1924 All Black's Death A Sad Loss

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30953, 8 January 1966, Page 11

1924 All Black's Death A Sad Loss

1 HAD a fruitless journey 1 by car from Wainui (Banks Peninsula) to Christchurch airport on Wednesday of last week in an attempt to attend the funeral of a great friend and Rugby stalwart, Quentin Donald, of Martinborough, who was to be cremated in Wellington that day. It was with a feeling of extreme sadness and disappointment that at 2 p.m., following the announcement that all flights to Wellington were cancelled for the day because of high winds

at Rongotai, I turned away from Harew’ood to continue my Christmas vacation. It was not to be my sad duty to attend the funeral of the seventh member of the 1924 New Zealand Rugby team which walked on to the field with me at Twickenham, London, the home of world Rugby, on January 3, 1925. As a matter of interest the other six deceased are K. S. “Snowy” Svenson and Jack Steel, wing three-quarters, Jimmy Mill, half-back, Bill Irvine, hooker, and the brothers, Maurice and Cyril Brownlie, side-row forwards. Quentin Donald, whose playing weight was 12st 61b and whose ancestors hailed from the highlands of Scotland, was as tough as any Scot who followed the bagpipes in the direction of Carlisle, Cumberland, during the days of those cruel border wars between England and Scotland. And how very much we needed such a type in that famous match in which our dear old colleague. Cyril Brownlie, was obliged to suffer the indignity of walking off the field in front of 60.000 spectators after being ordered off by the referee, Albert Freethy. of Wales. He was a very good referee too. But he made a grave mistake that day. However, referees and umpires invariably do their best and should not be condemned for odd mistakes. In 1924 I was under-study to that wonderful lock, lan Harvey, of Wairarapa, a close friend of Quentin Donald. lan unfortunately suffered from indifferent health dur-

ing the tour which precluded his selection for test matches.

Hence it became my job to lock the All Black scrum (two-three-two formation in those days and oh, what a pity it is still not so today) in what was to be the greatest test match of my short playing career. The hookers were Quentin Donald and Bill Irvine.

What a tough time those two front row forwards had against the three fielded by England. There were 81 official scrums—a most unusual number in those days but unfortunately far more common today under the existing, frustrating laws. The captain of the English team, “Wakers” Wakefield, now Lord Wakefield of political fame, elected to take scrums instead of line-outs, which was permissable under the old laws. It was shrewd strategy on his part for, following Cyril Brownlie’s departure after only eight minutes we were one forward short. And for the greater part of the second half we were two forwards short because Jim Parker, our wing-forward-cum-pack-forward, was directed to play as an extra threequarter when Jack Steel suffered an injury to his leg. With Quentin Donald’s death, not only I, but many

thousands of Rugby Union and horse racing enthusiasts (Quentin loved horses, too. What sheep farmer does not) have lost a great and respected friend.

He was extremely generous to friends in sickness and to those less fortunately placed than himself. He was very tough when tough-

ness was invited but very fair when competing against men who took part in sport for the love of it.

What is more, he never held malice against those front row opponents and others who bashed him from time to time. He knew how to deal with them if the referee failed in his duty!