Otahuhu, Auckland and All Black Mac Herewini passes away

http://www.aucklandrugby.co.nz/News/2014-5-23/ARU-mourns-the-death-of-Mac-Herewini.aspx

Not sure if this has been posted here but Mackie as he was known passed away this week.

An All Black out of both the Otahuhu and Manukau clubs in South Auckland played in the great AB sides of the 60's. Another AB 10 from a decade earlier who went up against the 1956 Boks- Ross Brown also passed recently so not a good time for AB 10's recently.

I knew Mackie from my younger playing days at Otahuhu and had many a beer with he and his good mate Waka Nathan at the Otahuhu clubroms over the years. Mackie took many of the backs for training runs after his retirment and his son Mackie Jnr played half back for Otahuhu and a few for Auckland.

One of the stories I recall from the old club days was the one where during a packed Eden park Ranfurly Shield match Mackie had only the Fullback to beat with the winger unmarked outside him. Instead of passing Mackie dummied and the Fullback went for it hook, line and sinker while Mackie rolled around under the posts.

The Auckland coach was furious and tried to chasten young Mackie after the match by telling him you should have passed it Mackie, he was unmarked!

To which Mackie replied 'Thats the trouble with you Pakeha ('white man'), you, the Fullback and 50,000 others all thought I was going to'.

Perhaps not very PC in todays world but typical of the cheeky style of the great man.

R.I.P Mackie.

I was reading the article in a newspaper the other day about the passing of Mackie, and I have the memories of watching Mackie play for both Otahuhu and Auckland, But didnt he also play for Manukau?
 
In reading your post Taylorman, I was trying to think what it was that made him such a special first five eighth, because the more I think about it the only current player that comes anywhere close for having a bag of rugby tricks is Quade Cooper.

Gee we are lucky for some of the players we have seen over the years.

yeah I mentioned Manukau- he was all Otahuhu- College, club etc to begin with then I think moved to Manukau towards the end of his career, and coached the top side there a bit I think.

yeah real flair in the Steven Pokere mould.

You did too, I didnt read it properly.

Nice story Tman. Sounds like he had the cheeky wit of Merths. Haven't heard the name Pokere for a while. Would be nice to compile a Maori AB XV to see how privileged we've been to have their input.