When he came into the All Blacks for the final two tests against the British Lions in 1977 there was general satisfaction that Otago's Bevan Wilson appeared to have solved what seemed to have become a major All Black problem both at fullback and with goalkicking.

In South Africa in the previous year the All Blacks had been forced to switch a first five eigthths, Duncan Robertson, to the position and in the first two tests of 1977 the young Aucklander Colin Farrell had a horror time.

Wilson, just 21, played with such aplomb when called in that it seemed New Zealand had finally found the solution. He scored eight points in the third test and six points in the fourth and if not prolific in scoring the goals he landed were crucial and made under some pressure.

Regrettably, Wilson did not become the champion fullback which seemed to be his inevitable destiny.

Starting with the tour to France at the end of the 1977 season Wilson was plagued for the rest of his career with injuries which forced him into a premature retirement.

The son of a fine Otago fullback of the 1950s, Billy Wilson, he had a good rugby pedigree and was the product of a strong rugby environment in the Matakanui club in Central Otago.

Tall at 1.85m and lithely built at 82kg, Wilson was a strong runner as well a fine kicker.

He made his debut at first class level for Otago sub unions and after another match for the subunions he made his Otago A debut near the end of the 1975 season when the long serving Laurie Mains was away playing for the South Island.

Mains' absence with the All Blacks in South Africa gave Wilson more representative chances in 1976 and Wilson responded by scoring more than a century of points.

His vintage season was in 1977 when not only did he break into the All Blacks but he played for the New Zealand Juniors, the South Island and had his first All Black trial. In Otago matches alone he scored 159 points.

But after just three matches on the end of year tour of France he injured his thigh and had to return home early.

For the rest of his playing days he suffered from injury. He returned for the three tests against the Wallabies in 1978 but had to withdraw from the Grand Slam tour of Britain after being selected because of a knee injury.

In 1979 he brought his All Black appearances to 12 and his test tally to eight, in which he had scored 55 points, when he played both the internationals against France and in the one-off test against Australia in Sydney.

But though he finished out the year with Otago, bringing his matches for the provincial A team to 51, he was now feeling the strain of his many injuries and at just 23 he bowed out of top class rugby.

In recent years Wilson has been prominent as a successful trainer of thoroughbred racehorses.

Profile by Lindsay Knight
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.

FULL NAME

Bevan William Wilson

BORN

Thursday, 22 March 1956 in Dunstan

AGE

54

PHYSICAL

1.85m, 82kg

POSITION

Fullback

LAST SCHOOL

Dunstan High

RUGBY CLUB
(First made All Blacks from)

Matakanui

PROVINCE

Otago

ALL BLACK DEBUT

Saturday, 30 July 1977
v British & Irish Lions at Dunedin
aged 21 years, 130 days

INTERNATIONAL DEBUT

Saturday, 30 July 1977
v British & Irish Lions at Dunedin
aged 21 years, 130 days

LAST TEST

Saturday, 28 July 1979
v Australia at Sydney
aged 23 years, 128 days

ALL BLACK TESTS

8 (0 as Captain)

ALL BLACK GAMES

4 (0 as Captain)

TOTAL ALL BLACK MATCHES

12 (0 as Captain)

ALL BLACK TEST POINTS

55pts (0t, 5c, 15p, 0dg, 0m)

ALL BLACK GAME POINTS

5pts (0t, 1c, 1p, 0dg, 0m)

TOTAL ALL BLACK POINTS

60pts (0t, 6c, 16p, 0dg, 0m)

ALL BLACK NUMBER

775

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

Click on the date to be taken to the Match Card

1977

 30 Jul vs British & Irish Lions at Dunedin 19-7  

 13 Aug vs British & Irish Lions at Auckland 10-9  

 26 Oct vs French Selection at Brive 45-3 (-) 

 5 Nov vs French Selection at Agen 34-12  

 8 Nov vs French Selection at Bayonne 38-22  

1978

 19 Aug vs Australia at Wellington 13-12  

 26 Aug vs Australia at Christchurch 22-6  

 9 Sep vs Australia at Auckland 16-30  

1979

 7 Jul vs France at Christchurch 23-9  

 14 Jul vs France at Auckland 19-24  

 24 Jul vs Queensland B at Brisbane 35-3  

 28 Jul vs Australia at Sydney 6-12  

Points scored for the All Blacks

t

c

p

dg

pts

vs British & Irish Lions, 30 Jul 1977

-

1

2

-

8

vs British & Irish Lions, 13 Aug 1977

-

-

2

-

6

vs French Selection, 8 Nov 1977

-

-

1

-

3

vs Australia, 19 Aug 1978

-

-

3

-

9

vs Australia, 26 Aug 1978

-

2

1

-

7

vs France, 7 Jul 1979

-

1

3

-

11

vs France, 14 Jul 1979

-

1

3

-

11

vs Queensland B, 24 Jul 1979

-

1

-

-

2

vs Australia, 28 Jul 1979

-

-

1

-

3

Totals

0

6

16

0

60

Test Record by Nation

P

W

D

L

t

c

p

dg

pts

Australia

4

2

-

2

-

2

5

-

19

British & Irish Lions

2

2

-

-

-

1

4

-

14

France

2

1

-

1

-

2

6

-

22

Totals

8

5

0

3

0

5

15

0

55