Sid Going

Dynamic half-back Sid Going has been rated by some as the equal of New Zealand's greatest running half-back Jimmy Mill and by others as "even better than Mill." Be that as it may, Sid has, in recent seasons, proved himself to be a match-winning individualist and at the same time a world class pivot capable of playing the type of game to suit the occasion.

For the last two seasons he has captained the New Zealand Maoris and in each of the last three years he has been awarded the Tom French Cup as the outstanding Maori footballer in the country.

All told, Sid has played 43 times for North Auckland (and probably missed just as many games through being unavailable while injured or answering calls to national teams). In these 43 games he has scored 12 tries and dropped one goal-a real stunner immediately after the kick-off in the 1969 Ranfurly Shield encounter against Hawke's Bay at Napier.

Sid had, up until the end of the 1969 season, turned out 17 times for New Zealand and five of these occasions were in tests. Already he has scored 12 tries for the All Blacks, three of them in tests, all being against France. It is little wonder then that the French have looked upon him as the "best half-back in the world."

His two tries against France at Eden Park, Auckland, in 1968, are still fresh in the memory of every New Zealand rugby fan. On each occasion he made a jinky, darting run to the try-line after obtaining possession about 10 yards out. Sid played magnificently in that match- indeed he's a man for a big occasion. He was equally brilliant against France in Paris in 1967 and in 1969 he completely overshadowed the great Welsh half-bock Gareth Edwards.

A Maromaku farmer, Sid made a fleeting first appearance in Mr. Ted Griffin's North Auckland side at the age of 18 when he went on as a replacement for the injured Pat Marshall against Counties in 1962. Even then he was recognised as a rising star. Soon afterwards he went to Canada for a couple of years as a missionary for his church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

He burst back on to the North Auckland scene in 1965 and it soon became obvious that we had another rugby genius. It wasn't long before he had displaced Marshall as North Auckland's halfback and indeed B. A. Cressey as the New Zealand Maori halfback. That some year he played against the Springboks for both North Auckland and the New Zealand Maoris.

No one who was at Eden Park to see the Maoris' game will forget the epic try he scored two minutes after the start. In doing so he covered almost the same track as did Peter Jones when he bolted for one of the famous of all rugby tries against the Springboks in 1956. In 1966 he received a New Zealand trial, played for the North Island and for the New Zealand Maoris against the British Lions.

His great chance came in 1967 when with Chris Laidlow injured he was called on to play in the Jubilee test against Australia. Sid seized the opportunity and a fine effort plus further good trials saw him in the 1967 New Zealand side which visited Canada, Great Britain and France.

Carrying on with his fine form, Sid became New Zealand's hero in 1968 with his two sensational tries against France in the third test at Eden Park. New Zealand managed only one try in the first two tests when he was a reserve yet he scored two himself during the first half of the final test. Earlier that season he travelled to Australia with the All Blacks. When Wales visited New Zealand in 1969 he was the first choice half-back for the All Blacks.

A bundle of barbed wire, cast iron and rubber, Sid runs like a slippery eel making for the water. Without warning he can explode like a bunch of firecrackers and some of his fantastic feats on the field could only be equalled in a topline circus.

A past master at "pinching" the ball from the opposition Sid has become the idol of North Auckland fans. They delight in his gazelle-like leaps into the air to take high kicks, his uncanny knack of scoring shock tries, his cavalier treatment of even the burliest of forwards and his constant quick-thinking and action.

Profile courtesy Northland RFU, from their 1970 Golden Jubilee history.

Though not required for the 1974 tour to Australia and placed in the reserves for the 1976 home test against Ireland Sid Going remained the number one All Black halfback until replaced after the second test against the 1977 Lions. He retired from first class rugby after the 1978 season but coached Northland 1993-96. His brother Ken (a fullback) was an All Black in 1974 and another Brian 1st five eight) represented North Auckland, North Island and New Zealand Maoris. The three made a blindside triple scissors movement their trademark.

Sid Going ranks amongst the best halfbacks ever. Strong and stocky, weighing 12st. 10lb (81kg) and 5'7" (1.70m), he was a superb runner close to his forwards, with a flair for the unorthodox. Though sometimes criticised for the quality of his passing and trying too much himself Going was nevertheless a gamebreaker supreme. He was made an MBE for his services to rugby and his biography "Super Sid" by Bob Howitt was published in 1978.

Profile by Bob Luxford
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.