March 22, 2025 • 9 mins
The rugby world is mourning the death of the legendary Alex 'Grizz' Wyllie.
The All Black loose forward played 11 tests and a mammoth 210 provincial games for Canterbury before becoming Canterbury and then All Blacks head coach.
Rugby commentator John McBeth joined Piney to discuss.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
As we've been reporting in the last half hour or so,
former All Black and All Black's head coach Griws Wiley
has passed away at the age of eighty.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Canas even get this, the Garland's all up at the
ball comes this way, love, but all the Glaside Burgers
can get there SIPs. It didn't do a kiss.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Alex walle.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Well, the Canterbury captain up there at the precise moment
to check what was a precision past.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Alex Wiley played forty times for the All Blacks, including
eleven Test matches, over two hundred appearances for Canterbury, including
more than a century of games as captain. He was
part of the side that won the Ranfilly Shield in
nineteen sixty nine and nineteen seventy two, and captained his
province to wins over England, Scotland and Ireland on their
tours to New Zealand. He moved into coaching the Red
(01:06):
and Blacks in nineteen eighty two and led Canterbury to
the Ranfilly Shield that year, successfully defending New Zealand rugby's
most prestigious prize for a record equalling at that time
three years, as well as the NPC title in nineteen
eighty three and a win over the touring British and
Irish Lions that same year. Stepping up to the All Blacks,
Griswiley was an assistant to Sir Brian Lahore for New
(01:29):
Zealand's nineteen eighty seven Rugby World Cup victory and succeeded
him as head coach one year later. Alex Whiley coached
the All Blacks for sixty four matches fifty eight wins,
five losses and a draw between nineteen eighty eight and
nineteen ninety one, a success rate of ninety one percent.
Of those matches. Twenty nine were tests, twenty five wins,
(01:50):
three losses and a drawer, a win percentage in test
matches of eighty six point two percent. Of all the
coaches to lead the All Blacks on more than ten occasions,
only Fred Allen and Sir Steve Hansen boast a greater
winning percentage than Griswiley. He also led Argentina to their
first World Cup quarterfinal in nineteen ninety nine and returned
(02:11):
home to coach Marlborough and North Canterbury and away from rugby,
gris Wiley also represented Canterbury in lawn bowls during his
later years. Gris Wiley was eighty. Let's bring in one
of our foremost rugby commentators, John macbeth. John, thanks for
joining us at short notice. Let's start with gris Wiley
the player. What do you remember about Griswiley as a player.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
As a player, I always thought to myself, I'm pleased
I'm not playing against them. You know, he was so
hard and there are so many stories about him, Jason,
about the fact that he was physical, he didn't take
a backward step. There's many an inside back in New
Zealand who were playing their early games and representative player
and they came up against Alex Whyley, Alec Whyley, and
(02:56):
they just knew that they'd come off remembering that for
all the wrong reasons. He was a tough player. He
was really rugged of that Canterbury mole. He played in
the Canterbury teams which were renowned for being hard forward players.
The backs got the ball occasionally, so it always surprised
(03:16):
many people when he became a coach that he encouraged
and developed such wonderful backplay within the Canterbury team.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
When he was a player and then went on to
become a coach. You talked about a his coaching philosophy, John,
but but when he became a coach, did that seem
to you like a natural progression? Did he always seem
like he would go into coaching.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
I was always surprised about that, because you know, he
was busy man on the farm and things, and they'd
played two hundred plus games for Canterbury. He'd spent so
much time with rugby and he took a bit of
time out. But then he immediately got that well. I
soon got back into his Glenmark club and then his
immediate success I think just inspired him to go a
(04:02):
bit further. And goodness me, what a great start he
had to his coaching career, you know, winning the ram
Thury Shield then Canterbury held it for a record equitting
number of defenses. So Aleck Wiley, from rough hard player
who only made a dozen I think appearances for the
All Blacks amidst great opposition from other high quality players
(04:25):
to step up and become a top quality coach really
did catch some people by surprise. But Hewby did such.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
A good job of it absolutely, and then onto the
All Blacks first as Sir Brian Law's assistant at eighty seven.
But I don't know, John, You've watched a lot of
All Blacks rugby, but the All Black sides under grews
Wiley in nineteen eighty eight, nineteen eighty nine. I can't remember,
certainly in my lifetime a more exciting brand of rugby
at that time. How do you assess Gris as an
(04:54):
All Blacks head coach?
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Well, when he got off the out of that eighty
seven Rugby World Cup team, when he was helping to
coach that and became the sole coach or not sol
but certainly the head coach, he instigated a really different
regime for the players. And I you know, several of
us older people were away on the Turtle Australia for
(05:18):
example in nineteen eighty eight when they went so well.
They just drew one match against Australia, but they won
everything else under Whiley, and they had some interesting training sessions,
you know, And it's been well documented that when the
players didn't play well, he worked them pretty hard. But
then he also bought in some unusual aspects of training,
(05:41):
such as rud o boys, we're going to have a
bnare And that was frowned upon by a lot within
the New Zealand Rugby Union and within the rugby fraternity.
