Archibald Forbes (Archie) McMinn

http://digitallibrary.palmerstonnorth.com/Data/Collection1/Sound%20...

Manawatu Journal of History

Archie was the 102nd All Black It is difficult to single out the best players. But Archie McMinn, a son of the founder of the Manawatu Standard, was probably the most skilful player of his era. A tall man (6ft 5in) he was regarded by the Australian press as the most outstanding forward on the unbeaten 1903 New Zealand team in Australia. He was a giant but had good hands, a huge punter and an excellent dribbler of the ball. Had McMinn toured Britain with the 1905 All Blacks he would have stood head and shoulders above his team-mates and most likely come home as the star forward of the tour and one of our greatest All Blacks. Unfortunately for NZ rugby, Archie McMinn was a rough diamond and he would not have met the strict code of conduct which the NZRU had set before tour selection.

Bibliography: They Gave Us Rugby, by Alan Turley, 1996. 100 Years of Rugby – Story of Nelson RFC 1870-1969, by W.A. Reed. Manawatu Rugby – The First 100 Years, by Clive Akers, 1986. http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/teamsheet.asp?MT_ID=1045 http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/Profile.asp?ABID=590

Archibald McMinn was a Manawatu man (he was born in Marton) who commenced his noted activity with Carterton Club in 1903, which season he played two matches for Wairarapa before gaining selection in the New Zealand team to Australia. For that side he played once in New Zealand and eight times in Australia, including the International (New Zealand's first test match). On his return to New Zealand he represented North Island.

"Archie" McMinn went back to Palmerston North soon after, to play for the Institute club and Manawatu in 1904 and 1905, in the latter year wearing the Silver Fern (and scoring two tries) against Australia at Dunedin; the "Original" All Blacks were away at that time.

He then retired. However, after a spell of two seasons he again took the field, for the Kia Toa club and Manawatu, finally hanging up his jersey at the end of the 1909 season. Typically an All Black forward, "Archie" McMinn played either at wing-forward or in the back row of the scrummage, in his final years also representing Manawatu at five-eighth and on the wing.

Archibald McMinn later was a prominent Referee (handling provincial games 1910,11) and successful Selector.

A brother, F. A. ("Paddy") McMinn, who died in 1947, represented New Zealand as a front-row forward against Great Britain in 1904.

A big man for his time, 6'3" (1.90m) and 14st 7lb (92kg) McMinn was able to dominate lineouts, had the pace to outrun the opposition, was a proficient dribbler and a powerful punter of the ball. He was one of the first players to use the punt as a means of gaining ground and retaining possession for his team. He might have toured Britain with the 1905/6 All Blacks had he not been one of rugby's difficult characters. Misconduct in a Wellington hotel led to a 12 month suspension which caused him to miss the 1906 season.

A fishmonger in Dannevirke for a period. "Archie" McMinn died in Porirua in 1919, aged 38.

FULL NAME Archibald Forbes McMinn BORN Saturday, 14 August 1880 in Marton DIED Wednesday, 23 April 1919 in Porirua PHYSICAL 1.90m, 92kg POSITION Loose forward LAST SCHOOL Unknown RUGBY CLUB (First made All Blacks from) Carterton PROVINCES Wairarapa, Manawatu ALL BLACK DEBUT Saturday, 11 July 1903 v Wellington Province at Wellington aged 22 years, 331 days INTERNATIONAL DEBUT Saturday, 15 August 1903 v Australia at Sydney aged 23 years, 1 days LAST TEST Saturday, 2 September 1905 v Australia at Dunedin aged 25 years, 19 days ALL BLACK TESTS 2 (0 as Captain) ALL BLACK GAMES 8 (0 as Captain) TOTAL ALL BLACK MATCHES 10 (0 as Captain) ALL BLACK TEST POINTS 6pts (2t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m) ALL BLACK GAME POINTS 3pts (1t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m) TOTAL ALL BLACK POINTS 9pts (3t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m) ALL BLACK NUMBER 102

  The All Black Games that McMinn played. (+) = substitute; (-) = replaced Click on the date to be taken to the Match Card. 1903	 11 Jul vs Wellington Province at Wellington 5-14 18 Jul vs N.S.W. at Sydney 12-0  22 Jul vs Combined Western Districts at Bathurst 47-7  25 Jul vs N.S.W. at Sydney 3-0  29 Jul vs Metropolitan Union at Sydney 33-3  1 Aug vs Queensland at Brisbane 17-0  5 Aug vs Western Queensland at Brisbane 29-0  15 Aug vs Australia at Sydney 22-3  19 Aug vs N.S.W. Country at Sydney 32-0 

1905

2 Sep vs Australia at Dunedin 14-3

Points scored for the All Blacks

t c p dg pts

vs Metropolitan Union, 29 Jul 1903

1 - - - 3

vs Australia, 2 Sep 1905

2 - - - 6 Totals 3 0 0 0 9

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=NZFL19040...

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