-11 |
27 Jul vs Australia at Brisbane 32-25 |
10 Aug vs South Africa at Cape Town 29-18 (-) |
17 Aug vs South Africa at Durban 23-19 |
24 Aug vs South Africa at Pretoria 33-26 |
31 Aug vs South Africa at Johannesburg 22-32 |
1997 |
11 Nov vs Wales 'A' at Pontypridd 51-8 |
18 Nov vs Emerging England at Huddersfield 59-22 |
25 Nov vs English Rugby Partnership XV at Bristol 18-11 (+) |
29 Nov vs Wales at London 42-7 |
6 Dec vs England at London 26-26 (-) |
1998 |
20 Jun vs England at Dunedin 64-22 |
11 Jul vs Australia at Melbourne 16-24 |
25 Jul vs South Africa at Wellington 3-13 |
1 Aug vs Australia at Christchurch 23-27 |
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