Ian Kirkpatrick
Full names: Alexander Ian
Date of birth: 25 Jul 1930
Place of birth: Bloemfontein
Schools: Grey High School Kimberley Boys' High
Springbok no: 306
Debut test province: Griqualand West
Physical: 1.83m, 81.6kg
Date of death: 18 Nov 2012 (Age 82)

Test summary: Tests: 13 Tries: 0
First Test: 5 Sep 1953 Age:23 Flyhalf against Australia at Newlands, Cape Town
Last Test: 18 Feb 1961 Age:30 Inside Centre against France at Stade Olympique, Colombes, Paris
Test history:
DateAgePositionOpponentResultScoreVenueProv
05 Sep 195323FlyhalfAustraliaLose: 14-18 Newlands, Cape TownGriquas
04 Aug 195626Inside CentreNew ZealandWin: 8-3 Athletic Park, WellingtonGriquas
26 Jul 195828FlyhalfFranceDraw: 3-3 Newlands, Cape TownOFS
30 Apr 196029Inside CentreScotlandWin: 18-10 Boet Erasmus, Port ElizabethOFS
25 Jun 196029Inside CentreNew ZealandWin: 13-0 Ellispark, JohannesburgOFS
23 Jul 196029Inside CentreNew ZealandLose: 3-11 Newlands, Cape TownOFS
13 Aug 196030Inside CentreNew ZealandDraw: 11-11 Free State Stadium, BloemfonteinOFS
27 Aug 196030Inside CentreNew ZealandWin: 8-3 Boet Erasmus, Port ElizabethOFS
03 Dec 196030Inside CentreWalesWin: 3-0 Millenium Stadium (Cardiff Arms Park), CardiffOFS
17 Dec 196030Inside CentreIrelandWin: 8-3 Aviva Stadium (Lansdowne Road), DublinOFS
07 Jan 196130Inside CentreEnglandWin: 5-0 Twickenham, LondonOFS
21 Jan 196130Inside CentreScotlandWin: 12-5 Murrayfield, EdinburghOFS
18 Feb 196130Inside CentreFranceDraw: 0-0 Stade Olympique, Colombes, ParisOFS

Ian Kirkpatrick : Doc Craven

I must not say too much about Ian, because we work so closely together.

I call him a mule because he can be just as stubborn as one. The trouble is - he's so often right! He often swims against the stream, and yet, when I blame him for it, he always turns out to be right in the end.

Ian had a very difficult start to his career because he was selected in preference to Hansie Brewis - a rather difficult act to follow. He was much criticized as a result off his kicking tactics in the second test against the Wallabies in 1953; yet Ian was only playing to instructions.

There were a lot of moans and I thought he would disappear from the scene. He came back, however, a centre. With those long legs of his he could move either way, and he also had a body sway which pulled many an opponent off balance.

Today he is doing a job which one day will be written in gold lettering in South African rugby annals. What he is doing for South African rugby - not only the coaching but the relationships which he is fostering - is something which very few people know about. Those who do, realise the debt we owe him.