Jeff Wilson - a golden-haired comic-book hero from another age

It was in late October 1993 that we saw him in action for the first time on these shores, a fizzing blonde-haired winger aged just 19, who scored two tries on his first appearance for New Zealand against London Division at Twickenham.

A little more than a month later, and his 20th birthday just having passed, he made his Test debut against Scotland at Murrayfield and scored three tries, as well as kicking a touchline conversion.

A star had been born, even if his second Test, against England, was not particularly memorable as his inaccuracy as the stand-in goal-kicker was costly in Englan…