But it had been a method that it worked for
him for Canterbury, and I don't think it was a
failure with the orbacks either. Some players weren't used to
it and some said what the hell's going on, But
eventually they would all say, you know, Grius had a
(06:03):
different method and on reflection it worked.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
What was his relationship like with the media, Well.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
I had no hussles with them, you know. I think
it was because he was gruff and he was not
the most eloquent, eloquent of people. He was one of
those people who just wanted to get in and do
the job. And he knew he had a commitment on
obligation to the media to promote rugby and to let
people know what was going on, but he never really
(06:33):
felt comfortable with it, and there were many examples of
him looking to be a bit flustered up there and
not really wanting to talk any you know, to any
great extent. But getting him one on one was a delight,
you know, as a radio reporter back in the time,
I had learned so much about what he was trying
to achieve, it about rugby in general, from just having
(06:56):
a sit down with him and occasionally that involved to
be it that I found that I knew where he
was coming from with his reluctance to talk to the
media much. But it was mainly because he just felt
a but I don't think I'm inadequate, so we but
he just felt uncomfortable with it. He wanted to. He
was a good coach, very good coach. The media side
(07:18):
of it wasn't quite so comfortable for him.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
And just to finish another of your great love's lawn bowls,
so he went into that as well. Was a handy
lawn bowler.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Grizz Oh. I played with him in the National Championships
down in Alexandra four or five years ago with him
and his team from North Canterbury. He loved his bowls
and I did an interview with him about it and
that he said, you know, I just can't believe I
never saw how exciting and how invigorating bowls could be.
(07:50):
I just wish I'd started playing it a hell of
a lot earlier. He appeared on the initial television series
of bowls three five with his partner Jenny Anderson, and
who's herself a very good bowler, and some of the
guys from the wood End Club in North Canterbury and Grise.
There'll be so many bowlers out there now just nodding
their heads and say we played against him. He came
(08:11):
to our tournament up north, he came to our tournament
down south. He loved his balls. And the bowling greens
will be a lot quieter and a lot more somble
without Grizz around.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
John, thanks for joining us to pay tribute to Gris Wiley.
I know you've got some balls to play or to oversea,
so let you get back to that. But thanks for
taking the time this afternoon.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Just just one moment, Jason, say, am I'm still there?
I just on Saturday or so yesterday Gris sat there
with his family and they watched the Crusaders under twenty
team win their match and his grandson Cinde McCloud was
playing number eight for Canterbury, so with a Crusaders so
he would have had a smile on his face towards
the end.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
Brilliant stuff. John, Thank you for joining us in what
a way to finish the chat. Really appreciate you taking
the time. John Macbeth paying tribute to Gris Wiley, who
passed away overnight at the age of eighty.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk z B weekends from midday. Follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
As we've been reporting in the last half hour or so,
former All Black and All Black's head coach Griws Wiley
has passed away at the age of eighty.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Canas even get this, the Garland's all up at the
ball comes this way, love, but all the Glaside Burgers
can get there SIPs. It didn't do a kiss.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Alex walle.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Well, the Canterbury captain up there at the precise moment
to check what was a precision past.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Alex Wiley played forty times for the All Blacks, including
eleven Test matches, over two hundred appearances for Canterbury, including
more than a century of games as captain. He was
part of the side that won the Ranfilly Shield in
nineteen sixty nine and nineteen seventy two, and captained his
province to wins over England, Scotland and Ireland on their
tours to New Zealand. He moved into coaching the Red
(01:06):
and Blacks in nineteen eighty two and led Canterbury to
the Ranfilly Shield that year, successfully defending New Zealand rugby's
most prestigious prize for a record equalling at that time
three years, as well as the NPC title in nineteen
eighty three and a win over the touring British and
Irish Lions that same year. Stepping up to the All Blacks,
Griswiley was an assistant to Sir Brian Lahore for New
(01:29):
Zealand's nineteen eighty seven Rugby World Cup victory and succeeded
him as head coach one year later. Alex Whiley coached
the All Blacks for sixty four matches fifty eight wins,
five losses and a draw between nineteen eighty eight and
nineteen ninety one, a success rate of ninety one percent.
Of those matches. Twenty nine were tests, twenty five wins,
(01:50):
three losses and a drawer, a win percentage in test
matches of eighty six point two percent. Of all the
coaches to lead the All Blacks on more than ten occasions,
only Fred Allen and Sir Steve Hansen boast a greater
winning percentage than Griswiley. He also led Argentina to their
first World Cup quarterfinal in nineteen ninety nine and returned
(02:11):
home to coach Marlborough and North Canterbury and away from rugby,
gris Wiley also represented Canterbury in lawn bowls during his
later years. Gris Wiley was eighty. Let's bring in one
of our foremost rugby commentators, John macbeth. John, thanks for
joining us at short notice. Let's start with gris Wiley
the player. What do you remember about Griswiley as a player.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
As a player, I always thought to myself, I'm pleased
I'm not playing against them. You know, he was so
hard and there are so many stories about him, Jason,
about the fact that he was physical, he didn't take
a backward step. There's many an inside back in New
Zealand who were playing their early games and representative player
and they came up against Alex Whyley, Alec Whyley, and
(02:56):
they just knew that they'd come off remembering that for
all the wrong reasons. He was a tough player. He
was really rugged of that Canterbury mole. He played in
the Canterbury teams which were renowned for being hard forward players.
