Only 4 of those Cavaliers were regular starters in the 4 Invitation International matches in SA, that then ended up in the RWC Final team. The team were, partic in the pack, geriatrics before the tour was delayed by 18mths, they had no chance of making the RWC.

Scotland were lead by Big Gav and were the strongest British team. They were full of Lions starting players. In 1986 they were 2nd in the 5 Nations having beaten France, the eventual winners. France turned up in NZ as Grand Slam winners’87.

That was the QuarterFinal. A bit tougher than Fiji then.

Bakkies and Thorn would be my lock combo, Tom Croft at blindside to handle the lineout.

1987 final team
John Gallagher; John Kirwan, Warwick Taylor, Joe Stanley, Craig Green; Grant Fox, David Kirk; John Drake, Sean Fitzpatrick, Steven McDowell; Murray Pierce, Gary Whetton; Michael Jones, Alan Whetton, Buck Shelford

Seem if you compare notes they still picked many Cavaliers

Talk about a lucky packet RWC trophy

Playing Scotland in the quarters and Wales in the semi and France in the final

Th reference was to the value of wingers in SA, as if Jonah was not the only one to be kept tryless vs SA.

The ABs of 1996 achieved immortality at Loftus Versfeld when they recorded that magnificent Series victory over the RWChampions on their own turf. This victory owed much to the Golden boy of Southland, who raced in for not 1 but 2 magnificent solo efforts down the sideline. Given the late comeback from the Boks that threatened to steal victory from the jaws of defeat, it would be agreed that it was the wingers brace that proved to be the difference.

Anyway at that time Ozzie were the NZs hardest team to play against.Looks like not much has changed.
I think only 5-6 players from the Cavaliers were amongst the 22 odd players that made the RWC in 1987

Some of those Cavaliers players still wake up screaming at the intensity and brutality of the tests. Going back to play Australia was like taking a slumber in comparison.

Wingers are just the flash-harry glory-hound finishers, pilgrim. They score tries and hog the limelight, but the REAL difference-makers wear the single-digit jerseys in any test team. Lots of small boys are dazzled by flashy twinkletoed wingers and want to be like them. What little boy wants to be a Carl Hayman or a Brad Thorn or any of those big grubby cauliflower-eared grunts toiling deep in the engine room? Not a lot.

But they’re the real match-winners.

.

Nice version of “I was wrong” there, Tickler.

Captain Kirk started all of his 4 Tests in 1985 including the crucial Test vs Aus where he commanded Eden Park.

Goldie grew up wanting to be JK. Do you remember Goldie, Tickler ?

or perhaps you can remember an injured, old age pensioner, also by the name of Kirwan who – 6 years later in 1992 – scored the winning try vs the Boks in Sth Africa in 1992 ?

man up, Pilgrim.