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BigTen
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Not many people remember Jon Preston.
He was born in Dunedin, NZ in 1967 and represented Canterbury and then Wellington.
He played halfback and as a first-five. His oportunities were limited as he was up against Graeme Bachop and Robbie Deans at Canterbury.
But he was picked to travel to the 1991 World Cup as Grant Fox's understudy.
His first All Black appearance came as a 23-year-old against the USA in Gloucester at the 1991 World Cup and he also played in the play-off game against Scotland.
In 1993 moved to Wellington and began to establish himself as a big game player -he regularly captained the Wellington Lions at NPC level and then the Hurricanes in the Super 12.
He eventually left NZ rugby to take up a lucratuve contract in England.
However it was his efforts coming off the bench for Simon Culhane against South Africa in the second test at Loftus Versfield that deserve a moment of merit nomination. Coming in at the 63rd minute Preston kicked two mighty penalties (both over 40m) to ensure that the All Blacks won their first ever series on South African soil.
The pressure of the 55,000 strong crowd, and the weight of an expectant nation must have been huge but Preston kept his cool and calmly nailed the penalties when asked.
Even though he was a replacement, and Jeff Wilson scored two tries and Zinzan Brooke had scored a try and a drop goal, Preston was the hero that day and it was the highlight of a career that not many people are aware of.
JP never let anyone down and remains an unsung hero of NZ rugby.
For more information on the man that only ever faced defeat once (against the British Lions in '93) in his 10-test rugby career check out:
http://www.rugbymuseum.co.nz/ABProfilee.as...l2=ABC&IDID=709
He was born in Dunedin, NZ in 1967 and represented Canterbury and then Wellington.
He played halfback and as a first-five. His oportunities were limited as he was up against Graeme Bachop and Robbie Deans at Canterbury.
But he was picked to travel to the 1991 World Cup as Grant Fox's understudy.
His first All Black appearance came as a 23-year-old against the USA in Gloucester at the 1991 World Cup and he also played in the play-off game against Scotland.
In 1993 moved to Wellington and began to establish himself as a big game player -he regularly captained the Wellington Lions at NPC level and then the Hurricanes in the Super 12.
He eventually left NZ rugby to take up a lucratuve contract in England.
However it was his efforts coming off the bench for Simon Culhane against South Africa in the second test at Loftus Versfield that deserve a moment of merit nomination. Coming in at the 63rd minute Preston kicked two mighty penalties (both over 40m) to ensure that the All Blacks won their first ever series on South African soil.
The pressure of the 55,000 strong crowd, and the weight of an expectant nation must have been huge but Preston kept his cool and calmly nailed the penalties when asked.
Even though he was a replacement, and Jeff Wilson scored two tries and Zinzan Brooke had scored a try and a drop goal, Preston was the hero that day and it was the highlight of a career that not many people are aware of.
JP never let anyone down and remains an unsung hero of NZ rugby.
For more information on the man that only ever faced defeat once (against the British Lions in '93) in his 10-test rugby career check out:
http://www.rugbymuseum.co.nz/ABProfilee.as...l2=ABC&IDID=709
