The "Black Panther' retires from Rugby

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31656, 17 April 1968, Page 9

The "Black Panther' retires from Rugby

TN recent years New Zealand has produced a I seemingly inexhaustible supply of outstanding loose for- | wards, but the retirement : of W. J. Nathan, if not : creating a void, has left a gap that will be hard to 611. Nathan has retired from ' representative Rugby at the i age of 27, the time when I international forwards are ] supposed to be at their i peak and, now only K. R. i Tremain is left of the triumvirate of Nathan, Tremain and D. J. Graham that | played so superbly on the tour of the British Isles and France in 1963-64. Tremain, with his great strength, speed and determination: Graham, thoughtful, intelligent and decisive; R. J. Conway in perpetual motion: H. C. Burry tenacious and dedicated: B. J. Lochore cool and disciplined in everything he did, would be among the leading loose forwards during the last 10 years but, for all their abilities, Nathan outdid them in one respect: he had that indefinable quality which catches the imagination of the spectator. Perhaps his surging runs in the loose with his powerful shoulders shrugging off tackles, and his knees almost threatening his own chin attracted the attention and admiration of spectators. Or it may have been that spectators sensed that for all his great ability Nathan remained essentially a modest man, whose rise to Rugby fame had not affected his attitude towards the game. Whatever it was. Nathan deservedly was one of the most popular and respected of players. His name is graven deeply on Canterbury Rugby hearts. It was he who pounced on a wickedlybouncing ball in the last minute of the Ranfurly Shield challenge in 1960 against Auckland and, heeding Whinerav’s exhortation “under the posts, Waka.” scored the try which, with Cormack’s conversion. gave Auckland a 19-18 win. In 1962 Nathan duly gained his international cap when he toured Australia and then was chosen for the tour of Britain and France In 1963-64 Under the disciplined coaching of Mr N. J McPhail. Nathan became a great forward. Tremain,

Nathan and Graham were the scourge of opposing backs as their play dovetailed perfectly—Tremain starting the crashing driving play: Graham methodically initiating further play, or stopping ouickly any possible counter-attacks: Nathan, with his tremendous speed and power, widening gaps that had been opened. Nathan prowled the British Rugby fields with such purpose and ferocity that he was quite aptly named the “Black Panther ” A fractured jaw on the •our, and a damaged Achilles tendon kept Nathan out of maior Rugby in 1964, and in 1965 when the Springboks touted he did not play well enough, because of injury, to gain a test.

But in 1966 he returned to his best form to play in all four tests against the Lions,

and he scored two tries in the third test. He toured Britain and France with the 1967 .Ml Blacks, but a punch which fractured his jaw again kept him out of many matches. However, he played in the last match of the tour, the memorable game against the Barbarians. If Nathan had a faul* as a loose forward, it was that at times he seemed to feel he "-as playing a team on his own. leam-ma’cs in better positions would be ignored as he tried to plough through another tackle while striving for his destination—the goal-line. But that did net detract from the other aspects of his play—his speed, his unrelenting pursuit of opposing inside backs, wonderful anticipation and complete singleness of purpose.