Though his records have been broken, Don Clarke’s status as a supreme All Black fullback remains undimmed.

From his test debut against South Africa in Christchurch in 1956 until his retirement in 1964, Clarke was incomparable as a fullback and as a kicker of such prodigious goals that he was nicknamed “The Boot”. But he was far from just a kicker.

At 1.88 metres and 108 kilograms, he had the build of a forward and his defence was as valuable to New Zealand as his kicking.

He was also nimble for such a big man and a formidable attacker. In his 31 test matches, he scored 207 points, a record that was to last until 1988.