All Blacks v Fiji
1974 at Buckhurst Park, Suva. Attendance 24,000 mad, screaming Fijians!!
New Zealand had called in for this match on the way home from Australia where they had just had a successful tour, beating the Wallabies 2-0 with one match drawn.
Fiji led 7-4 at half time (4 point tries in those days), and led 13-4 with full time up on the stadium clock, when Brian Williams scored in the right wing corner. Joe Karam missed the conversion, leaving the score 13 - 8 to Fiji, and glory beckoned; but it wasn't full time.
The referee then proceeded to play 7½ minutes of injury time, and right at the end of that time, Ian Hurst scored under the posts, giving Joe Karam an easy conversion, and the All Blacks won 14-13.
NOTE: Anyone thinking that this was some sub-standard NZ "B" team think again..
1. Bob Barber
2. Tane Norton
3. Billy Bush
4. "Pole" Whiting
5. John Calleson
6. Laurie Knight
7. Kevin "Hayburner" Everleigh
8. Andy Leslie (C)
9. Ian Stevens
10. Doug Bruce
11. Grant Batty
12. Ian Hurst
13. Bruce Robertson
14. Brian "BG" Williams
15. Joe Karam
16. Bruce Gemmell
17. Kerry Tanner
Anyone who knows anything about All Black teams of that time will tell you that this was a bloody strong team. The only significant names missing from that line up were Ian Kirkpatrick and Duncan Robertson.
