If asked to name the most illustrious three-quarter line from one club or country, northern hemisphere rugby historians are most likely to name the Oxford University and Scotland three-quarter line of the 1920s – Ian Smith and the Australian AC ‘Johnnie’ Wallace on the wings with GPS ‘Phil’ Macpherson and the New Zealand All Black George Aitken in the centre. Although they never played together in a varsity match against Cambridge University, they formed the first-choice three-quarter line in Scotland’s Grand Slam winning matches in 1925.
Southern hemisphere historians however are much more likely to nominate “The Thin Red Line”, the Stellenbosch and Western Province three-quarter line which formed the heart of the South African backline on their first tour of the United Kingdom and France in 1906-07. Bob Loubser on the right wing, Japie Krige at right centre, HA ‘Boy’ De Villiers at left centre and Anton Stegmann on the left wing formed one of the great combinations and the four players scored 52 tries between them on the 29-match tour.
Clint Morales McGregor was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1952. He arrived alone in the UK in 1964, following his mother who had come over in 1960. His first school was Priory Vale, Hornsey. At Tollington Grammar School in Muswell Hill, the rugby master encouraged Clint to join Finchley RFC in 1967 where he played for an exceptionally strong Colts XV. In due course he moved to the adult game and made his debut in the first team.
The opening match of the 5 Nations Championship in 1913 was beset with problems from the outset. The original venue for the match, Stade Colombes in Paris, was flooded so the rugby match between France and Scotland on New Year’s Day was moved at a late stage to the Parc des Princes.
