Gordon MacPherson

Gordon Macpherson may have been a one-match All Black, as was another from the same game, Brett Harvey, but both will have an indelible position in the folklore of New Zealand rugby.

For both were part of the sorely depleted and grossly inexperienced “Baby Blacks” side which against all predictions scored an upset win over France in the one-off international in 1986 at Lancaster Park.

As were nearly all of the players in that match apart from John Kirwan and David Kirk, Macpherson was only involved because New Zealand’s leading players had all been banned for two internationals for having taken part in the Cavaliers’ tour of South Africa.

In Macpherson’s case that meant he was only filling in at lock for the suspended Andy Haden, Gary Whetton, Albert Anderson and Murray Pierce.

Macpherson, as was Harvey, was retained for the next match, the first test in the Bledisloe Cup series against the Wallabies at Athletic Park. But because of injuries both were forced to withdraw and with all the first stringers returning were never required for the All Blacks again.

A gangling 1.95m and weighing 102kg, Macpherson was a hard, honest worker and useful in the lineouts. He was a Gisborne product and after two years in the Gisborne Boy High School 1st XV played for Poverty Bay as a youngster in 14 matches in the 1983-84 seasons. Somewhat unluckily he was overlooked for the New Zealand Colts side in 1983, but made the under 23 side, the Juniors, the following year playing in five matches.

Lured to Otago the next year by Laurie Mains, he then became a stalwart of the southern province. His potential was quickly discerned and in 1985 he made the South Island side and was in the New Zealand Emerging Players squad for five matches on an internal tour.

Macpherson had the first of his four All Black trials in 1986 before becoming one of the historic “Baby Blacks.” Though never again an All Black he had trials in each of the 1986-87 seasons and another in 1992. He also had three matches for South Zone (effectively a South Island selection) in the George Nepia Trophy matches of 1988 and 1989.

Between 1985 and 1993 Macpherson played 137 matches for Otago, forming a reliable and successful locking partnership with Richard Knight in over 100 of those matches. They were the basis of the Otago tight five when the union won the NPC first division competition in 1991 and appeared for the union against touring sides like the 1988 Welsh and the 1990 Wallabies.

Two brothers, Ken (1979,80,82,84) and Willie (1984,85) played for Poverty Bay.

Profile by Lindsay Knight
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.

ALL BLACK GAMES THAT MACPHERSON PLAYED

(+) = substitute; (-) = replaced

1986

TEST RECORD BY NATION