Wynne Gray: Sayonara Rangi - No 1 in the pantheon of courageous fullbacks

They used to wear No 1 on their jerseys and for many of us they were numero uno. Usually they were on All Black duty, but we can all recall those fullbacks who saved a match at club or provincial level with a penalty goal, conversion or grasping tackle.

Old-timers spoke about Billy Wallace and George Nepia, then there were Bob Scott, Don Clarke, Fergie McCormick and Joe Karam. Lots of others, too, showed their class at fullback before the arrival of the World Cups and professional rugby.

Since then, New Zealand has been blessed further with fullbacks like John Gallagher, John Timu, Glen Osborne, Christian Cullen, Jeff Wilson and Mils Muliaina; a swag of gifted players even though we seem, as a nation, to have messed up some of those combos at the last three World Cups.

You can argue all you like about the OOFM, the Order of Fullback Merit, but there will be few people alive today or with the necessary recollection or wit to compare, say, Nepia to Cullen.

Even in the modern era, with the law changes and evolving styles in rugby, how can you rate the inventively athletic Gallagher against the remarkable athletic consistency of Muliaina? They were all gifted.

But none would have topped the consistent courage shown by Leon MacDonald.

Those with red and black blood will argue it is simply a Canterbury trait, the sort exhibited every week by "Fungus" McCormick and just carried on by "Rangi" MacDonald in modern times. We'll leave them to wallow in that blindfolded state.

Apart from being a quality fullback, MacDonald showed far more class than many of his All Black colleagues during a career which began in 2000 and, but for a heavy injury toll and Muliaina's class, would have accumulated far more than his 56 caps.

There was never a whiff of scandal. There was mischief, as MacDonald had a fine sense of humour and a growing family to control his perspective, but never anything to suggest he was going to make the front pages of the Sunday papers instead of the back.

He went to two World Cups and suffered terrible injuries such as a ruptured spleen and more concussions than he or the medicos would care to recall. He took time out in 2004 in Japan but returned to play four more years of All Black rugby.

We were not to know it, but that test career ended when he was used as a substitute against the Springboks in Dunedin last July but suffered another concussion.

He went around again this season for the Crusaders but he could see the young fullback threats on the New Zealand horizon. Muliaina was still going strong and signed up again, Corey Jane, Israel Dagg, Isaia Toeava and Tamati Ellison were playing well.

It was tough to leave but it was time to get out. Another World Cup was unlikely, it was time to sort out one final sensible deal for himself and his family.

It may be sayonara for MacDonald, but we should not forget the extended contribution he has made to many levels in New Zealand rugby.