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Saint McDowell of Rotorua
 Steven Clark
McDowell
was born in Rotorua on Sunday, the 27th of August, 1961. Was
a member of the 1987 World Cup winning All Blacks, playing in every
game on the way to the win in the final over France.
Steve played 46 tests
for the All Blacks, scoring three tries in the process, against Italy
(1987), Wales (1988) and Australia (1988). His first test was against
the renown scrummagers of Argentina in 1985 at the cauldron of Buenos
Aires. He was 24 years old at that stage, and playing for the
poachers that are Auckland. He played at loosehead prop.
In total for the All Blacks, he played 81 games, and scored seven
tries. The good old days of real tours back then, with midweek games
and all. He led the All Blacks twice in provincial games, one being
the All Blacks record loss to any team, the 17-40 hiding at the hands
of Sydney in 1992. The other was a happier result, a 39-6 win over
the Central Unions at Witbank in South Africa on the same tour.
His playing weight was a whopping 102kg - a good weight back in the
mid eighties, but nothing compared to the 115-125kg behemoths that
prowl around the modern rugby field. He was the first front rower to
exhibit the until then unknown skills for the fatties of being able to
run with the ball in general play. He was in fact one of the faster
All Blacks over 20 metres. No truth in the steroid rumours either. A
powerful scrummager too, and reliable source of ball from number one
in the lineout (pre lifting days).
He played his final test in 1992 against Ireland at Wellington, a 59-6
hiding of the boys in emerald green.
One of Bay of Plenty's great All Blacks, probably ranking as the best
loosehead prop to pull on an all black jersey in the history of the
game - without a doubt the best in the Bays mighty blue and yellow stripes.
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