Disappointments —For Steel

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31761, 19 August 1968, Page 1

Disappointments —For Steel

A. G. Steel, the All Black wing and former national sprint champion, is unlikely to play Rugby or compete in athletics again.

His right achilles tendon was severely burnt when he was being treated before the first test against France last month. Part of the tendon was removed last week in an operation at Burwood Hospital. He has had a skin graft round the tendon and when that heals he will have a tendon graft.

“At best, I hope to be able to run with the children on the beach,” he said in hospital yesterday. “About two inches of the tendon was removed in the operation last Wednesday and the piece that was removed looked like a charred twig.” Steel said that before the Australian tour the tendon had been sore but it had not interfered with his training. It bothered him again in the second test at Brisbane and he was rested for the match against Fiji.

After he was selected for the first test against France he went for heat treatment on the Monday before the test. The burn did not affect him seriously until the Thursday at the All Black training session when he tried to sprint and pulled the calf muscle. He has been unable to walk freely since. He will probably remain in hospital until the end of this month and he hopes to be able to see the North-South match on August 31. He will return to hospital later for the tendon graft Steel recently accepted a teaching position at Brisbane Boys" Grammar School and part of his appointment involves coaching the school first XV. “I hope to coach actively and run round with the boys,” he said. Steel said that he did not expect the news to be so shattering. “I thought that it was just muscle soreness after the treatment, and even when it

pulled in training I though it would heal. “There is a remote chance that I may be able to strengthen the new tendon to be able to play football again but it seems likely that I will never be able to run at full speed again.” Steel won the sprint double in the 100yds and 220yds at the national championships in 1965 and 1966. He is the co-holder with D. W. Mackenzie of the Canterbury 100yds record in 9.Bsec. He has played 23 games for New Zealand in Rugby and has scored 20 tries. In nine tests he scored seven tries. He has played 66 first-class matches and scored 58 tries and a dropped goal.