Fergus Slattery, an integral part of one of the best British & Irish Lions back rows of all time, has died at the age of 77.
The Irish flanker, born in Dún Laoghaire to the south of Dublin, played key roles on the iconic Tours of 1971 and 1974, tasting defeat just once in 25 outings in the storied red jersey.
He played 13 matches on his first Tour, in Australia and New Zealand, but injury ruled him out of the Test series against the All Blacks.
The openside made up for lost time in some style in South Africa three years later, featuring in all four Tests as the Springboks were beaten 3-0.
Slattery scored six tries in 12 appearances in South Africa and was very close to a decisive seventh in the drawn fourth Test, when he burst through and appeared to ground the ball with the scores locked at 13-13. The try was not awarded but the Test ended as a draw, ensuring the immortals retained their unbeaten record.
In total, the class of 1974 won 21 of their 22 matches, including the notorious ‘Battle of Boet Erasmus’, when the Lions won 26-9 in a brutally physical encounter which has gone down in folklore.
Speaking about his Lions memories decades later, Slattery said: "We were all so fortunate to have been around together at the same time. When you look at the quality of the players we had to choose from then, it was superb.
"If you picked an all-time Lions XV, you would probably find it dominated by the players of that era."
In between his two Lions Tours, Slattery featured in what is still known as one of the best rugby matches of all time, the Barbarians’ 23-11 win over the All Blacks at Cardiff Arms Park in 1973.
The match remains famous for Gareth Edwards’ scintillating score but Slattery was also among the Barbarians’ try scorers that day, while he also set up a later try for JPR Williams.
Slattery won 61 Ireland caps between 1970 and 1984, captaining his country on several occasions and playing a key role in their Triple Crown success in 1982.
As a player, Slattery was ahead of his time. Known for his tenacity and work rate, the flanker was also blessed with a combination of pace and handling skills which would not have looked out of place in the backline.
And no matter where his international commitments took him, Slattery never lost touch with his roots.
He was educated at Blackrock College, a notorious production line for Irish rugby talent, and joined Blackrock College RFC aged 17.
A moving tribute from Blackrock notes: “It was not unusual for Slatts to turn out for Blackrock on a Sunday after playing an international at Twickenham or Cardiff the day before, often having fully embraced the post-match celebrations.
“He continued to play with lower club teams into the late 1980s, even winning a Fox Cup/7th Division medal, and later he became a regular participant in weekly tag rugby at the club.”
Slattery also introduced a hockey section to the club, as well as donating his BBC Radio fees to them, while he carved out a successful career in commercial property alongside his rugby achievements.
His impact on the wider game was recognised in 2007, when Slattery was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.
The British & Irish Lions send sincere condolences to Slattery’s wife Margo, daughter Nikki, son Cameron and his grandchildren, and all his family and friends.
