Wynne Gray's 50 greatest rugby moments: No.50

Andy Dalton, right, was a non-playing captain for the All Blacks during the 1987 Rugby World Cup. Photo / Northern Advocate

Wynne Gray counts down the 50 greatest rugby moments.

Tennis and golf use non-playing captains in the Davis and Ryder Cups.

But rugby? It was not meant to be but those duties were foisted on Andy Dalton when his hamstring packed it in at training before the All Blacks first game at the 1987 World Cup.

Dalton was a farmer who had been in dispute with officials before the tournament when he appeared in a television advertisement endorsing farming products.

Another ad showing Dalton on a farm bike, which was to appear in the New Zealand Herald, was pulled late as were others featuring John Kirwan, Steve McDowall and television ads with Wayne Shelford and Frano Botica.

Dalton was the son of an All Black who had played the last of his 35 tests against the Wallabies almost two years before. He did captain the Cavaliers to South Africa in 1986 but suffered a broken jaw in the second game and did not play any more rugby that year.

He was appointed skipper of the 1987 RWC squad but damaged his hamstring at the side's first training run on the soft grounds at Hato Petera College.

His understudy Sean Fitzpatrick, who'd played four tests the previous year, was promoted and played with such skill and aplomb it would have been hard for the selectors to drop him. They did not need to make that choice as Dalton was still unavailable for the All Blacks' final pool game with Argentina although he was in the replacements but not used in the playoffs matches.

David Kirk stepped in to captain the All Blacks, becoming the first man to lift the World Cup. Photo / Herald archives

The All Black captaincy transferred to David Kirk, an academic and a doctor who at 26 found a more permanent home for his rugby with Auckland where his speed and mobility suited the province's expansive style.

Those qualities transferred well to the All Blacks although Kirk was lucky to survive the tournament when he was concussed against the Pumas in the final round robin match and should have sat out a few games.

Kirk scored one of the three All Black tries in the final and was a key component on others as they eased away to a 29-9 victory - one which coach Brian Lochore became more confident about as the tournament unfolded.

Kirk played one more Bledisloe Cup test before taking up his Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford University while both Dalton and Lochore retired.

Tomorrow: No 49: 1995 Lights out for Canada and the Boks