The backs got the ball occasionally, so it always surprised
(03:16):
many people when he became a coach that he encouraged
and developed such wonderful backplay within the Canterbury team.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
When he was a player and then went on to
become a coach. You talked about a his coaching philosophy, John,
but but when he became a coach, did that seem
to you like a natural progression? Did he always seem
like he would go into coaching.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
I was always surprised about that, because you know, he
was busy man on the farm and things, and they'd
played two hundred plus games for Canterbury. He'd spent so
much time with rugby and he took a bit of
time out. But then he immediately got that well. I
soon got back into his Glenmark club and then his
immediate success I think just inspired him to go a
(04:02):
bit further. And goodness me, what a great start he
had to his coaching career, you know, winning the ram
Thury Shield then Canterbury held it for a record equitting
number of defenses. So Aleck Wiley, from rough hard player
who only made a dozen I think appearances for the
All Blacks amidst great opposition from other high quality players
(04:25):
to step up and become a top quality coach really
did catch some people by surprise. But Hewby did such.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
A good job of it absolutely, and then onto the
All Blacks first as Sir Brian Law's assistant at eighty seven.
But I don't know, John, You've watched a lot of
All Blacks rugby, but the All Black sides under grews
Wiley in nineteen eighty eight, nineteen eighty nine. I can't remember,
certainly in my lifetime a more exciting brand of rugby
at that time. How do you assess Gris as an
(04:54):
All Blacks head coach?
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Well, when he got off the out of that eighty
seven Rugby World Cup team, when he was helping to
coach that and became the sole coach or not sol
but certainly the head coach, he instigated a really different
regime for the players. And I you know, several of
us older people were away on the Turtle Australia for
(05:18):
example in nineteen eighty eight when they went so well.
They just drew one match against Australia, but they won
everything else under Whiley, and they had some interesting training sessions,
you know, And it's been well documented that when the
players didn't play well, he worked them pretty hard. But
then he also bought in some unusual aspects of training,
(05:41):
such as rud o boys, we're going to have a
bnare And that was frowned upon by a lot within
the New Zealand Rugby Union and within the rugby fraternity.
But it had been a method that it worked for
him for Canterbury, and I don't think it was a
failure with the orbacks either. Some players weren't used to
it and some said what the hell's going on, But
eventually they would all say, you know, Grius had a
(06:03):
different method and on reflection it worked.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
What was his relationship like with the media, Well.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
I had no hussles with them, you know. I think
it was because he was gruff and he was not
the most eloquent, eloquent of people. He was one of
those people who just wanted to get in and do
the job. And he knew he had a commitment on
obligation to the media to promote rugby and to let
people know what was going on, but he never really
(06:33):
felt comfortable with it, and there were many examples of
him looking to be a bit flustered up there and
not really wanting to talk any you know, to any
great extent. But getting him one on one was a delight,
you know, as a radio reporter back in the time,
I had learned so much about what he was trying
to achieve, it about rugby in general, from just having
(06:56):
a sit down with him and occasionally that involved to
be it that I found that I knew where he
was coming from with his reluctance to talk to the
media much. But it was mainly because he just felt
a but I don't think I'm inadequate, so we but
he just felt uncomfortable with it. He wanted to. He
was a good coach, very good coach. The media side
(07:18):
of it wasn't quite so comfortable for him.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
And just to finish another of your great love's lawn bowls,
so he went into that as well. Was a handy
lawn bowler.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Grizz Oh. I played with him in the National Championships
down in Alexandra four or five years ago with him
and his team from North Canterbury. He loved his bowls
and I did an interview with him about it and
that he said, you know, I just can't believe I
never saw how exciting and how invigorating bowls could be.
(07:50):
I just wish I'd started playing it a hell of
a lot earlier. He appeared on the initial television series
of bowls three five with his partner Jenny Anderson, and
who's herself a very good bowler, and some of the
guys from the wood End Club in North Canterbury and Grise.
There'll be so many bowlers out there now just nodding
their heads and say we played against him. He came
(08:11):
to our tournament up north, he came to our tournament
down south. He loved his balls. And the bowling greens
will be a lot quieter and a lot more somble
without Grizz around.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
John, thanks for joining us to pay tribute to Gris Wiley.
I know you've got some balls to play or to oversea,
so let you get back to that. But thanks for
taking the time this afternoon.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Just just one moment, Jason, say, am I'm still there?
I just on Saturday or so yesterday Gris sat there
with his family and they watched the Crusaders under twenty
team win their match and his grandson Cinde McCloud was
playing number eight for Canterbury, so with a Crusaders so
he would have had a smile on his face towards
the end.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
Brilliant stuff. John, Thank you for joining us in what
a way to finish the chat. Really appreciate you taking
the time. John Macbeth paying tribute to Gris Wiley, who
passed away overnight at the age of eighty.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk z B weekends from midday. Follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio.
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