Has there been a feistier All Black than Grant Batty?

Just watching Grant Batty play made you smile.

The fiery little man with the muscular build possessed no thoughts whatsoever of himself being smaller than everyone else.

Was he the All Blacks feistiest player? I would suggest so.

Grant Bernard Batty, or ‘Batts’ as he was known, was only 1.65m (5ft 5) tall and weighed 65kg. But he had a ferocious temperament and never took a backward step.

Batts was a hero to young boys and many admired his competitive nature. Being so undersized, if he was a snapper, you would have thrown him back in, but he still liked to do things his own way.

The temper, the impish walk, the brilliance made him a crowd favourite as an entertainment package.

Batts began rugby at the age of five and stood in the middle of the field and sucked his thumb! He excelled at most sports in school, but it was rugby he was truly passionate about. A wunderkind, he was the best player of his age in New Zealand, scoring 61 tries in one season!

From Wairarapa he moved to Wellington in 1970 and in his first five games, Batts was concussed four times! He realised that his build was not suited to second five-eighth.

After only five senior games Batty played in the 1970 All Black trial, based mainly on his schoolboy rugby heroics. At this stage he was playing on the wing, which was a turning point in his career.

On December 2, 1972, Batty made his Test debut against Wales at Cardiff Arms Park. He felt absolute terror making his debut against the old enemy.

On this tour, Batts overshadowed the illustrious Bryan Williams, who had been the star of the 1970 tour of South Africa. Williams was a little suspicious of Batty to start with, but over time they built up a good relationship – they even appeared to have a sixth sense on the field, exemplified by Batty’s cross-kick to Williams in the 1974 match against the Barbarians.

In a 1976 charity match, Batty hurt his knee and it was the beginning of the end. He required painkilling injections and even had a special brace made for the knee. Batty made the 1976 touring party to South Africa with great hopes of beating the huge Springboks on their home grounds but the home side won the series, partly from some dubious refereeing.

Batty expressed his frustrations with the tour in the fourth Test, running from a great distance to punch one of the South African forwards, although he did have to leap high to do so.

The following year, Batty underwent knee surgery, played a club match, then announced he was ready to play in the first Test against the British and Irish Lions in 1977.

He went into the match in a poor physical state and increased the problem by straining a hamstring prior to the game. He woke up on the morning of the Test and could barely move, received an hour of massage, and miraculously played, albeit describing his running style in the Test as “scuttling”.

But it was enough for him to score one of the most fondly remembered tries in All Blacks history.

People remember the try not just for his skills but his dogged determination to play on such a crippling injury. He was pursued by Graham Price, a prop, and Andy Irvine, the fleet-footed fullback, right to the line.

It was his last try for his country.

The try is one of three favourite tries he scored out of 45 dotted down for New Zealand. His second try, against the Barbarians in 1973, and his second try against NSW, 1970 in Sydney, make up the others.

After the match, Batty made the decision to retire from Test rugby, but possibly playing club rugby. Bryan Williams phoned Batty to say we still need you, which meant a lot to Batts.

Even though Batty’s career seems short, compared to a lot of Kiwi wings it was fairly typical and better than many players. From age 21 to 25 he had approximately five years in the black jersey, which is close to the limit of peak form as a winger. Most rugby players have short-lived careers at the absolute height of their effectiveness.

Injury is the biggest disruptive factor which curtails a winger’s career. We would love to see them go for longer, but their candle only burns for a short period. As a fullback, Christian Cullen was another who physically and mentally could not keep repeating the brilliance. Even if Batty had endured more seasons, would we have seen him at his optimal best?

We may never see Batty’s like again, because the diversity in player size does not exist in the modern game and with cleanouts and defensive formations the small player is at risk.

Batts now lives in Queensland with his family and still has a passion for the game of rugby.

Batty was the “electric little man”, as Keith Quinn called him – a player who expressed his individuality, played with freedom and was a great entertainer.

Grant Bernard Batty, another rugby hero.