This article originally appeared on Stuff and is reproduced with permission
Former All Blacks wing Ralph Caulton has died, aged 87.
Caulton made 50 appearances for the All Blacks between 1959 and 1964.
NZ Rugby confirmed Caulton had died in a message on the All Blacks’ X page.
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“Our thoughts are with the family of All Black #600 Ralph Caulton. Ralph gave so much to the game – having played 50 matches in the black jersey, he then went on to coach at his club Pōneke, and served as an administrator for both Wellington RFU and NZRFU.
“Rest in peace, Ralph.”
New Zealand rugby union player Ralph Caulton of the All Blacks at Iffley Road rugby ground in Oxford for a match against Oxford University during the 1963 tour of Britain, Ireland, France and North Ameria. Hulton Archive/Evening Standard via Getty Images
Caulton played 16 tests and 34 games for the All Blacks. He scored eight tries in the Tests.
Allblacks.com described Caulton as a quick and well balanced runner, who was noted for his control and ability to make the most of scoring opportunities.
He was also reported to be one of the better pianists among post-war All Blacks.
In 2020, Caulton spoke to Stuff after his former All Blacks teammate Terry Lineen had died.
Caulton said he would always be grateful that Lineen had the courage to hatch a daring plan that launched his All Blacks’ test career in such spectacular fashion.
Caulton played alongside second five-eighth Lineen in three of the four tests against the touring British and Irish Lions in 1959, and two of the tests against South Africa in the republic the following year.
Ralph Caulton (circled) with the 1963 New Zealand All Blacks team. Getty
He said that whenever the pair met, Lineen would joke he had been instrumental in ensuring his test debut against the Lions at Athletic Park in Wellington was memorable.
“Every time I used to see him he would say ‘I made you’ and I used to say ‘you are right, you did’,” Caulton told Stuff.
Had it not been for Lineen, Caulton may not have become the first All Black to score two tries in his debut Test since Wally Argus in 1946.
The All Blacks, having had to rely on Don Clarke to kick six penalties to beat the Lions 18-17 in the first test in Dunedin, desperately needed to add variety to their attack ahead of the next test.
The Lions had reason to feel robbed after the first test, given they had scored four tries which were worth only three points at the time.
So Lineen took Caulton aside in the days prior to the second Test to cook up a strategy to score a try.
“In those days the marking was very intense because they [the defending team’s backline] used to line up at the back of the lineout,” Caulton said.
“So it was very hard to get the ball to the wings, let alone the centres. You had no show because you wouldn’t have enough time.
“He [Lineen] said ‘you go out wide on your wing and what I will do is grubber kick the ball through towards the line down towards the corner.
“There was a lot of scheming going on, as you can imagine. And sure enough, he put one through.
“I thought the ball was going to go out, but wouldn’t you know it, the blasted thing stopped and bounced up and I grabbed it to score the try.”
A couple of minutes later Caulton scored his second try, and it was Lineen who made a fine run that led to an attacking scrum ahead of that effort.
Caulton also scored a brace in the third test in Christchurch.